Résumé’s:
A candidate submits his resume for one of following reasons:
- Addition to a data bank – so that should a suitable position come up, whoever accesses the data bank can spot your resume, approach you and take it further
- In response to a specific position
- In response to a phone call / e-mail from a placement consultant like Paragon.
Lets face some basic facts about placements.
Companies need people for expansion, for a new venture, to replace someone who has left for greener pastures.
The recruiters at the company can, technically, advertise in print media, subscribe to a job portal, scan applicants, shortlist suitable candidates, approach them to confirm their interest and get their résumé’s, co-ordinate interviews and execute post-selection process! This usually would be in addition to other HR duties. They can’t cope – that’s why consultants like Paragon exist.
Usually clients, as part of an assignment, give us the gist and leave it to us to flesh it out.
This is where our experience counts.
It is matter of pride for us when most resumes sent by us are short-listed for interviews.
However, here are the hidden truths—
* Until a one–to–one confidence is built up, Paragon will not be the only Search and Placement company that the client will approach.
* You are not the only suitable candidate that Paragon (and others) would approach.
* All vacancies are to be filled on a fire-fighting basis.
Everyone, therefore, will, at least at first, scan through as many resumes as possible sieve in the best matches in the shortest possible time.
And THIS, dear Candidate, is where the presentation of your resume will make a difference!
Once you get past the first barrier, your chances improve dramatically.
How do you achieve this? Not difficult. Follow these tips:
Your resume MUST reveal, at a glance, some basic facts –
Heading – that gives name, address, E mail ID and telephone number.
Quite a few companies stipulate limiting age, current location, years of experience. It helps consultants like Paragon immensely if theses details follow – e.g.
D.O.B - 09 Jul 1977
Modified on - 22 Feb 2008
Annual Salary - INR 3 Lac(s) 25 Thousand
Total Years of Experience - 6 Year(s) 6 Month(s)
Current Location - Mumbai
Preferred Location - Jamshedpur
Additionally, the concluding part of the resume should also contain details such as:
PERSONAL PROFILE:
Date of Birth : July 9, 1977
Sex : Male
Nationality : Indian
Marital Status : Married
Languages Known : English, Hindi, Gujarati and understanding of Punjabi
You have made the consultant’s task easier – in return it is guaranteed that special attention will be paid to your resume – at least out of subconscious gratitude!
Now come the rest – Objective, Key Skills, Experience and so on. Neatly laid out – bulleted and so on.
There are oodles of excellent templates available for free on the internet.
MS Word itself gives several Resume wizards. Choose the one that brings out all you have to offer so that if you fit the requisite profile you are not missed out.
Have a look at
for some excellent samples.
No matter what source you use for your resume template – make sure you “De-Americanize” it.
At the risk of repetition:
Recruiters like Paragon spend less than a minute reviewing a CV
Here are the factors that will prevent your CV from being short-listed.
* Not Including Important Information in the Resume
* Gaps in Employment
Holes or gaps in dates in a resume will solicit questions from employers and recruiters alike, so be prepared to answer.
* No Easy to Follow Summary
An effective summary section will help the recruiter identify if the job seeker is a viable candidate for the position quicker. This summary section can be customised to the position you are applying.
For candidates of a technical nature, it is imperative that a Technical Summary is also compiled. Make sure that these technical skills are clearly laid out and current.
* Pictures, Graphics or URL Links
Unless specifically sought, there is absolutely no need to include your picture. Sending a picture only increases the file size and download time of your resume. Much the same goes for graphics and endless URL links.
* Resumes not sent as a WORD Attachment
Unless specifically requested otherwise, your resume should be sent as a Word Attachment. Do not send your resume as a PDF, Mac file, etc. A recruiter simply does do not have time to download and convert special files
[ Naming the word document: It is always a good idea to name your Word Attachment – e.g. “Sharma_Deepak_Delhi”. Recruiters have no time to “guess” the author of the attachment.]
* Poor Font Choice
Keep your font simple and easy to read on a computer screen. Do not use italics or extremely difficult to read fonts like Edwardian Script. Font size is just as important as style. 8-point fonts are too small to read, even for Superman. Arial 10 point or Times Roman 12 point is strongly recommended.
* Objectives or Meaningless Introductions
Instead of an Objective that can pigeonhole your focus too narrowly or an introduction that adds nothing to your background, use this valuable space on your CV to really SELL yourself, by creating a HEADLINE.
Tell them who you are and what you do immediately. Come up with one powerful sentence or phrase to "grab" your reader e.g.
“Senior-Level Instrumentation Engineer with Extensive Experience Working in automation of manufacturing process.”
Paragon’s Tip: This headline can be customized to match the job description given by the employer or recruiter.
* Lying or Misleading Information
The temptation is there to make your CV better by stretching the truth here and there to land that job. BEWARE! Recruiters and HR have their own fora where they exchange this kind of information. The damage to your career is likely to be much greater than any imagined advantage.
It has emerged that the most common misleading information being put on CVs is:
> Inflated titles
> Inaccurate dates to cover up job hopping or gaps of employment
> 1/2 finished degrees, inflated education or "purchased" degrees that do not mean anything
> Inflated salaries
> Inflated accomplishments
> Out and out lies in regards to specific roles and duties
* Employer or Industry Information Not Included
It is suggested that your resume specifically state whether you are a direct employee or on deputation to a client for – say – back office operations.
Paragon’s Tip: It is a good idea to bullet-point in your summary the specific industry experience the recruiter is seeking.
* Personal Info Not Relevant to the Job
Including personal info that is unrelated to the job a waste of space.
* Candidates Who Apply to Positions They are Unqualified
In order to gain experience in an area, you need to start out somewhere, and Paragon and other recruiters understand this. However we do not have time to sort through hundreds of résumé’s.
Paragon’s Tip: The easiest remedy is to provide a simple introductory statement ‘while my qualifications do not match your current requirements, please accept the attached CV for your data bank in anticipation of future suitable opportunities’.
* Long Paragraphs
Recruiters want a résumé's details to be short, concise and to the point. No recruiter has the time to read long paragraphs, which look like a narrative out of a major novel. Your resume should be easy for the reader to "scan" your text for your skills and accomplishments.
* Long Resumes
A CV should never be more than 2 pages. Situations that usually contribute to long resumes are; too many jobs; a career that is not focused, an inability to be concise, written communication problems, or something similar. All of which make for an 'UNPLACEABLE' candidate.
If you are a recent graduate with limited professional work experience, your resume should be only one page
Paragon’s Tip: For employment beyond 10 years ago, create a "Previous Employment" section. You can quickly list your older assignments by simply including title, company and dates.
* Functional Resumes
A very good way to NOT get your resume read is by sending a "functional CV”.
Paragon’s Tip: At the top of your resume, always include an easy to follow general/functional summary. Use bullet-points that can be easily customised to match what the employer is seeking. Hand your reader what they are looking for on a silver platter.
* Poor Formatting
It is paramount that your resume is clean, clear and not full of major formatting errors. There are many formatting features that will not view well on a computer screen.
Paragon’s Tip: To see what your WORD document resume will look like as a text file, take it and paste it into NOTEPAD. You can then make any minor formatting changes as necessary within NOTEPAD.
* Dates Not Included or Inaccurate Dates
A resume that does not include dates sends up "red flags" about a candidate’s background and is immediately rejected. The obvious assumption is that the candidate is trying to hide something. Furthermore, be honest about your dates of employment.
Paragon’s Tip: When providing dates, work history should be in reverse chronological order. The general consensus is to place the employer info, title and location to the left hand side of the screen. Your employment dates should be aligned to the right so that your reader can easily “skim” down the page.
* Too Duty Oriented
The second most common complaint is about reading a resume that is "too duty oriented." A good resume must also detail your accomplishments. Mention the business benefits and results attributable to your direct effort, involvement or leadership.
* Spelling Errors, Typos, and Poor Grammar
In the world of technology and ‘Spell Check’, you would be surprised at how many resumes come through with errors! Candidates need to remember that their resume represents them! If there are careless errors, it directly reflects on the candidate.
You must remember that your resume will more often than not be your one opportunity to make a first impression. You need to make it a positive one!
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