REVAMP YOUR RESUME

Padma Rajagopal
January 15, 2006

THE CONTENT

Header:

Your name could be the first line in your résumé. It could be irritating to find an interesting profile and then search for the owner of such a profile. Mention your complete details - Full name, address, phone numbers and email address. Include your website address if you have one and if it reflects your professional ambitions. Use permanent telephone numbers and include the area code. Ensure the phone numbers are working and correct. As for your e-mail, choose an e-mail address that sounds professional. Don’t have mail address in joke.com, fool.com and names like sweetygal, meforyou etc. Spend minimum space on contact information, since you have only two pages.

Objective:

This is a very important part of your résumé and its presence is very essential. The objective should be crisp and clear. It should be a brief two lined neatly framed sentence and should talk of your career goal, the position, functional area and the industry preferred by you.

Summary:

Summary is the second most important part of your résumé and should explain in two lines what the remaining part of your résumé contains. It could be in paragraph format or could have bullet points. It could have brief information on your qualification, domain, expertise, skills, employment or a combination of these.

Work Experience:

Always mention your work experience in reverse chronological order - list your most recent experience first. Split details related to every past company in to neat paragraphs and use bullet points for specifics like job responsibilities, achievement on the job etc. Work Experience should ideally have details of the name of your employer, job title, the period during which you were associated with them, and most important, what you actually did and achieved in that job. A brief 2 liner about what the company is all about could also be added. Projects, part-time work, internships, voluntary work and summer training could also be included but ensure that the list does not exceed 3 or 4. If you have more to your credit choose the best ones which are relevant to the present / prospective job.

Educational Qualification:

Educational Qualification is also to be mentioned in reverse chronological order - most recent education first. Mention the Course name (completed or close to completion and are relevant), University, College (if reputed), Marks (only you have shown a good academic performance), and Year of completion. Include any subject options, special project, thesis, or dissertation work, if significant. Bullet points or paragraphs of not exceeding 2 lines per qualification are preferred to tables. Pre-college courses taken at say age 15-16 may not need much detail. Fresh graduates could start from class X. If you are experienced you could start from Class XII or Graduation depending upon your years of experience and current level. Highlight any scholarships and awards won in school or college, if significant and relevant.

Personal Information:

Personal information should have your name, home address (permanent), phone number, email address, date of birth, your web page, languages known, interests (if interesting). In case you have mentioned contact details in the header, do NOT repeat it here. Choose one place for the details in your résumé. Remember you have only two pages. Avoid details about family members because a résumé is about you and not others. If you are so desperate to share your family information, wait till you are called for an interview where questions about your family background will be asked.

Optional Extras:

You can have specific categories for Projects Done, Computer Skills, Extra Curricular Activities, Interests, Achievements or Languages Known in case you have significant accomplishments in any of these areas. If not it could come as a one liner in your personal information.

Interests and Achievements are to be prioritized before finding a place in your résumé. They should be genuine. Employers will be interested in activities where you have leadership or responsibility, or which involve you in relating to others in a team rather than reading thru your achievement in stamp collection or the 56 wins you had in your cricket. If you have published any articles, jointly or by yourself, give details. If you have been involved in any type of volunteer work. If you have ability in other languages or any significant computing experience, give details

References need not be given unless asked for. Usually give two names - one from your place of study, and one from any work situation you have had. Make sure that referees are willing to give you a reference.

You could add a photo of yourself. But make sure it’s a good one. Get a friend (or a working photographer) to take a good portrait to ensure that you don’t look like ill or like a prisoner or a little "devil" or all of them!