Resume & Career Resources

Writing an impressive resume is the biggest challenge in a Job search. Many things have been said about the content of the resume. Similarly, a lot has been discussed on the common mistakes that people make while writing a resume. On those lines let us look at the do’s and don’ts of resume writing:

Dos

1. Do try to make the resume reader-friendly by using bullets and numbering wherever required.
2. Do look at a resume template that is slightly different from everyone else. Many job seekers use resume builder software to help them choose a template.
3. Do include detailed contact information that enables the employer to reach you at all times.
4. Do mention your objective in the resume that will help the employer know your focus.
5. Do include a section that summarizes the qualifications and help sharpen the focus.
6. Do list information in a form that the employer likes to read.
7. Do try to list your work experience in reverse chronological order
8. Do try to avoid usage of weak words like worked together, etc. Instead, be more specific as to what kind of working relationship existed. Try to use more specific words like collaboration, joint venture, etc.
9. Do highlight your achievements in your resume. Not mentioning them would be like conveying that you did not achieve anything substantial during your tenure.
10. Do keep a section to mention transferable skills. Transferable skills are those that a person learns during his or her lifetime. They are carried with them from one job to another. It is easier to explain when one is looking for jobs in similar fields, but in case someone is looking at a career change or is at an entry level this section help the individual highlight his aptitude for job.
11. Do use numbers wherever possible. Everyone understands the language of targets achieved, profits made, etc.
12. Do use references more as an option than as a requirement.
13. Do proofread.

DON’Ts

1. Don’t include any irrelevant detail like hobbies, family history etc.
2. Don’t include any physical details like height, weight, blood group, marital status, sex unless specifically asked for
3. Don’t mention high school
4. Don’t highlight skiils and competencies that you do not wish to use in future
5. Do not try to include all the past employment details if they exceed 15 years of service. Keep it short and precise
6. Don’t use phrases like responsibilities included or responsible for. These phrases seem directly out of the job description and do not sound achievement oriented.
7. Don’t omit the locations of the previous postings.
8. Don’t try to use personal pronouns.

Resume writing has become one of the most challenging tasks for job seekers. However if the above-mentioned dos and don’ts are followed then job seekers would not have any problems in writing a resume. Moreover, in case job seeker encounter problem with the formatting, he or she can always use resume builder  templates provides by online resume builders or resume builder software.

Getting the right talent for the right job is the biggest challenge facing the corporate circle. In order to increase the organization’s performance, it is imperative that the human resource hired is of best match with organization’s culture and value. However, it does not always happen that the people hired are the best resources available in the market or are a best fit. Why is it that even when best methods are used, recruitment manager fall short on some or the other ground? Let us look at what are the common hiring mistake and why do they happen

Developing a small candidate pool:- Sometimes even though the recruitment manager gets a lot of application, he is unable to maintain proper database. As a result, when the need arises, recruitment manager has to rely more on outsourcing the position requirement to consultancy. It is advisable to all companies to use in house resume builders, or they can even purchase resume builder software. They can use the resume builder as an application where all people who are interested in working for the organization can fill in their details and an automatic database would be created. Also when the pressure of closing the position is high, the HR manager would just start the interview process with a limited number of candidates. This though seems like a short-term benefit but can eventually end up in long-term liability.

Fail to take telephonic interviews: A lot of time can be saved if the recruitment can take a short telephonic interview prior to calling them in office. The telephonic interview can focus on expected salary, basic job requirement can be discussed and once the suitability of the candidate is ensured he or she can be called for a formal interview. This will save time both for the candidates and the panelist.

Incomplete preparation of the candidates as well as the panelist:- It is very important for both interviewer and interviewee to know about each other before. The candidate should be familiar with organization’s background, the interview panel, the details about job profile, etc. Similarly the panelists should also have a thorough knowledge of the background and the job profile for which they are interviewing the candidates. Also the panelist should discuss prior to the  interview on what kind of questions will be asked, who will ask what questions etc.

Relying completely on interviews to make a decision:- When recruitments are solely based on interview results, more often than not they tend to have skewed results. It is always advisable to use number of test ranging from skill test to aptitude test to behavioral test. Idea should be to get a complete assessment of the individual not only to see who is the best job fit, but also to see who is the best job fit and organization fit.

Hiring mistakes are very small slip in judgment   by the recruitment manager but can lead to grave circumstances. In order to avoid any such problems in future it is best that small steps should be taken to ensure that all the abovementioned points do not affect the hiring process.

Global economy is trying to battle the recession. This recession has seen the entire job market in doldrums with the axe affect directly felt by the employees. People with comfortable six salary figures were soon forced to look out for options much below their status. This is a time for truly cutthroat competition. Everyone has been asking the question, where are job opportunities. What will give me an edge over others?

However complicated the situation is the answer to this is very simple. There are two kinds of people in the workforce right now. Ones that are already working well in their profiles so companies have not let go of them. Another, that was slightly mismatched from the very beginning but organizations were like living with them so as not to cause inconvenience. Suddenly recession gave them just the right reason to get rid of the second kind. And these second kinds are the people who are out looking for a job.

So the bottom line is increased supply with limited demand. So what gives an individual an edge in the job market? For starters, when an individual approaches the company, the first chance he has to impress the HR manager is his resume. Job seekers, these days mostly make there CVs with the help of either resume builders online or by purchasing, resume builder software. Resume builders provides them with resume builder templates that enables them highlight their achievements over the past working years. Submitting a well made CV prepared with the help of resume builder acts as the first job in getting a job at any organization.

The second way of beating the recession heat is by keeping one self updated with the latest industry development, even though you are currently not a part of it. Upgrading one’s knowledge and skill will not only be add-on in the CV but will definitely act as a confidence booster when one goes out in the job market.

It is also to understand that even though the job seekers, seem to be competing with the unemployed workforce, their actual challenge is to live up to the expectation of the companies set forth by the employed. The reason is simple. Organizations are not hiring on a large-scale basis. They will only take when there is a specific requirement. Even then their focus would be on hiring the best from the market; so they would be looking at someone who is as efficient as someone who is already working for them.

Another way of projecting a positive image is to be active on the social networking sites. Social networking facilitates exchange of ideas and these days it is one of the most common forums for employers to look at their prospective employees as they provide interesting insights to a person personality and makes it easier for a person to assess the individual.

These are few ways of fighting the turbulent times and still come out with excellence.

Resume writing has been one of the most discussed topics for today’s job seeker. Even the best in their fields, may very well be completely caught off guard when it comes to resume writing. Everyone who is applying for a new job, realizes how important it is to have a correct and impressive resume, but still manages to act laxly. Why does this happen and what are the common resume blunders one makes.

The answer to the first question is simple- Ignorance. This is not an excuse but a definite reason. Some people are unaware as to what should comprise of an ideal resume and hence they end up making some grave mistakes

Some of the most common blunders are as follows

• Spelling Mistake: – Any resume with a spelling mistake is a clear indicator of the casual attitude of the applicant. In fact it is very disappointing to see when seasoned professionals commit such basic errors.

• Unsuitable Email Address: No HR manager would be comfortable sending an interview call letter to sugarpie@yahoo.com. Instead they would are more likely to choose elizabethjane@gmail.com. The simple reason is that when you apply for a job, it is serious business and not some friendly party.

• Irrelevant details: Like mentioned earlier applying for a job is serious business and no HR manager would like to be amused. Some times certain applications do exactly that. Some resume would have detailed description of hobbies, or last vacation or in some extreme cases the kind of pets one has. All these details end up distracting the HR manager and most likely he would fail to take notice of the relevant detail in one’s resume.

• Poor formatting: Some people, in an attempt to impress the HR person, end up writing a lot and editing less. Please remember that the HR person has just enough time to scan the resume. Lot of everything, and that too haphazardly written only ends up getting the resume rejected. One has to aim to make the resume scan able so that it makes an easy read. Here individuals can use online resume builder or resume builder software. The templates provided by resume builder help a person include more and more information in an organized manner.

• I, me, myself: This refers to using too many personal pronouns in the resume. Resume is not supposed to be written in first person but third person. Another facet of this is bragging too much about one self. Always let the achievements do the talking. Similarly sometime self-deprecating sentences are not the best possible way to attract attention. Nobody will hire someone who is either self-loathing or full of himself.

• Trying to sound jack of all: – Today is the world of specialization. HR Managers do not look for someone whose resume is filled with variety. They are more likely to look for someone with specific skill set.

These are some common mistakes that job seekers make which end up getting their resume rejected. In case some one is unsure of the kind of resume to be written he or she can always take help of resume builders- both online and resume builder software or resume consultants. Bottom-line should be to provide an effective and impressive resume.