PROFESSIONAL CV WRITING

you're not alone… writing a resume is intimidating for everyone.

What makes it difficult is knowing what to include, what not to, what to highlight,

what to de-emphasize, etc.

Putting all the pieces together

RIGHT

Interesting Facts The fact is, HR professionals and hiring managers

receive hundreds of resumes for any given position, and on average, will spend about 10-30 seconds on yours.

Some experts agree that obsessive review of documents or similar – like resume searches can cause attention spans to drop to as little as nine seconds – equivalent to a goldfish glance.

Organizing information incorrectly could cost you a shot at an interview, and is a very common mistake made by job seekers.

Why is a Resume so important?

Wikipedia® says; A résumé is a document that contains a

summary of relevant job experience and education. The résumé is typically the first item that a potential employer encounters regarding the job seeker and is typically used to screen applicants, often followed by an interview, when seeking employment.

In many contexts, a résumé is short (usually one page), and therefore contains only experience directly relevant to a particular position. Many résumés contain precise keywords that potential employers are looking for, make heavy use of active verbs, and display content in a flattering manner.

Wikipedia® Foundation Inc.

So, why is it so important? A resume reflects the potential work

an employer can expect from you. Of course, there are those unusual

cases when a resume didn’t make much of a difference.

However, there are times when employers make really wrong decisions and/or references.

Historical Employers Mistakes

Walt Disney was once fired by a newspaper. For lack of ideas…

Beethoven’s violin teacher declared him…“hopeless as a composer.”

For everyone else…

there is only the resume to get you

noticed.

Content

...so then, what are recruiters

looking for?

First, it is vital to understand the resume reviewing process and your recruiter's situation: Recruiters are normally under immense time

pressures and working to tight deadlines. They are initially searching for just a few

keywords in your resume. They will heartlessly reject resumes that they

are finding difficult to navigate through, as their time is precious.

Not knowing what you are like, the presentation of your resume will reflect on you and the potential work they can expect from you.

Jobseekers do not realize that the way their information is presented, can often be of more value in getting to the next stage of the application process, than the information itself.

Poor presentations can: Hide your most important

background and skills from the recruiter.

Stop your resume from being read fully.

Convey a poor standard of work impression in the mind of the recruiter just from content.

Ultimately, STOP your application from going to the next stage.

Good presentations can: Attract the HR professional to the

document the moment your resume is received or before other applicants.

Communicate that you have skills needed for the position and beyond by just what is described in the text of your resume.

Instantly give the recruiter a positive feel about you.

Ultimately get you that first interview.

Autopsy of a Resume

10 RESUME WRITING

TIPS

1. Try to limit your resume to one page. Not everything you have done needs to be stated here however everything needs to be true and relevant.

NAME Email Address and/or Personal Web Address

Campus Address: College Box # City, State Zip Code Phone Number Permanent Street: City, State Zip Code Phone Number

OR

Address: College, Box # City, State Zip code (Area Code) Phone number

Permanent Address: Street

City, State Zip code (Area Code) Phone number

EDUCATION: Institution: location -- College: Anytown, ST Degree, Major (and concentration if appropriate), date -- Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Expected May 2003 Cumulative GPA/GPA in major (optional) - list if 3.0 or higher with academic honors and awards Optional: relevant coursework, foreign study programs.

CAREER OBJECTIVE: If you have a cover letter, you generally do not need an objective. If you decide you want one anyway, it should be a concise and meaningful statement describing your career goals. Be as specific as possible without being too restrictive.

2. Determine a layout that works best for you and your experience. Use bold to emphasize related key skills and accomplishments.

Sample: Top

Format

Sample:

Middle Format

3. Create your resume to the type of position to which you are applying. Decide and tailor what you want to convey about your experience and background.EXPERIENCE:

List experiences as follows: Job title, employer, location (city, state) and the dates. The order of the job title and the employer depends on how you want to present yourself. De-emphasize dates, months may or may not be relevant.

Tailor this section for the type of position you are applying - Teaching Experience, Research Experience, Financial Experience, etc.

You may choose to put either the job title or employer name first. You should decide which is more important - where you worked or what you did.

May include full-time, part-time, related volunteer work or relevant campus activities, and internships. Remember, not all paid positions reflect your skills. Use actions words and adjectives to describe the skills you have developed and applied. Cite your specific responsibilities and accomplishments for each position. Be thorough in your descriptions without exaggerating. Appropriate divisions for this category may include research experience, teaching experience, technical experience, etc.

4. Maintain a consistent writing style. Do not use “I” or “my”. Make sure your statements are clear and understandable.

SKILLS:Computer: Even if it is only word processing skills, list familiarity with computer systems, applications and programs. If you don’t have it, assume you don’t know it.Language: state degree of proficiency in reading, writing and speaking.

HONORS & AWARDS:List academic, leadership and athletic honors. If you only have academic awards you can list them under your GPA in the Education section.

ACTIVITIES/SPECIAL INTERESTS:Include leadership positions, such as offices held and responsibilities. You do not need to include everything you have done, be selective in your listing.

REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST:You should only use this if you need to fill space, and you do have dependable references to give. Sample

: Bottom Format

5. Make sure your information is understand-able. Emphasize accomplishments and responsibilities.

For example: Streamlined procedures leading to 25% increase in production over previous quarter.

6. Be Clear and concise in your descriptions. Do not make any confusing or complicated statements.

7. Make sure there are NO Spelling and/or Grammar Errors. It’s a good idea to have someone proofread your resume.

8. Follow a uniform format. Be consistent as to the entire look of the page. If your headings are in Bold Type, then all headings should be in bold.

9. In building your resume, choose a font that is easy to read like Times New Roman or Palatino, not larger than 14 point or smaller than 10 point.

10. Think outside the box, but not too outside to get your resume noticed. In most cases a cover letter should be attached.

Print final copies of your resume on quality paper that photocopies well.

10 Resume

Major Sins

1. Avoid a lengthy resumeHave a crisp Resume that captures the employers' attention without being lengthy. Having a long Resume DOES NOT guarantee you a job!

2. Do not fakeUnnecessary inputs that add no value to your resume needs to be avoided at any cost.

3. Do not be too loud and ornateAvoid color paper and uncommon fonts. Make your resume easy to read with white color paper and black color font that is easy on the eye.

4. Avoid slang, jargons, abbreviations.Avoid all. Keep the language simple and spell where necessary

5. DO NOT USE Funny e-mail addresses.Make sure that you create a professional-looking e-mail address to use it with your Resume & DO NOT use those used for chatting & Facebook socializing.

6. DO NOT Use Improper Photos Make sure to use a RECENT, professional-looking photo whenever requested. DO NOT use cropped photos, old photos, or poorly scanned ones.

7. Repetition of words.Don't repeat the same words again and again.

8. Do not get personalBasic information about you is sufficient. Don't get into details about marital status, age, weight, religion, caste, etc.

9. Avoid criticizing past employersNever blame others, especially past employers. Stick to being positive and focus on your accomplishments.

10. Do not misrepresent skillsDo not exaggerate your skills. You want a potential employer to consider you for a job you can do.

Thank You!