Resume & Career Resources

The numbers can play a very significant role in enhancing your resume. They can assist you in making a quality resume. As how the Resume Builder points out that more numbers added to your resume make it more worth reading and increase your chances of getting interview calls. Adding numbers do not mean jotting down “1, 2, 3,” randomly in your resume but it means the strategic use of these numbers by an individual to make it more enhanced.

The Resume Builder strategically lays down certain areas where you can utilize the scope of using numbers.

Begin with Amounts

You can list out the amounts in your resume that are related to your accomplishments or your responsibilities in your previous job experiences. For example, if you were a marketing executive at your previous company, you can mention not only that you marketed the product lines, but also that you sold X amount of products for the company.

The Resume Builder suggests you to mention about the number of clients/customers you did marketing to. The more in-depth information you provide regarding your tasks’ accomplishments, the more impressively they see you as an asset for their company.

Money matters

What is required is a comprehensive writing of not only how successfully you were able to market the products of the previous company and got the clients too, but how you got the monetary profits too, to the company. So the ultimate job responsibility as a marketing executive was to market the company’s product lines or services to as many clients and customers so that the company makes money. So the question is, how much revenues you got for your previous company?

So this aspect can be very well discussed in points by numbering them, because the more money you made at your job, the more successful you were perhaps. Do not total out all the achievements you made in your career, but in fact, you can sum up the total amounts for those products or services for which you made maximum marketing and selling. The Resume Builder says that these dollar amounts add sheen to your resume making it more vivid.

Mention Time factor too

Mentioning accomplishments without mentioning time makes your resume look incomplete. It makes you think, for example, for how many years were you able to market the products/services? It should be actually, how fast a timeframe were you able to market X amount of product lines/services to Y amount of clients/customers that made Z amount of money? Or how many times a year were you asked to chart down more important marketing strategies? Timeframe is really important as how the Resume Builder acknowledges the same by enlightening the candidate about not leaving any important details behind.

So its always recommended that you also take time to realize how numbers play a major role in highlighting your previous accomplishments, to make you stand out as the most prospective candidate for your selectors.

The Resume objectives are a passé. The Resume Builder provides a concrete way of attracting the hiring manager’s attention which is done by effectively outlining the overall experiences instead of the weak statements focusing on one’s needs. For instance, “Looking for a job that enhances my skills”. Statements like this simply ruin one’s chances of selection. The majority of the resume objectives do not work because:

a. Many resume objectives resemble each other making it hard for the selectors to differentiate between applicants. They lack uniqueness.
b. The objectives are mostly not clear and do not provide the selector with the sufficient information doubting the candidate’s credibility.
c. They mostly stress on “me” aspect to show what the candidate is looking for himself, rather than what he has to offer.
d. With preset objectives, the resume lacks a flexibility option that highlights one’s selling features.
e. Most of the objectives are often-repeated statements without novelty.

In contrast, the Resume Builder has defined a profile statement because:

a. It is an informative paragraph that provides a quick review to the employer of the candidate’s prior job experiences and skills set.
b. It highlights what the candidate has to offer to the employer. So it focuses on his attributes and specific job-related skills.
c. It showcases one’s achievements uniquely rather than generic ones which are applied to any candidate.

The Resume Builder has given following illustrations of the dull resume objectives, followed by the strong profile statements one can use.

Dull Resume Objective #1: “To obtain a job that utilizes my skills set and past job experience.” Objective here is too vague and do not underline the required skills set that the selector is looking for.

Revision #1: “Comprehensive experience in Human Resource management and client development combined with exceptionally good interpersonal skills. Provide an inside support to the HR executives to realize the required results. Convey a soft but professional approach when managing the client concerns.”

Dull Resume Objective #2: “A position that challenges and enhances my recruiting skills, and provides me with an opportunity to contribute to a good organization that helps me in my overall personality development.” A slight better approach than the #1, but still miss marks as it relies on “me” aspect.

Revision #2: “Recruitments strategist with a verifiable record in enhancing and developing the business opportunities. Acquire the clients’ interest for outsourced projects through progressive recruiting techniques. Assist in the Training of the recruited members, and in planning out the Assessment needs for the Performance appraisals periodically done for the organizational members.”

Dull Resume Objective #3: “To be a nurse practitioner in a hospital.” The Resume Builder points out no scope for evaluation for this kind of introductory sentence.

Revision #3: “Well-acquainted with patient education to serve the patient’s medical needs efficiently. Possess a balanced combination of compassion and commitment to deliver quality patient care. Well-equipped with new concepts and their practical usage.”

Therefore, the Resume Builder highlights how the resume objectives were dull and lacked innovation, where as the profile statements impressively summarized the major required contents, for the readers.

An appealing resume is very important to market yourself effectively in the job market. Many fresher job hunters are puzzled as to why so much emphasis is given to resume. They often crib that although I have particular skills and am fit for job, I was not even called for an interview. They just looked at my resume and rejected me.

This essentially is because you did not portray yourself properly in your resume. How will a person know about you without having to learn about you? The first time employer comes to know about you is through your resume. So unless you properly communicate yourself through the resume, do not expect much from them.

Many job hunters have a misconception that if they have enough credentials on resume, it will easily fetch them job. This is totally wrong understanding of the entire process. The fact is that unless you write your credentials properly on the resume, no one will value it. There are many individuals who may not have enough credentials, but the way they present themselves on resume gets them job immediately. Resume builder has pre-defined formats that can be customized easily.

To come up with an effective resume, there are three basic steps which holds good for every job seeker and which can make him get a proper job.

Firstly, you should target only one kind of job per resume. Do not stuff your resume with every detail of irrelevant job experience. If you are applying for a Computer related job, do not write about construction and real estate experience. Employers generally get annoyed with such resumes that do not hold relevant experience as per the job requirement. So what do you do in case you get two job opportunities and both are from different fields? Well the best way is that you submit two different resumes written separately for each job requirement.

Secondly, don’t write endless stories in your resume nor write words that are only understood by you and no one else. Your resume is a gateway towards your job. The language should be very simple and to the point. Don’t repeat same information again and again to make your resume look big. Running around the bush will not lead you to any fruitful result. Ensure information in this resume is to the point only. Resume Builder gives you well built sentences which can be used in your resume.

Thirdly, give your resume a neat outlook. Shabbily formatted resumes directly go into dustbins. Resume builder provides you facility to format the sentences by properly aligning them. The information should be properly placed in the form of bullet points wherever required. Use good font and proper spacing between

Although resume builder works on these three principles, there are many more options in it. These are some of the steps that play major role in building up an impression on the employer. Although there might be many more ways in which you can prepare your resume, these three steps remain time tested.

The resume writing task can make many people go nervous in the first instance. It brings a lot of confusion initially while jotting down the points, classifying the important and the least important matters, drafting the final text and more. It sometimes seems to be an unachievable task. But a few tips by the Resume Builder mentioned below can surely leave your apprehensions behind and ensure a winning resume for you.

Firstly, be clear with the objective of the job, before you actually write a resume.  Well-defined objectives should be laid down first around which all the contents of the resume revolve. Use your resume as a tool for marketing yourself as a product in the market and your resume stands here as an important link between you and the different employers. It just works as a market brochure highlighting your positive attributes. It should ignite in them a force to look at you in person ultimately. It should make them think how you can be beneficial to their organization. Your resume should be a powerful display of your personality.

Secondly, the main purpose of a resume is to land you for an interview and not job. So do not focus on job achievements and specifications in detail. Be precise about what you are looking for, in a concised way. Leave the details for the actual personal interview. It mainly generates employer contact with you for an interview. Use bullets wherever required if you are elaborating on points. The Resume Builder do not suggest you lengthy paragraphs but instead it would advise you to use small sentences or to-the-point statements. Bulleted statements make the resumes read easily.

Thirdly, focus on functional style and action words like monitored, organized, prepared, developed, accomplished, presented, etc in the bulleted sentences. These action words work as booster for the resume. Use numeric, alpha-numeric symbols and signs. The numbers, percentages, dollars, etc stand out in the resume and show the precision more effectively.

Fourthly, Highlight your strengths in a hierarchy, with the most strong ones first that suit your job requirement best. Bullet those strengths so that they can be quickly reviewed as the resumes are normally reviewed in 20 to 30 seconds. Use key words in your resume picked from the reviewed ads, for the designations you are interested in. These key words help them to understand your level of interest and sharpness. Try to use the buzzwords in your resume that show your competence in a specific field.

Fifthly, Emphasize on the positive things. Ignore the negative aspects of your personality or your job experience and even the irrelevant points from your resume. Concentrate on those duties that are required for the current job objective. Suppose for example, if some duties of the earlier job do not match with the current job objective or specification, you might simply ignore mentioning that. Also do not mention the irrelevant personal information on the resume like your height, weight, color, marital status, class, etc.

Sixthly, Display only that knowledge of what you know. Don’t be explicit in describing details of things. Interview takes care of that part. Always keep in mind, that resume is an interface between the applying part and the actual interview. It already does your initial work for the upcoming interview. Display the names of important persons you know. You might know the Branch Manager or the Regional Manager of a bank, a Vice-president or any board member of a software firm, etc. With this you actually make the employer infer about you as an important person too.

Lastly, Structure your resume formally with easy-to-read statements. Use white space and font size normally of 10 point and not less than that. Restrict the number of pages and do not let them go beyond 1-2 pages. This should just enable the employer scan your resume swiftly and effectively, as how it is stressed by the Resume Builder.

Make someone else go through your final resume. Since its your resume, there is a possibility for you to miss out on some points here and there and having someone else review your resume, your job objectives, your way of listing positions that interest you and other things would enlighten you with some more required inputs or deletion of some points, etc. Try to discover from them the pros and cons of your final draft and based on their queries, you can progressively work out more on your resume.

Send or hand over your resume to the potential employers. Your resume submission at different places is like a game where your chances of winning increase with every submission. All the best for your dream job search..!

Many applicants come across this situation where their resume get those interviews but not offers. A candidate should actually analyze if after a row of interviews he is still not being selected. The Resume Builder has determined five job interview errors that could possibly be the causes of not getting selected.

1. Even if you are an active participant in the interview process, you should be careful in not taking over the whole interview. The interviewer only can be the real holder of the whole meeting. You only ask appropriate questions.

2. Be careful with the sentences’ formation and the vocabulary usage during the interview. If they do not meet the interviewer’s expectations, it might ruin your chances of getting selected. Recall the questions asked and how you answered them. Avoid passive phrases like “I think” or “I believe”.

3. Many candidates do not concentrate on the dressing part. They dress up either too casual or too conservative. Your attire reflects your attitude and this needs to be kept in mind while appearing for the interview. Too casual might give them an impression that your attitude towards job is casual as well and vice-versa. It is better to ask the recruiter or can find out by visiting the hiring organizations to see how the employees dress up there, as how the Resume Builder suggests.

4. There is also a possibility of landing up at the wrong organizations. For instance, if you are applying for the post of a bank cashier, then the job responsibilities (like executing cash transactions, maintaining vault records, etc.) are the same irrespective of the place. But what differs is the culture of the organization you fit in.

Suppose, a normal conservative bank like Corporation bank may prefer reserved candidates, where as a modernized fast-growing bank like ICICI bank may prefer more approachable individuals. So it’s just not about the open position that is available to match your qualification or experience, the organizational environment also matters in which you can fit best.

5. Candidates commit another mistake by not doing follow-ups. The hiring managers look for zeal in the candidate so that they get back to him. It is not simply about the job-related skills as how the Resume Builder points out, it is also about the soft skills like communication and integrity that matters. Just an acknowledgement letter would suffice.

It is really difficult to examine the exact error(s) that you may commit without witnessing your interview process. The Resume Builder has underlined some additional points for self-analysis apart from the above:

- Did you ever feel a sense of disappointment on the interviewer’s face or through his expression? If yes, then recollect the question and analyze how well you could have answered it.
- Did you any time feel that you stammered with the interviewer’s question? If yes, recall that question and assess how well you can readdress it.

Pondering over your mistakes by critical analysis and rectification would surely take you one step forward as mentioned by the Resume Builder.

Your resume should professionally stand out from the rest of the applications. It is not about pen, paper, print, but it gives an insight into a person’s personality and his approach towards professional life.  If you thought it is just an interlink between you and your employer then its the time you reflect on how it can do wonders that you could ever imagine, and pays you back with that one statement you highlighted or other parameters. Your resume can speak volumes about your professional life. It not only summarizes the whole picture in text but also diligently makes you stand out in the public.

It is a medium of communication between you and the hiring employers and all you have is just a few seconds at your disposal to make best use out of it. Consequently, the Resume Builder has a very informative way of how to write a resume.

Your resume is not only about paper, formatting, right fonts, alignment, color or spacing and other things. Ponder over what makes one’s resume unique, appealing and competent apart from these criteria? There are other simple basics In and Out of your resume.

The Resume Builder advises you to be well acquainted with the employer’s background. Your pre-knowledge about the company will make your resume individualistic. Summarize this aspect very polished in 3-5 sentences with the employer’s keyword. The employer comprehends that you had done some research about them and that leaves a good impression on them. It’s always beneficial to remember that your qualification should befit the employer’s need. For this, use figures if required, as this reflects your approach towards work ethics and achievements.

Use an action word in your resume once initially, that matches with your employer’s keyword; and avoid overuse of it. These employer’s keywords should match with your qualification actually in one sentence with figures, which is appreciated by the hiring managers.

Consider the number of pages used. It’s always better to have one page for entry levels and 2-3 pages or more for higher levels like managerial posts. There is no specific rule for that but it’s preferable with less number of pages, for times when the hiring officials go through many applications at a time.

Never write about your personal information and pictures. This might disqualify you. The Resume Builder highlights an exception here for applying in the entertainment industry where they require your pictures.

Avoid writing objectives in your resume. Instead write a polished summary outlining the important points that matches your qualification with the job description as pointed by the Resume Builder. Do not use this statement “Reference is available upon request”, as it can be dealt later in the interview.

Keep your document aligned. The hiring managers would know where to skim and for this you can expand your word format which also highlights the keywords.

Moreover, keep your resume neat with a professional look. Avoid fancy fonts or overused ones like Times New Roman. It should simply look professional, as stressed by the Resume Builder.