Q-
What is a resume or CV?
Resumes are what people use to get jobs, right?
Wrong!
A resume is a one or two page summary of your education, skills,
accomplishments, and experience. Your resume's purpose is to get
your foot in the door. A resume does its job successfully if it does
not exclude you from consideration.
To prepare a successful resume, you need to know how to review,
summarise, and present your experiences and achievements on one
page. Unless you have considerable experience, you don't need two
pages. Outline your achievements briefly and concisely.
Your resume is your ticket to an interview where you can sell
yourself!
Q- How to Prepare an Effective
Resume
1. Resume
Essentials
Before you write, take time to do a self-assessment on paper.
Outline your skills and abilities as well as your work experience
and extracurricular activities. This will make it easier to prepare
a thorough resume.
2. The Content of Your Resume
Name, address, telephone, e-mail address, web site address
All your contact information should go
at the top of your resume.
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Avoid nicknames.
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Use a permanent address. Use your
parents' address, a friend's address.
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Use a permanent telephone number and
include the area code.
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Add your e-mail address. Many
employers will find it useful. (Note: Choose an e-mail address that
sounds professional.)
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Include your web site address only if
the web page reflects your professional ambitions.
Objective or Summary
An objective tells potential employers the sort of work you're
hoping to do.
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Be specific about the job you want.
For example: To obtain an entry-level position within a financial
institution requiring strong analytical and organisational skills.
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Tailor your objective to each employer
you target/every job you seek.
Education
New graduates without a lot of work experience should list their
educational information first. Alumni can list it after the work
experience section.
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Your most recent educational
information is listed first.
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Include your degree, major, institution attended, minor/concentration.
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Mention academic honours.
Work Experience
Briefly give the employer an overview of work that has taught you
skills. Use action words to describe your job duties. Include your
work experience in reverse chronological order�that is, put your
last job first and work backward to your first, relevant job.
Include:
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Title of position,
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Name of organisation
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Location of work (town, county)
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Dates of employment
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Describe your work responsibilities
with emphasis on specific skills and achievements.
Other information
A staff member at your career services office can advise you on
other information to add to your resume. You may want to add:
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Key or special skills or competencies,
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Leadership experience in volunteer
organizations,
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Participation in sports.
References
Ask people if they are willing to serve as references before you
give their names to a potential employer.
Do not include your reference information on your resume. You may
note at the bottom of your resume: "References available on
request."
3. Resume Checkup
You've written your resume. It's time to have it reviewed. You can
also take the following steps to ensure quality:
Content:
-
Run a spell check on your computer
before anyone sees your resume.
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Get a friend to do a grammar review.
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Ask another friend to proofread. The
more people who see your resume, the more likely that misspelled
words and awkward phrases will be seen (and corrected).
Design:
These tips will make your resume easier to read and/or scan into an
employer's data base.
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Use white or off-white paper.
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Use A4 paper.
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Print on one side of the paper.
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Use a font size of 10 to 14 points.
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Use non-decorative typefaces.
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Choose one typeface and stick to it.
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Avoid italics, script, and underlined
words.
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Do not use horizontal or vertical
lines, graphics, or shading.
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Do not fold or staple your resume.
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If you must mail your resume, put it in a large envelope.
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