Get Results with Your Cover Letter

admin — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 06:05:18 +0000

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Cover letters are where you make your all-important first impression. Most often they determine whether a recruiter decides to continue on and review your resume. You have about 30 seconds to convey compelling information that will catch and keep the reader's attention. At their best, stand-out cover letters are strategic, persuasive, and concise. Ideally, cover letters will achieve three objectives. They will:

1- Provide an effective introduction to and compelling context for your resume.

Engage the reader so that he or she will want to find out more about you by reviewing your resume and hopefully, inviting you for an interview.

Help position you as a strong contender and a viable good fit vis-e-vis the numerous candidates applying for the job.

The best cover letters are focused and targeted. They don't hint of being a "form" letter that is seeing the rounds as a mass mailing. When I was recruiting for everything from entry-level positions to the senior VP level, if I noted that a person did not care enough to write an original cover letter, I concluded that this was clear evidence of the person's lack of commitment and savvy. Nowadays, with the huge volume of talented candidates vying for the small number of jobs, cover letters are more critical than ever. At every stage in your job search process, you'll need to do your best and stand out among the sea of worthy contenders.

To help you do your best, here are my top-ten tips talking to the finer points of crafting a winning cover letter. The first five focus on mechanics and style. The last five tips cover content and substance. Following the tips is a quick worksheet to help get you started.

Address letters to a specific person. Ideally this would be the decision maker/hiring manager, HR manager, or to whomever you are sending your resume. Make sure to use a title like Mr. or Ms. and the last name. Typically, it's better to be more formal at the start. Often you are invited to send resumes to an address with no name. A creative way to approach this is to use: "Dear XYZ company manager" or "Dear Hiring Manager." This is better than the old hat, "To Whom It May Concern" or "Dear Sir or Madam."

2-Keep your letter brief. Try for less than one page. The optimal length is about half a page.

Use clear, professional language. Steer away from buzzwords, acronyms, jargon, and anything overly personal.

"Talk" to the person. Write your letter as though you are speaking to the person who is reading it - as if you were engaging them in a conversation. Let your warmth, enthusiasm, and energy shine through.

Choose professional-looking paper stock. Show that you care about your cover letter and resume by paying attention to the finer details. Use the same paper that you use for your resume for your cover letter so the two coordinate. White or cream with a subtle weave or texture is nice. (Of course, e-mailing cover letters with your resume is quite common these days. In this case, focus on tips one to four).

Now, let's focus on the content of your letter.

Cover four sections in your letter. Each section will be covered more in-depth after the tips in the "cover letter outline."

Do not include details from your resume. That would be redundant and a waste of the recruiter's time. Craft a few compelling, overarching statements for your letter that help the recruiter assess quickly who you are and what you have to offer. Draw the reader in. Persuade the person to want to read your resume and find out more about you.

Make every word count. If there's a word or phrase in there that doesn't prove a point or isn't there to add solid proof of your strong candidacy, then it's clutter. Streamline your letter as much as possible.

Ask at least three people to read your letter. Get their feedback about what they think your content conveys about you. Is it sending the message you desire? Those who don't know you well are the best pre-screeners, because they won't cut you any slack nor will they be influenced by how great a person they know you are in real life. Take this opportunity to find and fix typos, grammatical errors, overuse of certain words, anything that sounds boastful or too good to be true.

Spend quality time on your letter. Remember that your cover letter is the first impression of you. Depending on how well you know yourself and your selling points and how strong a writer you are, you will need a minimum of 30 minutes to a few hours for each letter. For each job you are going for, be sure to customize the letter. Write one that is unique to the company and the role you are looking to fill.

Cover Letter Outline

A cover letter consists of four key sections. These are areas where you:

Introduce yourself. Explain who you are and why you are writing. Mention who referred you if someone did. Ask for an informational interview if that's the reason why you are writing or say that you are interested in X job if that's the case.

Examples:

When applying for a specific job:
I am interested in discussing your opportunity for Senior Product Manager in the New Product Development Group. Having launched numerous new brands over the past 12 years with two leading consumer products companies, I would be enthusiastic about discussing how my background and strengths can contribute to your team.

When requesting an informational interview:
Lisa Smith, a colleague from UCLA, gave me your name as someone who is very knowledgeable about the entertainment industry. I am trying to learn as much I can about the industry and would greatly appreciate 15-20 minutes of your time. Your insights would be extremely valuable.

Connect with the recruiter. Tell why you are interested in the industry/company/job and how it is a good fit with your background/ strengths.

Examples:

Your accomplishments in manufacturing, particularly supply chain management, have been a focus of interest in my studies at Columbia. My background is manufacturing-focused. Before business school, I was an engineer with Ford and this year, I served as co-chair of the Global Manufacturing Conference !

I have been an entrepreneur for seven years in Boston. One of my greatest accomplishments was building an effective team and leading the group through chaos. These valuable lessons are relevant to what your new company is going through. I feel confident that I could make an impact on your business and its strategic growth.

As a math teacher and part-time musician, I have successfully combined my problem solving, analytical, creativity, and communication skills-the qualifications you list as most important in what you are looking for.

Make it real. Give some concrete, compelling examples that describe what you can offer.

Examples:

As a product manager, I grew market share by X percent over a three-year period, launched our products in seven new countries, and was selected to team lead our college recruiting efforts.

As a management consultant, I worked extensively within the health care industry. Engagements produced major cost-cutting initiatives, a successful national systems overhaul, and client service improvements.

As a sales representative for NIKETOWN, I learned firsthand customer service, merchandising, organization, and prioritization skills. As top 10 percent in sales in my region, I was selected to train and mentor new staff. Through my initiative, I co-developed an employee recognition program. My experience and abilities seem like a strong fit for your culture and X job.

Follow up with a call to action. Describe clearly how and when you will follow up.

Examples:

I will call your office next week to arrange an interview (or a time to talk).

I know you will be on campus to speak at for the Women in Management Club's event next week. I would love to meet you for coffee and to talk before or after the event. If you need a ride to the airport, I could provide that, too.

A Worksheet to Help You Get Started

Who: "Who am I?" Try to capture your answer in one sentence.

Why: "Why am I writing and why should who is reading my letter be interested in me?"

What: "What do I have to offer that they'd be interested in?" From my research or what I know about this company, industry, or person I'm sending this to, what would make me attractive as a candidate? What compelling strengths, experience, or knowledge do I have?

When: "When will my letter be read-in what kind of context-in what kind of times?" Is this a hot company experiencing fast growth, a declining company fighting to survive, a start-up, a traditional company trying to do something new, a company whose reputation has taken a beating and is trying for a comeback !

How: "How do I do my best to make sure my letter is unique, compelling, and intriguing?" How can I give it my best shot in getting this person to read my resume and take the next step towards an interview?

Concluded.

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Rate Your Resume Yourself

editor — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 08:50:59 +0000

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You have put in hard work and are through with resume composition. You are oozing with the confidence that now all the dream jobs are going to fall in your lap. But wait a minute. Before firing the salvo of resumes in all possible directions, and taking the plunge, it will be a good idea to check whether your resume is the perfect killer resume you are expecting it to be?

Rate the resume

Use the following checklist to rate your resume yourself. All you have to do is to go through the set of questions given below. Based on the questions, rate your resume yourself on the scale of 1 - 5. Use 5 as the highest score and 1 for the lowest number while you rate the resume on each question:

* Have you analyzed and given a thought as to what skills might be crucial for the positions you are interested in and the vacancy ads you are replying to? Does your resume highlight those skills and hard sells you at first glance?

* You have claimed the job titles and mentioned your skills by august statements. Do your claims present yourself as aptly qualified for the level of position and salary you are seeking?

* Employers spend little time, as little as 5 to 10 seconds, glancing at resumes as they go through the pile of resumes on their desk. In this little time, your potential employer is going to either discard you or set your resume aside for further review. If one takes a quick glance at your resume, where does the attention go at first, second, third, fourth and then fifth glance? Is this the most important information you want to sell about yourself to catch the attention of the HR manager in that critical 5 to 10-second glance?

* You have mentioned you earlier job descriptions. You have also dwelled on your skills and strengths. Does the information you have given has depth to convince your potential employer that you are capable of making real time contribution as an employee? Does your resume explain how you have helped to improve productivity, streamline operations, cut down costs, improve morale, and maximize sales or profits?

* You might have some gaps in your professional career. If you have gaps of more than 1 year between jobs, have you used year-to-year dates rather than month-to-month dates to detail your work history?

* If your education credentials are your strong point, then have you put forward this qualification in education and training in depth? Does this section of your resume illustrates as to how your education or training is related to the job and position you are seeking? Does it demonstrates and conveys logically the skills you've gained which enables you in giving a good performance in this job?

* You have a vision of the Dream Job. However, if some of your job titles do not match the job you seek, and make you appear less qualified, have you altered them or replaced them with skills you possess that do match the job you want?

* Are your career objectives in sync with the type of position you want or are applying for? Have you mentioned the skill set you possess and types of skills you wish to use to achieve the career objectives? Does it present you as well-qualified for the job?

* If you were to graph each job title or skill heading in your resume, how would you rate each one on the scale by asking yourself, "Does the job title to be offered make my image go up or down in reference to the job and the salary I want?" Do all the job titles and skill headings in your resume present a close match to the job you want?

Analysis:

Poor Rating 12 points or less: If your resume scored 12 points or less, you're in big trouble. It reflects the fact that your resume is poorly drafted and does not convey your skills and qualifications. It's likely that you will receive few, if any interview-calls by using this resume. It's also very probable that the job offers you do receive will be at lower pay rates than what you want! You need to redraft your resume urgently.

Average Rating 30 points or less: If your resume scored 30 points or less, you're still in big trouble! Since most resumes are extremely weak and score only 30 to 12 points, it means that your resume is not better than 60% to 70% of all resumes submitted to employers. This is certainly not an august company you wish to be with. With the majority of such resumes never lasting even one interview - it's likely that your resume won't either. You also run the risk of any salary-offer you do receive being below the level you want. You still have got to put in more work in your resume development to focus on the content and the representation, The approach and the use of appropriate words shall reflect optimism, a positive outlook and a genuine interest in the company and post applied for.

Above Average Rating 38 or less: If your resume scored 38 points or less, it's still likely you won't get the desired number and quality of interviews you seek or the salary offers you expect. With a score in this range you could consider that your resume is in the top 30% to 20% of resumes being received by employers. However, remember that since the employers generally select candidates to interview from the "best" resumes they have received and you are not even in top 10% of the resumes received by them. That means it's still likely you will lose interviews and job offers to other applicants who score 45 points on this quiz!

Top Rating 45 points: If you have been truly objective about your resume, worked hard on it, proofread it to eliminate the possible typographical errors, maintained a positive approach in tone and specified your skills and experiences, then you should be able to score 45 points - congratulations! That your resume is one of the best floating around in corporate world will be revealed by the positive results you would achieve in job market. It should lead a number of queries from the corporate wherever you send your resume. You would be likely to see from 30% all the way up to 100% requests for interviews for every 20 resumes submitted by you. Once you've been interviewed you'll know if your resume presents you strongly, because the salary-offers you generate should come in at or above the salary you are expecting. If these parameters aren't achieved, then it's likely that your resume isn't a Top Scorer. It needs to be worked on and developed further!

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Resume Guidelines and Checklist

editor — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 08:45:58 +0000

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Resume Guidelines

So you are ready to send your resume. But before that, check whether your resume fits between these guidelines

1- Size does not matter. It is content that's so vital. Therefore, limit the size.

2- Do not make it unnecessarily bulky. Do not forget that it's not the volume that matters. Maintain a consistent and logical writing style.

3- All the information should flow from the previous section. There should be fluency and the sections should not appear as disjointed.

4- Use present tense verbs when referring to current activities. Use past tense verbs when referring to past activities. This may sound obvious but this is also a very common mistake,

5- Use numbers, where appropriate, to quantify the scope of involvement.

6- When expressing numbers, write out all numbers between one and nine, but use numerals for all numbers 10 and above. If you begin a sentence with a number, always write it out.

7- Include a brief explanation of an organization in your description if its name is obscure. This would provide information about the business of your past employer in case the potential recruiter is not familiar.

8- Use action-words, verbs, adverbs, and adjectives in your descriptions.

9- Be concise and clear in your descriptions.

10.- Make sure that you have no typing, spelling, or grammatical errors. Check for periods at the end of all full sentences, be consistent with your punctuation, avoid using exclamation points, and capitalize all proper nouns.

11- Do not use abbreviations or acronyms unless you define them.

12- Be consistent. For example, if your headings are in bold type, all headings should be in bold. Each entry should follow a uniform format.

13- Spell check. But remember that spell check doesn't catch everything (i.e. affect and effect are different words and mean different things). Have someone else proofread your resume and check out our Resume Proofreading 15. Checklist for some specific tips.

14- Use jargon and terms specific to the industry in your resume.

15- Don't overcrowd your resume.

16- Choose a font that is easy to read: Times, no larger than 14 point and no smaller than 10 point, or Arial between 10-12 point.

17- In most cases, a cover letter should be attached to your resume.

18- Print final copies of your resume on quality paper. Use the same color and type of paper for resume, cover letter, and envelope. White or ivory colored paper is recommended for taking the printouts.

19- Double-check everything. Especially dates of employment, your address and phone number, and the information of the potential employer.

20- Keep your contact information current. Reprint your resume if you move or get a new phone number or e-mail address.

Resume Proofreading Checklist

Spelling Mistakes

1. Don't use words with which you aren't familiar.

2. If necessary, use a dictionary as you write.

3. Perform a spell check on your finished resume.

4. Carefully read every word in your resume. If you write "from" instead of "form," you won't leave a good impression. Spell-check will be unable to detect your mistake.

5. Have a friend or two proofread your resume for you.

6. Punctuation Mistakes

7. Check for periods at the end of all full sentences.

8. Be consistent in your use of punctuations.

9. Always put periods and commas within quotation marks. (i.e., "Won awards including the 'JRD Tata Memorial Service Award.'")

10. Avoid using exclamation marks.

Grammatical Mistakes

Do not switch tenses within your resume. The duties you currently perform should be in present tense (i.e., write reports), but ones you may have performed in the past jobs should be in past tense (i.e., wrote reports).

Capitalize all proper nouns.

1. When expressing numbers, write out all numbers between one and nine (i.e., one, five, seven), but use numerals for all numbers 10 and above (i.e., 10, 25, 108). If you begin a sentence with a numeral, spell out that numeral (i.e., "Eleven service awards won while employed.").

2. Make sure your date formats are consistent (i.e., 06/01/2000 or January 6, 2000. Choose one and stick with it.).

Choose Your Words Carefully

1. Be on the lookout for the following easily confused words. For e.g.:

i) accept (to receive), except (to exclude),

ii) all right (correct), alright (this is not a word),

iii) affect (to bring about change), effect (result),

iv) personal (private), personnel (staff members),

v) role (a character assigned or a function), roll (to revolve).

2. Use action words (i.e., wrote reports, increased revenues, directed staff).

Other Potential Mistakes

1. Check dates of all prior employment.

2. Check your address and phone number - are they still current and correct?

Design Is Important

1. Don't overcrowd your resume; allow for plenty of white space.

2. Keep the number of fonts you use to a minimum -- two at the most.

3. Use a font that is easy to read. Times Roman works well.

4. Do not justify the lines of type on your resume. Allow the right side of the page to "rag."

5. Do not overuse capitalization, italics, underlines, or other emphasizing features.

6. Make sure your name, address, and phone number appear on your resume and all correspondence, preferably at the top of the page.

7. Print your resume on white or cream paper using a good-quality printer.

8. Second- and third- generation photocopies are a no-no.

9. Print on one side of the paper only

By following the above-mentioned guidelines and the checks, you are sure to boost of chances to make it to the Judgment Day - The Interview.

Concluded.

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Resume Writing

editor — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 08:43:49 +0000

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Your resume is an important document. You want to project your achievements so that you increase your chances of selection among the deserving candidates. You think that this particular job is just tailor-made for you, and that you can do wonders if you are selected. But your suitability for the post must stand out in your resume. Simple reason is that your prospective employer does not know you in person. He is not familiar with your skills, achievements, and experiences. All he has is your resume to know you. Your resume is the only thing, which tells him about you. He forms a picture about you and your capabilities on the basis of the information you provide in your resume. Therefore, the picture should come out to be "Picture Perfect". You should not appear to be a superman with unlimited abilities. Instead your resume should project you as a person who is most suitable for the job, which you should prove in the subsequently held Interview.

Therefore, it is imperative that your CV should help the recruiter to:

Get a clear picture of you
More importantly, get the right picture and one that will appeal to him
While doing all of the above, your CV should also retain your individuality.

At the same time, the resume should not be so stereotyped that it lists down only facts without a brief explanation. For e.g.:

Year Company Designation
1990-1992 Hindustan Lever Ltd. Assistant Manager
1992-1999 Bajaj Auto Ltd. Manager

Imagine yourself to be a recruiter. Has the above information captured anything about the candidate? What has been the candidate's role at each of these places? What are the functions that are encompassed in each of these designations? Each company has a different profile for the same designation. Job profile varies from company to company and industry to industry. In some, one may start of at entry level after MBA as a Manager, whereas in some others it takes a couple of years to become a manager in spite of having similar qualifications. All this information should come across.

This in no way means that one needs to put down everything. It should be just the right amount to reveal and sufficient enough to be left unsaid for the interview. To get the above ingredients mixture right, pay attention on following points:

What is a Resume?

A resume is a brief summary of your education, qualifications, skills, and experiences. Resumes should almost always be accompanied by a cover letter, which talks about the position applied for. One can also use it to demonstrate how your skills and experiences would apply to a specific position. To highlight skills and experiences, one can use action verbs.

Writing Your Resume

You should know the destination. And the rest of the things would fall in their place. The most effective resumes are clearly focused on a specific job title and address the employer's stated requirements for the position. The more you know about the duties and skills required for the job - and organize your resume around these points - the more effective the resume. Select your most relevant accomplishments, skills, and experiences for THIS position and include those in your resume. When you first sit down to write your resume, recall information about yourself and write down the most important details: pertinent course work, paid and volunteer work experiences, awards, projects, activities, and skills. At this point, don't leave anything out. You can always go back and delete items that are not relevant to the position you are seeking. Go back over your list and fill in the details: dates, titles, names, responsibilities, and achievements.

Revising Your Resume

Since a resume is the most important tool in a job search, take your time writing yours. You can even put it aside after you've written a first draft, and come back to it later. After a few hours, you may realize that it isn't written clearly. Or that you forgot to include an important job you had, or that prestigious NTS scholarship in Class X.

After you've written several drafts of your resume, ask yourself if it accurately represents your skills and experiences and if it demonstrates that you are an ideal candidate for the job you are seeking. Most employers will make up their minds about a resume (and you) immediately, so you need to sell yourself the right way. If you haven't achieved this, keep writing.

After you've completed a final draft of your resume, proofread it and give it to somebody else to proofread as well. Remember that everybody has a different idea on how to write an effective resume. Consider other people's advice, but make your own decisions about things such as formatting, style, and layout. Whenever possible, get your resume read by someone from the same industry or similar profile as your employer. You may get it read by someone from the HRD field as well. Remember, ultimately your resume should reflect your goals and personality.

If you are interested in posting your resume online, read through some specific information about electronic resumes, as they require a different type of formatting. Format your resume according to specifications asked for.

The following information is included in some form in most resumes. The particular arrangement of some of the information is a personal choice. Use an organizational style that will emphasize your strengths. Also make sure that the information flows logically and sequentially.

1. Name, Address, Telephone Number, e-mail Address

Be sure the address, telephone number, and e-mail address are current and that you can be reached. Specify day or evening if necessary. If employed, you may want to include your work number or a number where potential employers can leave messages.

2. Career Objectives/ Summary

A career objective is not mandatory; though it has the advantage of telling the recruiter at a glance the type of position you are seeking. A well-designed objective statement enables you to focus the information in the resume and convey to an employer a sense of your career direction. You come across as a person who knows where he wants to go. And that'll do no harm.

If you decide to state an objective, identify the kind of work you wish to do and the environment in which you prefer to work. State the position you are seeking, the skills you wish to use on the job, and/ or the field or type of organization in which you wish to work. It is important to strike a balance between too much and too little information; however, it is also important to provide enough specific information for the reader to determine where to direct your resume. If you don't include your professional objective on your resume, be sure to discuss it in the cover letter.

In place of the objective, or sometimes in addition to it, you may prepare a short summary of skills and/ or background. Such a summary allows you to present a succinct picture of the qualifications you are offering an employer. If you are applying to jobs in different fields, use a separate resume with an objective appropriate for each field. Remember that your resume should be personalized in line with the job profile you wish to apply for.

3. Education

In reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent one, list all degrees and universities, dates attended or dates of graduation. State the specialization or special subjects taken. Include special assignments, projects, or any pertinent information about course work.

4. Honors and/ or Extra Curricular Activities

Academic honors (merit list, scholarships, rank in the Board / University). Include those extra curricular activities that display evidence of leadership, initiative, team involvement, or the use of special skills, e.g. being a member of basketball/tennis team is cool. If you were the moving force behind setting up an NGO for environment care at college, then it's cool.

5. Experience

Present your experience in reverse chronological order, by function, or in some combination of the two with most recent one in the beginning. The chronological approach would organize your experience by date, beginning with the most recent and working back to the earliest that seems appropriate for your career goal. This format is good for recent graduates with limited job experience or for anyone with a stable progressive job history relating to the career goal.

The functional approach provides you with an opportunity to display your qualifications in terms of titles or areas of work, irrespective of time or place. This approach permits you to group your experience, highlighting that which is relevant and omitting that which is not. This format may be advisable for experienced people who want to stress their activities rather than places and dates. It is not as familiar to employers as the chronological format, so it should be prepared carefully. If you do not have much of work experience you may discuss full- and part-time work experience, summer jobs, volunteer work, research/ study projects and internships.

6. Other Background Information (Optional)

You may want to demonstrate other assets, skills, or experience relevant to the career objective, which are not easily organized under another heading. This may include special licenses, language prowess, publications, professional associations, community service, travel, interests, etc. If you have done a computer course while working, then you can include that. Part/ full time learning of a foreign language is a plus point. Also, publication of your articles in journals or magazines will be cool.

7. References

Normally, references are not included in the resume. Simply state that references will be furnished upon request. Former employers or professors in relevant fields are most appropriate. Be sure to request permission before using anyone as a reference. This way your reference is prepared in case some decides to check the veracity. You sure don't want your reference to say," Mr. X! Who? I don't know where he is nowadays!" Give references of those who know you well. Otherwise, the whole thing may backfire.

And the final word…

Your resume is the most important document. Your potential recruiter will form an opinion about you depending on how you present the information about you, besides looking at what is the information you are providing. Even smallest of the mistake can ruin your chances. So concentrate, write and win.

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E-Resume

editor — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 08:40:47 +0000

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Increasing number of companies are resorting to recruit these days by asking candidates to either apply online through their own or some other career web site, or submitting the resumes through e-mail.

While sending resume through e-mail, the conventional resume format doesn't work and most of the times end up as an unopened file only. While sending a resume through e-mail, the candidates have a propensity to send the resume as an attachment, which puts the recruiters in a difficult situation, as lots of resumes just fail to open due to different formats, different word processing applications, or due to virus problems, and so lots of recruiters just shy away from downloading any attachment to their PCs. So many recruiters have started asking candidates to send their resume in ASCII Text format only.

Click on following sections to understand about ASCII resume and learn key points related to them so that you can improve upon your chance of success.

* ASCII Resume

* Scannable Resumes & Using Keywords

* Tips for a Better e-Resume

E-Resume: ASCII text

ASCII is an acronym, which stands for "American Standard Code for Information Interchange," and is used to describe files that are stored in clear text format. In ASCII text, there is no formatting within the document and the text is not platform or application specific. So features like bold fonts, italics, etc., cannot be used. ASCII allows employers to read resumes without worrying about the MS Word format and virus problems.

How Does ASCII Work?

In technical terms, ASCII is a coding scheme, which assigns numeric values to letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and certain other characters. By standardizing the values used for these characters, ASCII enables computers and computer programs to exchange information regardless of platform. There are 128 standard ASCII codes, each of which can be represented by a 7 digit binary number: 0000000 through 1111111. As ASCII is the worldwide standard for these code numbers, the standard ASCII character set is universal among microcomputer hardware and software.

Writing resume in ASCII?

To create an ASCII resume, use Notepad for writing resume or write resume by using available word-processing application on computer, and then save it as a text-only document or as Rich Text Format (*.rtf). This can be done by using "save" or "save as," command.

The ASCII text resume will not recognize special formatting commands specific to word-processing programs. Therefore, following mistakes should be watched:

1. Alignment - In ASCII, everything is by default left justified, so to indent a sentence or for putting a heading in center, use the spacebar.

2. Tabs - Do not use tabs. Use your spacebar instead.

3. No Special Characters - Special characters such as Bullets, Mathematical symbols, etc., are not exactly transferred in the ASCII text format, so avoid using these characters and reformat the ASCII text resume.

4. Word Wrap - Never use word wrap feature while typing resume in notepad. Use hard carriage returns (enter) to insert line breaks.

5. Fonts - Fonts will become whatever a computer uses as its default face and size, so boldface, italics, and various sizes will NOT appear in the ASCII version.

6. Spell Check - As you cannot spell-check into notepad, always check the spellings in your document before saving it as a text file.

7. Use capitals, spacing, hard line breaks, and non-special characters, such as asterisks where attention is required.

Scannable Resumes

Due to large number of applications and shift to eCruit, companies are using computers to sort resumes by scanning resumes for keywords that indicate skills, education, and knowledge areas desired by the employer. Companies search resume databases maintained by career web sites by entering specific keywords and the computers scan the resumes in the database for matches. Therefore, it is important that scannable resume should be readable by the computer and that you should use specific keywords that are relevant to the position you are looking for.

Using Keywords

The computer database is searched for candidate credentials by using keywords, which describe his education, experience, skills, knowledge areas, and professional affiliations. Every occupation and career field has its own jargon, acronyms, and buzzwords. There are also general keywords that apply to transferable skills important in many jobs, such as teamwork, writing, planning, coordinating, designing, etc.

So while applying online for a specific job, use those words in your resume, which have appeared in the recruitment advertisement.

Use Nouns Instead of Verbs

While applying online, try to use nouns to describe qualifications, not verbs because companies search resume databank by keywords, and those keywords tend to be nouns. For instance, "SQL Database Programmer" is generally easier to find in a database than "Designed and implemented departmental database programmer." So ensure that your resume contains nouns that are usually used to describe your industry. While applying, always think of the words that are generally used in the industry for describing your experience, and job area.

Traditional vs. Keyword Resumes!

The keyword resume must contain an adequate description of the job seeker's characteristics and industry specific experience presented in keyword terms in order to accommodate the electronic/computer search process. These are the words and phrases that employers and recruiters use to search the databases for "hits."

The following guidelines enhance the processing of keyword resumes through the electronic system:

* Avoid hard returns whenever possible.

* Avoid italic text, script, underlining, graphics, bold and shading.

* Avoid parentheses and brackets.

Tips for a Better E-Resume

* BE FLAWLESS: Catch all typographical and grammatical errors. Make sure to have someone proofread your resume, preferably someone attentive to details. Even the smallest error could land your resume in the electronic recycle bin.

* STATE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: Form a solid, clear objective that will help you carry a focused message throughout the resume. The objective summarizes your skills and emphasizes your strengths.

* WHY DOES THE EMPLOYER NEED YOU? : Keep your attention on highlighting accomplishments that will arouse the interest of employers who read resumes asking themselves: "What can this candidate do for me?" Remember, the goal is to get to the interview.

* MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION: Employers spend less than 30 seconds on average scanning each resume. Place the most interesting and compelling facts about yourself at the beginning, such as a list of accomplishments in order of relevance.

* EMPHASIZE YOUR SKILLS: Use a skill-based resume format that is organized around the main talents you have to offer.

* USE KEYWORDS: Include specific keywords and phrases that describe your skills and experience, such as Product Launch, Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Sales, Account Management, C++, Visual Basic, Word Processing, MS Excel, Adobe Illustrator, Graphic Design, Advertising.

* USE BUZZ WORDS: Use industry jargon and acronyms to reflect your familiarity with the employer's business, but not to the point where it makes your resume hard to read or understand. Spell out acronyms in parentheses, if they are not obvious.

* USE ACTION VERBS: Portray yourself as active, accomplished, and intelligent, capable of making a contribution. Examples: Managed, Launched, Created, Directed, Established, Organized, Supervised. AVOID PERSONAL PRONOUNS: Never use "I" or "me" in your resume. Instead of complete sentences, use short action-oriented phrases.

* HIGHLIGHT KEY POINTS: Although most formatting functions, such as bold, italics, and underline, are lost in an electronic resume, you may use capital letters, quotation marks, and even asterisks to emphasize important words or section titles.

* SUMMARIZE INFORMATION: While electronic resumes may exceed the traditional 1 to 2 page limits of traditional paper resumes, it should not exceed 3 pages in most cases.

* LIST ONLY RECENT INFORMATION: The general rule of thumb is to show only the work experience over the last 10 to 15 years.

* QUANTIFY EXPERIENCE: Numbers are a powerful tool. Instead of saying "Responsible for increasing sales in my territory," say "Increased sales in my territory 150% in 6 months; managed 30 accounts for annual revenues of $2M".

* BE ORGANIZED, LOGICAL, AND CONCISE: In addition to reviewing your experience, employers also use the resume to get a sense whether you are organized, logical, and concise.

* JUST COMMUNICATE: Abandon the utilization of exorbitant exquisite vocabulary. In other words, don't try to impress employers with the depth of your vocabulary. Use words everyone can understand.

* OMIT SALARY INFORMATION: Never make reference to salary in your resume.

* AVOID QUESTIONABLE SUBJECTS: Never make references to personal information such as race, religion, marital status, age, political party preference, personal views, etc. In all but a few instances, it would be illegal for the employer to consider such issues.

* BE PERSONAL, YET PROFESSIONAL: Create a resume that reflects you.

* BE HONEST: Lying or exaggerating your abilities will always come back to haunt you. Since employers usually check into serious candidates, you will want even the smallest detail to check out.

* SELL YOURSELF: Do not under-emphasize your strengths and experience. Portray yourself in the best possible light. Skills that come naturally to you, others may never grasp.

* PERSONAL TRAITS: If you decide to include personal traits, such as "Dependable, Highly Organized, Self-Motivated, Responsible, etc.," make sure they are applicable to the position desired. Will the employer consider them valuable?

* SHOW CONSISTENCY: To de-emphasize glaring gaps in your work history, consider using a functional resume, which focuses on your skills and accomplishments rather than a chronological format, which emphasizes the progression of your experience.

* BE BALANCED AND NEAT: The effective resume is balanced, neat, visually appealing, and flows consistently. Clearly separate sections and emphasize section titles. Leave sufficient blank space between sections for easy reading.

* STICK WITH COMMON SECTION HEADINGS: Use common section headings. Examples: Objective, Experience, Employment, Work History, Skills, Summary, Summary of Qualifications, Accomplishments, Strengths, Education, Professional Affiliations, Publications, Licenses and Certifications, Honors, Personal, Additional, References.

* USE DIFFERENT RESUMES FOR DIFFERENT JOBS: Personalize your resume for each prospective employer. Tailor the listing of your skills and accomplishments to show how you are most qualified for the particular position the employer is seeking to fill. Creating just one general resume will prevent you from sounding focused or as qualified

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Resume: Your Echo

editor — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 06:00:20 +0000

Author:

Chikita Kukreja

Author Details:

Do not show

Will a salad appeal to you, if just chopped and kept; or is it the dressing and the way it is presented, that makes the dish look more appealing? The analogy, and the answer is apt, when it comes to discussing a résumé as well.

You do not have to mourn if you've not yet got a single interview call. All you need to do is update your résumé in a manner that will appeal to your prospective employers.

"To sell any product, you need to advertise it well. You are a product, when it comes to job hunting; a résumé is like an advertisement that presents you in the best light. It is a window to your personality and to your achievements. The primary purpose of a résumé is to convince a prospective recruiter / employer that you deserve to be called for an interview. It should be enticing, convincing and must project your capability to be successful. It should be so tantalizing, that the employer should pick up the phone and dial your number," advices Santrupt B. Misra. HR Head, Aditya Birla Group.

The perfect résumé must be a perfect blend of both content as well as format. "Apart for the format that is eye-catching and professional to look at, the content of the résumé is vital. A résumé should be informative, yet focused. It must stand apart. It is selling a product. It should focus on the employer's committee needs and 'sell yourself' better than your counterparts. Moreover, a résumé should be concise, using bullet point phrases," says Preeti Joshi.

Head - Branch Operations, with Matrix Consultancy, a renowned job placement cell. Do not experiment with it, because before you walk into that lavishly done-up cabin, your CV is there, in advance. You need to decide on the type and format of the resume before sending it to the prospective employer. Resume can be of three types: -

1) Chronological resume: - It starts with your work history with the most recent position on top. Career history is listed in reverse chronological order.

2) Functional Resume: - Rather than showing chronological work history, it stresses on your skills and valuable experience. Such resume is useful for people, who have gaps in their work history.

3) Combination Resume: - It is a combination of your skills & experience and work history. Work history is mentioned in chronological order after list of your skills and experience.

Although a single type of resume is always not ideal to satisfy different requisites, it is safer to follow the standard, reverse-chronological order format. A perfect résumé must be maximum two pages long.

The Six Dimensions

A résumé should reflect the six dimensions - innovation, maturity, leadership, teamwork, adaptability and multi-tasking skills. Progression in responsibility and achievements should be highlighted. Emphasize the relevant experience, by focusing on actions and the results achieved. Provide tangible figures, to prove how actions have translated into success.

In all, one may say, "A résumé should be crisp and effective. And the pointers, which will help you in doing so, are: -

1. Introduction

The introduction should include the following details: -

Personal details such as name, address, contact numbers, and e-mail address should be at the top, in bold type.
Do not put in photograph, unless asked.

2. Title

There are heaps and heaps of résumés flooded at offices, then why should your prospective recruiter pick out your résumé out of that ocean of résumés, is the question. If your résumé carries a title saying, "I can do it all", or something like, "Enthusiastic man looks for a job", it will surely be dumped in the heap of 'not required'.

You need to have a classically strong, descriptive title, which will help you stand out. "Make the title useful," says Preeti. Something like, "A management graduate from Oxford", or "Acquisition Head at ICICI Bank", would work wonders. "It is not important to have something big only to mention, you can choose a title which you feel best describes you, and which will be beneficial for you," adds Preeti.

Writing a résumé is like exercising: You may not look forward to it, but you feel better once it's done. And, like the results of a good workout, a well-presented résumé can help you keep your career in shape. But when writing a résumé, what works, and what doesn't? We help you find out.

3. Objective

"The objective says it all. I get hundreds of résumé on a monthly basis. More than 50 percent are rejected due to the fact that the applicant has no clear objective in seeking employment with my organization," says Vicky Ahuja, Consultant, HR Operations, JP Morgan. "We look for candidates who would have some relevance with our requirement, and this gets clear at a first glance at the objective," he adds.

The objective must be clearly written and relevant to the position you are applying for.

4. Feel Good Factor

"Before your prospective employers even take one glance at your résumé, there is something they do first, and that is, FEEL it," says one HR professional, who has also composed and drafted résumés for professional clients. Use good paper for your résumé.

5. Headers

Now is the time to go beyond formatting and talk about what you've done so far; let's talk business. Keep the following order in mind while making The Perfect Résumé, and take yourself to the path of glory awaiting you.

Experience: List your job details in reverse chronological order. Include your detailed responsibilities, designation and the duration. You need not provide too much detail about your jobs early in your career; focus on the most recent and relevant jobs. Summarize a number of the earliest jobs, in one line or in a very short paragraph, or list only the bare facts, with no position description. After all, your employer does not want to know from where you started, he wants to know where you've ended. Describe your achievements more than your duties. Decide which is more impressive - your job-title or the names of the companies you've worked for.

Education: List education in reverse chronological order, degrees first, followed by certificates and advanced training. Set degrees apart, so they are easily seen. Don't include any details about college, except your distinction or awards, unless you are still in college or have graduated recently. If you are working on an uncompleted degree, include the degree and afterwards in parentheses ({}), the expected date of completion. If you are still in college, start with a phrase describing the field being studied, then the school, and then the dates. If you have received any awards at school level, then they need to be listed here.

Awards: If you have received commendations or praise from some very senior source, you need to make your prospective employee know about it. You need to use bullets here. It makes it easier for employers to scan your résumé quickly. Use them when you can, especially when you are highlighting skills or accomplishments.

Technical Know-How: None of us may disagree that today; there is no world without computers. It is essential for you how much ever brainy you may be, to know the know-how of computers. Here, you can highlight your computer proficiency that is soft skills, programming language, tools, database, applications, operating systems, etc.

Extra-curricular: Use bullets here again. Include all your relevant extra-curricular activities you were/are involved in.

6. Check & Recheck

Be very sure about the grammar and the spellings used. A very small miss might cost you, maybe, a few more rejections. "Many of us feel that we have done a perfect job by following the do's and don'ts of writing a fabulous résumé, but, we often forget to check and recheck, as a result of which, there are very minor, yet, shocking mistakes that we happen to overlook. I'm consistently shocked at how many résumés and cover letters I receive from people that are plagued with misspelled words, grammatical mistakes. This is basically because little or no time is spent proof-reading prior to sending. And for people like these, there is just one place where their résumé reaches, 'the recycle bin'," says Nitika Manchanda, HR Personnel, working in a renowned multi-national firm.

So, the next time you answer a rejection call, don't loose heart, for the time is not far when you would be there, sitting at the top rejecting the unworthy.

Tips to be Kept in Mind

Use white space liberally.
Stick with Two Fonts at the most.
Use Bold and Italics sparingly, avoid Underlining.
Be consistent.
Use Bullet Points to emphasize skills and accomplishments.

Concluded.

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