Resume Writing Tips

Hello all,
Being in the HR for the past few years I thought of posting some tips and tricksI gained in the trade while writing a CV. Hope this thread will be helpful and I expect feedbacks.

Thanks in advance

Keep your Resume simple. Your Resume must be concise. Your Resume must be easy to read. Your Resume must sell you. And your Resume must be tailored to what the reader is looking for.

These Resume and letter Techniques apply to all career moves. Having a good Resume is essential for full-time jobs, part-time, internal, external, promotions, new jobs, career changes, internships and work experience placements - wherever an employer or decision-maker is short-listing or interviewing or selecting applicants. As and when you upgrade youself update your resume also. Never postpone updating your resume for you may loose any chance even by seconds.

Resume Writing is a form of Marketing or Advertising

Your Resume must sell you to a prospective employer, and compete against other applicants who are also trying to sell themselves. So the challenge in CV writing is to be more appealing and attractive than the rest.


This means that your Resume must be presented professionally, clearly, and in a way that indicates you are an ideal candidate for the job, i.e., you possess the right skills, experience, behaviour, attitude, morality that the employer is seeking. The way you present your Resume effectively demonstrates your ability to communicate, and particularly to explain a professional business proposition.

Put yourself in the shoes of the employer: write down a description of the person they are looking for. You can now use this as a blue-print for your Resume. The better the match the more likely you are to be called for an interview.

If you find it difficult to match your own Resume description to the requirements of the role, then perhaps the role isn't for you. There's little or no point distorting or falsifying yourself in order to get a job. If you falsify yourself in your Resume you'll be unlikely to provide the necessary proof of your claims at interview, and even if you manage to do this and to get the job, then you'll not be able to do the job enjoyably without stress.

Obviously lying in a Resume is a risky strategy, especially about qualifications, and you should avoid any such temptation. Better to be proud and confident of who you are. Integrity and reputation are more important than qualifications. A Resume with a lie is an embarrassment, or even a dismissal, waiting to happen, sometimes years later when you've a lot more to lose.

Blow your own trumpet, emphasise your characteristics, your capabilities and achievements - this is all fine - but know where to draw the line. Positive emphasis and strong presentation is good; falsehoods are not.

On the point about 'blowing your own trumpet' (presenting yourself within the Resume in a very positive light) - many people find this difficult, especially those with strong 'sensing' personalities, who see life in terms of bare facts. If you are one of these people (in fact many people are), try to get help from someone creative and enthusiastic to assist you in interpreting and writing very positive phrases and descriptions about you for your Resume. In your Resume it's important to emphasise your attributes in strong, relevant and expressive terms; modesty doesn't work particularly well on any Resume.

Additionally, there is a widely held school of thought that writing such statements - powerful descriptions about yourself, your personality and your strengths and capabilities - actually helps you to become even more like the person you describe.


It's related to self-talk, self belief, and positive visualisation: we tend to live up to our claims when we write them down and commit to them. Creating a positive CV for ourselves helps us to grow and to become how we want to be.

Wow..gr8 effort.

Dear Lavanya Thanks. Here comes more.
What Employers Want

Employers say they are impressed by job candidates who have excellent communication skills, good personal grooming, and relevant work experience. They also want the new hires to be trust worthy who can move right in, get along with their co-workers, and get the job done without having to be taught and spoon fed at each step.

Top 10 Qualities Employers Look for in the prospective interviewees

1. Communication skills (verbal and written)
2. Honesty/integrity
3. Teamwork skills (works well with others)
4. Interpersonal skills (relates well to others)
5. Motivation/initiative
6. Strong work ethic
7. Analytical skills
8. Flexibility/adaptability
9. Computer skills
10. Organizational skills

Have you ever wondered how your experince is rated?

Relevant work experience ..................................... 4.0
Internship experience ............................................ 3.9
Any work experience ............................................. 3.6
Co-op experience .................................................. 3.2

(5-point scale: 5=Extremely important; 1=Not important)

Hi! RajmiArun,

That was a very informative post, appreciate ur effort.
Thanks & keep the good work going!!

Cheers!

Ragini.

Hi rajmi,
Really worthy a post.Keep up the good work.

Very good information Rajmi - hope many of the ladies here who are in the hunt for jobs will take time to read this thread and update their own resumes!