Hi Folks,
Came across an interesting article on CV writing.
Happy Job Hunting!!
Cheerio
Rajat
So you have applied for that dream job you saw on the Internet? However, despite all your qualifications and work experience being right for the job, you still haven't got an interview call.
No, there's nothing wrong with you. But there could be a problem with your CV.
Your resume is the first taste a prospective employer gets of you and is the most important tool when it comes to getting your biggest break. A bad resume can also make sure you NEVER get that dream job.
Here are the biggest and the most common CV Slip-Ups and ways you can avoid them.
1. Who's interested in Ramayana?
Yes your resume is supposed to tell your prospective employers about you, but please remember it's supposed to give a short description of your (professionally) and not be an essay. No one reads long resumes.
As Ravi Harjai, Relationship manager (Institutional marketing) at the IndusInd Bank says, “We get 5000 resumes out of which we short list 200. The resumes should definitely be short and crisp, highlighting your strong points. No one will even look at a four page resume.
2. What to share, what not to share
There is no need to mention your age, race, gender and your family history. People also don't want to know about your last summer vacation so kindly desist from including your personal website. No one wants to know if you are a distant cousin of Amartya Sen, they want to know if you have what it takes.
So what you need to mention are the companies you worked with and the time period you were working in the respective companies. This is one common mistake. Don't forget to include your tenure dates. This is more imperative for those applying for senior positions.
“Now if you have an experience of more than 10 years, then your achievements acquire more importance and where all you have worked at what position, your qualification has to follow your experience,” says Harjai.
3. This is not guessing game
Don't make your employer guess as to why you have sent them your resume — make it clear right up front. This is your chance to not only state why you are applying to this company but also to show your ‘interactive' skills.
As Harjai puts it, “The mission statement holds a lot of importance. We can gauge the clarity of the mind from it and of course it has to be concise.” We repeat, don't make it long. Keep it short and sweet.
4. No bitching please
Now your last employers may have been blood sucking vampires but criticising them in your resume or if you get an interview call will not take you anywhere. Never mention your personal reasons for leaving the job, whether sexual harassment, over-eating or sleeping on the job, ALL are a capital NO. If you have to explain at all, leave them to do it in person.
5. You are not MF Husain
Do not try to prove your artistic capabilities while writing your resume. Do not try to get attention by making your CV by printing the resume on orange paper. Your resume will be noticed but the next place for it will be the bin.
Presenting your resume right is as important as putting in the right content. What's the point of leaving wide margins and squeezing the content in the centre? Or for that matter not leaving margins at all? Stick to the middle and leave a margin at least one half inch think.
And please, don't staple resume or use lines, graphics or shading — it's a resume, not a PowerPoint presentation. Again, keep the font size optimum — neither small nor too big.
Now that you are armed with the mistakes you should not make, happy job hunting.
Came across an interesting article on CV writing.
Happy Job Hunting!!
Cheerio
Rajat
So you have applied for that dream job you saw on the Internet? However, despite all your qualifications and work experience being right for the job, you still haven't got an interview call.
No, there's nothing wrong with you. But there could be a problem with your CV.
Your resume is the first taste a prospective employer gets of you and is the most important tool when it comes to getting your biggest break. A bad resume can also make sure you NEVER get that dream job.
Here are the biggest and the most common CV Slip-Ups and ways you can avoid them.
1. Who's interested in Ramayana?
Yes your resume is supposed to tell your prospective employers about you, but please remember it's supposed to give a short description of your (professionally) and not be an essay. No one reads long resumes.
As Ravi Harjai, Relationship manager (Institutional marketing) at the IndusInd Bank says, “We get 5000 resumes out of which we short list 200. The resumes should definitely be short and crisp, highlighting your strong points. No one will even look at a four page resume.
2. What to share, what not to share
There is no need to mention your age, race, gender and your family history. People also don't want to know about your last summer vacation so kindly desist from including your personal website. No one wants to know if you are a distant cousin of Amartya Sen, they want to know if you have what it takes.
So what you need to mention are the companies you worked with and the time period you were working in the respective companies. This is one common mistake. Don't forget to include your tenure dates. This is more imperative for those applying for senior positions.
“Now if you have an experience of more than 10 years, then your achievements acquire more importance and where all you have worked at what position, your qualification has to follow your experience,” says Harjai.
3. This is not guessing game
Don't make your employer guess as to why you have sent them your resume — make it clear right up front. This is your chance to not only state why you are applying to this company but also to show your ‘interactive' skills.
As Harjai puts it, “The mission statement holds a lot of importance. We can gauge the clarity of the mind from it and of course it has to be concise.” We repeat, don't make it long. Keep it short and sweet.
4. No bitching please
Now your last employers may have been blood sucking vampires but criticising them in your resume or if you get an interview call will not take you anywhere. Never mention your personal reasons for leaving the job, whether sexual harassment, over-eating or sleeping on the job, ALL are a capital NO. If you have to explain at all, leave them to do it in person.
5. You are not MF Husain
Do not try to prove your artistic capabilities while writing your resume. Do not try to get attention by making your CV by printing the resume on orange paper. Your resume will be noticed but the next place for it will be the bin.
Presenting your resume right is as important as putting in the right content. What's the point of leaving wide margins and squeezing the content in the centre? Or for that matter not leaving margins at all? Stick to the middle and leave a margin at least one half inch think.
And please, don't staple resume or use lines, graphics or shading — it's a resume, not a PowerPoint presentation. Again, keep the font size optimum — neither small nor too big.
Now that you are armed with the mistakes you should not make, happy job hunting.