Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A resume is a self-marketing tool. It is designed with one purpose in mind - to "sell" your
skills, knowledge, and experience to an employer so that he/she will invite you for an interview.
An effective resume speaks to the employer's needs and requirements and demonstrates a
match between what you have to offer and those requirements. It stimulates interest in you by
summarizing information: unique qualities, well developed skills, relevant work or academic
experiences, or accomplishments that clearly differentiates you from the competition.
Employers want to know about you, not your position. Spend more time describing your duties,
responsibilities and accomplishments than describing the size and nature of your organization,
although it is important for the employer to know that you have had experience in a similar
organization. Your resume should be factual, impressive, readable, and tailored to the position
you are seeking. It should describe your experience and achievements to stimulate a positive
response. Your resume is an important item in getting you the position desire.
On the Internet usually the CV’s are send via e-mail to respective companies, but it is still
important that you carry a copy along with you during your preliminary interview.
1. Use good quality paper for your CV’s. After all you are describing your years of hard-
earned education and experience. Always value yourself.
2. Never send a badly duplicated photocopy of your CV. Even if you have to send a
photocopy ideally use a good copier and executive bond paper or other similar quality.
3. Always remember to put your telephone no. If possible give an alternate number of your
pager/mobile or email no
4. The section you should describe most is your work experience. Ideally give your job
responsibilities point wise with sub headings. This would help to describe the matter
briefly as well as to the point.
5. Ideally restrict your CV to not more than three pages. After all you should have some
matter to talk about during your interview.
6. Check for spelling errors and grammatical mistake before you take a final copy of your
CV as even a small error could cause an embarrassing situation for you.
7. Remember to mention any awards / promotion or other recognition earned by you in your
previous work experience.
8. If you are a fresher than stress more on your education section and also mention other
additional qualification in detail. Give a brief description about projects and extra
curricular activities undertaken by you.
9. Include sections like languages known, hobbies and interests, extra curricular activities,
your positive points in brief.
10. Remember to include the exact time spent in each company supported by dates. Also
give dates of completing each degree.
11. Some companies do ask for photographs so carry at least two-passport size photograph
just in case you are asked to submit them.
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12. Select a simple font with appropriate font size to give clarity and legibility to your precious
CV.
Basic Standards :
Your resume is the first interface you have with your employer. Make the most of this
opportunity............. The employment market is changing all the time and so have resumes,
evolving from a one-size-fits-all standard. Here are our tips to convert your resume into a catching
one.
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• The duties you currently perform should be in present tense (i.e., write reports)
• Duties you may have performed at past jobs should be in past tense (i.e., wrote reports).
• Capitalize all proper nouns.
• When expressing numbers, write out all numbers between one and nine (i.e., one, five,
seven), but
• use numerals for all numbers 10 and above (i.e., 10, 25, 108).
• If you begin a sentence with a numeral, spell out that numeral (e.g. Eleven service
awards won while employed.).
• Make sure your date formats are consistent (i.e.11/22/01 or Nov. 22, 2001, or 11.22.01.
Choose one and stick with it.).
• Choose Your Words Carefully:
• Phrase yourself well:
• Be on the lookout for the following easily confused words:
• accept (to receive), except (to exclude)
• all right (correct), alright (this is not a word)
• affect (to bring about change), effect (result)
• personal (private), personnel (staff members)
• role (a character assigned or a function), roll (to revolve).
• Use action words (i.e., wrote reports, increased revenues, directed staff).
REFERENCES:
In most instances it is not necessary to include names and address of references on the resume.
If you include a reference, make it sure that the referenced person knows very well about you. It
is also advisable to add the persons as references, whom the employer can contact easily. If
possible add the phone number and e-mail ID of the reference. Never add a person as a
reference, about whom you know nothing
Employers have a busy schedule, so don't expect them to read through a long resume. Ideally,
resumes should be of one page, or of two pages only if absolutely necessary, to describe relevant
work experience.
WORDS COUNT
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Use of language is extremely important; you need to sell yourself to an employer quickly and
efficiently. Address your potential employer's needs with a clearly written, compelling resume.
Avoid large paragraphs (five or six lines). If you provide small, digestible pieces of information,
your resume will be read. Use action verbs. Verbs such as "developed", "managed", and
"designed" emphasise your accomplishments. Don't use declarative sentences like "I developed
the ..." or "I assisted in ...", leave out the "I". Avoid passive constructions, such as "was
responsible for managing". Just say, "managed": that sounds stronger and more active.
Employers need to know what you have accomplished to have an idea of what you can do for
them. Don't be vague. Telling someone that you "improved the company's efficiency" doesn't say
much. But if you say that you "cut overhead costs by 20 per cent and saved the company Rs 20
lakh during the last fiscal year", you are more specific.
Employers will feel more comfortable hiring you if they can verify your accomplishments. There is
a difference between making the most of your experience and exaggerating or falsifying it. A
falsified resume can cost you the job later.
Check your resume for correct grammar and spelling - evidence of good communication skills
and attention to detail. Nothing can ruin your chances of getting a job faster than submitting a
resume filled with preventable mistakes. Make your resume easy on the eye. Use normal margins
(1" on the top and bottom, 1.25" on the sides) and don't cram your text on the page. Allow for
some space between the different sections. Avoid unusual or exotic fonts. Preferred fonts: Arial
and Times Roman & Ver
Resume Basics
If you are a new entrant in the job market, you need to perfect your resume before applying for
your 1st job
Since you are fresh out of college, use your education as your strong point. Aggregate %, CGPA,
accolades, club participation, etc. will be your focus.
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It's a myth that resumes of entry-level graduates are unimportant because they lack the 'pull' of
experience. Nothing could be further from the truth. Not only is a well-made resume important for
every job seeker, it is more critical for entry level graduates. A resume is a mirror of your
professional identity. A well-defined resume impresses a recruiter. A sloppy resume immediately
proclaims the candidate to be sloppy.
Here are some do's and don'ts on what makes a great resume for graduates seeking entry-level
positions in industry.
OBJECTIVE
One of the most frequently heard complaints made by recruiters about entry-level resumes is that
they lack a specific objective. Resumes of fresh graduates have fuzzy, general objectives or no
objective at all. Mentioning a specific objective is by far the most important feature of an entry-
level resume. Without goal clarity you are bound to drown in the sea of mediocrity.
The only thing worse than the absence of an objective is a vague objective. Something like "My
objective is to work with a dynamic company which will fully utilise my talents…" is a complete no-
no! This objective is worthless because it gives the potential employer no idea about your goals
or your direction.
Your objective should be clear, well-defined and short-not more than 10-12 words.. It should be
aimed towards getting a particular position in a specific industry. Thus your objective should talk
about the following:
1. Position wanted
2. Functional area
3. Industry wanted
SUMMARY
Summary is the second most important factor that is conspicuous by its absence in resumes of
entry-level graduates. It is a good idea to include a summary of your resume after having
mentioned your objective. This sums up your resume in a nutshell and gives you an opportunity
to highlight your strengths. It invites the recruiter to read your detailed resume. The summary
should consist of 4-5 specific points-either bulleted or in one paragraph.
Sample Summary 1:
Sample Summary 2:
"Masters in Computer Application with specialisation in J2EE/Web Technologies. Great
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operational, communication and computer skills. Good academic record throughout. Among the
top three students out of a batch of 120 students. Undergone Industrial training in a top
petrochemical Company.
EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Most fresher resume doesn't suffer from space constraint . However it is a good idea to include
only those educational and professionals qualifications which are relevant. Put your qualifications
in a reverse chronological order. i.e. the recent ones first followed by earlier ones. Entry level
resume should also mention the names of their school and college, years in which they passed
their board examinations. However, include your marks only you have shown a good academic
performance.
WORK EXPERIENCE
An entry- level resume cannot compete with resumes of experienced workers in the area of work
experience. But don't forget to list internships, voluntary work and summer training that you have
undertaken. How you present these is very important. Make sure you clearly define your duty and
responsibilities during this training.
E.g.: "Worked as a summer trainee in India's largest Oil Refinery. I was working for the system
control department. Wrote quality reports as well as ISO features for the company." Any projects
done for your school or your college should also be mentioned.
DESIGN
Follow a simple design, which gives maximum information in the minimum number of pages. Use
an easy to read and commonly used font like 'Times New Roman' or 'Verdana.' Limit your font
size to 10-11. Do not underline heavily.
WORD USAGE
Simple language, lucid expression with good grammar is the thumb rule. Watch your tenses
carefully. Use short and simple sentences. And never-ever make the mistake of using long words
just to impress the recruiter. Flowery words are for speeches, keep them away from your resume.
And finally...mom is right you know! Do not procrastinate over anything, specially making your
resume. Most fresh graduates prefer to leave the unappealing task of resume making till the last
minute i.e the day before their first interview. However, remember that making great resumes
take time and effort. And the rewards will last you a lifetime
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Resume Preparation
In preparing to write your resume, remember that you can only count on an employer to spend twenty
seconds scanning your resume before deciding whether to review it further or put it aside. The key is to
design the format in such a way that it leads the employer's eye to words that speak to his/her needs.
Obviously then, effective resumes are developed by individuals who have thoroughly researched the
organizations they want to work for, have identified the specific job they want, and have figured out what they
have to offer.
point out that the categories of information you include on your resume should provide answers to these
questions:
1. Contact section: Who are you and how can you be reached?
2. Objective statement: What do you want to do?
3. Education section: What have you learned?
4. Experience/Employment section: What can you do? What have you done?
5. Professional activities and accomplishments: How have you been recognized?
6. Miscellaneous: What else do they want to know about you?
Sequence the categories according to what is most important to the employer and your career objective. A
recent college graduate with limited experience should usually put the education section first since it is the
most significant qualification. Education should also be listed first when, as in the case of teaching, law,
medicine, or engineering, education is a qualifying requirement. In a situation where an applicant wants to
emphasize significant work or extracurricular experience or when an employer seeks to fill jobs in fields such
as sales, public relations, or merchandising, the experience or work history category may be listed first.
1. Contact Information
Begin your resume with your name by capitalizing or using bold type. Include street address, city, state, and
zip code. Include phone number(s) where you can be reached weekdays, 9am-5pm. Designate your home
phone with an "H," and work number with "W," or a "Messages" number.
2. Career/Job Objective
This is recommended only for recent graduates or entry level personnel. Experience and professional job
seekers rarely include it. This component of the resume can be very challenging to write. The purpose of the
objective statement is to inform the reader of your career goals and qualifications. The statement should be
written specifically enough to let the reader know that you have a focus to your job search. If you are
considering a variety of objectives, you may want to relay the relevant objective in an accompanying cover
letter.
3. Educational Highlights
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This section is most effective when you have experiences from your education that are impressive and/or
directly relate to your objective. Adding this section is useful when you have developed skills and specific
knowledge through your education rather than work experience. This section can be used to highlight
coursework, research, or special knowledge that complements your objective. This information is useful in a
resume of entry level candidates and recent graduates.
An alternative to highlighting courses is to list the skills and knowledge acquired through important courses
and research.
Examples: Developed model investment portfolio for Fortune 500 company. Analyzed revenue and expense
history using state-of-the-art computer simulation programs. Designed promotional campaign for new service
a targeted market.
Summary information about your undergraduate and graduate education should be included in your resume.
List the name and location of the school, time period or date of degree, the degree received, and academic
honors, e.g. Phi Beta Kappa, significant scholarships or fellowships. You may also list any continuing
education and significant professional training but do not list every course or seminar you have attended. In
general, the more recently you have attended college, the more education related information you may want
to provide as you will most likely have relatively less work experience.
Start with your most recent degree or the program in which you are currently enrolled. List other degrees or
relevant education in reverse chronological order.
If the degree is relevant to your job objective, begin with degree and emphasis, followed by university,
location of university, and date of graduation or anticipated date of graduation. Example: M.P.A., Masters of
Public Administration, Annamalai University, Annamalai nagar, TN, India, May 1995.
If degree/program is not directly related to current job objective, begin with the university, followed by the
location, degree and emphasis, and graduation date.
If you are within two semesters of graduation, do not use "expected" or "anticipated" with month/year of
graduation.
If you are an entry level candidate or recent graduate and have a high GPA, include it on your resume. You
may want to highlight your GPA on a new line, or in an educational highlights section. Note: Some employers
believe no GPA on a resume indicates an poor GPA. Employers hiring experienced professionals generally
care only that you have the degree.
If your education relates to your objective and is within the past three years, it should be the first section. If
not, education should follow the work experience section of your resume.
A brief summary of qualifications can condense an extensive background by emphasizing experiences and
accomplishments in brief phrases. The qualifications summary is accomplishment-oriented and provides an
overview of your work experience. A summary is most appropriated for someone with substantial experience,
for someone who is changing careers and wants to demonstrate transferable skills, or for someone with an
eclectic background.
In general, you should list, in successive order for each position you have held, your employer, position title,
dates (year to year), a brief description of your position, and accomplishments. You need to devote little
space to explain commonly known responsibilities for positions such as city manager, police chief or public
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works director. You will probably devote more space for positions such as assistant city manager, city
engineer, and similar jobs. You should also indicate the size of the budget and number of employees for
whom you were responsible. Give brief, illustrative examples of your responsibilities and accomplishments.
This is where you have the opportunity to tailor (while being accurate and truthful) your resume to what the
employer is seeking. At least for your current position, indicate your base salary, not the top of your range.
Begin with your current/most recent position and work backward, chronologically. Devote more space to
recent employment.
If your job titles relate to your current job objective, start each position description with job titles. If not, begin
with the organization.
Follow job title and organizational information with the organization's city and state.
Use the first and last month and year to describe dates of employment.
Describe the last three to five positions in detail. Summarize earlier positions unless relevant to your
objective.
Do not show every position change with each employer. Only list the most recent and describe promotions.
Within each listed position, stress the major accomplishments and responsibilities that demonstrate your
competency. It is not necessary to include all responsibilities, as they will be assumed by employers.
This part of your resume offers you the opportunity to provide insight into your career development. You
should be selective and complete, listing such items as memberships in professional associations and offices
held, professional registrations, honors received, and major articles or publications you have written. Do not
list every article or every speech you may have given or every conference you have attended. Emphasize
quality - this section of the resume should help you to demonstrate you are current and active in your
profession.
The thought of writing a resume intimidates almost anyone. It's difficult to know where to start or what to include. It can seem
like an insurmountable task. Here are 15 tips to help you not only tackle the task, but also write a winning resume.
1. Determine your job search objective prior to writing the resume. Once you have determined your objective, you can
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structure the content of your resume around that objective. Think of your objective as the bull's-eye to focus your
resume on hitting. If you write your resume without having a clear objective in mind, it will likely come across as
unfocused to those that read it. Take the time before you start your resume to form a clear objective.
2. Think of your resume as a marketing tool. Think of yourself as a product, potential employers as your customers, and
your resume as a brochure about you. Market yourself through your resume. What are your features and benefits?
What makes you unique? Make sure to convey this information in your resume.
3. Use your resume to obtain an interview, not a job. You don't need to go into detail about every accomplishment. Strive
to be clear and concise. The purpose of your resume is to generate enough interest in you to have an employer
contact you for an interview. Use the interview to provide a more detailed explanation of your accomplishments and to
land a job offer.
4. Use bulleted sentences. In the body of your resume, use bullets with short sentences rather than lengthy paragraphs.
Resumes are read quickly. This bulleted sentence format makes it easier for someone to quickly scan your resume
and still absorb it.
5. Use action words. Action words cause your resume to pop. To add life to your resume, use bulleted sentences that
begin with action words like prepared, developed, monitored, and presented.
6. Use #'s, Rs. and %'s. Numbers, dollars, and percentages stand out in the body of a resume. Use them. Here are two
examples:
* Managed a department of 10 with a budget of Rs.1,000,000.
* Increased sales by 25% in a 15-state territory.
7. Lead with your strengths. Since resumes are typically reviewed in 30 seconds, take the time to determine which
bullets most strongly support your job search objective. Put those strong points first where they are more apt to be
read.
8. Play Match Game. Review want ads for positions that interest you. Use the key words listed in these ads to match
them to bullets in your resume. If you have missed any key words, add them to your resume.
9. Use buzzwords. If there are terms that show your competence in a particular field, use them in your resume. For
marketing people, use "competitive analysis." For accounting types, use "reconciled accounts."
10. Accent the positive. Leave off negatives and irrelevant points. If you feel your date of graduation will subject you to age
discrimination, leave the date off your resume. If you do some duties in your current job that don't support your job
search objective, leave them off your resume. Focus on the duties that do support your objective. Leave off irrelevant
personal information like your height and weight.
11. Show what you know. Rather than going into depth in one area, use your resume to highlight your breadth of
knowledge. Use an interview to provide more detail.
12. Show who you know. If you have reported to someone important such as a vice president or department manager, say
so in your resume. Having reported to someone important causes the reader to infer that you are important.
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13. Construct your resume to read easily. Leave white space. Use a font size no smaller than 10 point. Limit the length of
your resume to 1-2 pages. Remember, resumes are reviewed quickly. Help the reader to scan your resume efficiently
and effectively.
14. Have someone else review your resume. Since you are so close to your situation, it can be difficult for you to hit all
your high points and clearly convey all your accomplishments. Have someone review your job search objective, your
resume, and listings of positions that interest you. Encourage them to ask questions. Their questions can help you to
discover items you inadvertently left off your resume. Revise your resume to include these items. Their questions can
also point to items on your resume that are confusing to the reader. Clarify your resume based on this input.
15. Submit your resume to potential employers. Have the courage to submit your resume. Think of it as a game where
your odds of winning increase with every resume you submit. You really do increase your odds with every resume you
submit. Use a three-tiered approach. Apply for some jobs that appear to be beneath you. Perhaps they will turn out to
be more than they appeared to be once you interview for them. Or perhaps once you have your foot in the door you
can learn of other opportunities. Apply for jobs that seem to be just at your level. You will get interviews for some of
those jobs. See how each job stacks up. Try for some jobs that seem like a stretch. That's how you grow -- by taking
risks. Don't rule yourself out. Trust the process. Good luck in your job search
Types Of Resumes
The chronological and functional resumes, or some combination of these two formats, are the standard types of resumes used
by job seekers in today's employment market. To select the type which best supports your needs, review the following
information. Many professional recruiters discount functional resumes and consider them as a "red flag", since many applicants
use them to disguise a lack of experience or unstable work history.
In this type of resume, job history is organized chronologically with the most recent information first. Job titles and organizations
are emphasized and duties and accomplishments are described in detail. A chronological
resume is easy to read, since it highlights names of employers and job titles, and emphasizes career growth. It is best suited to
those whose career goals are clear and whose job objectives are aligned with their work history.
Functional Resume
Stay away from a function resume if at all possible. In a functional resume, skills and accomplishments developed through
work, academic, and community experiences are highlighted. Your skills and potential can be stressed and lack of experience
or possible gaps in work history de-emphasized. However, it is important to realize employers often view functional resumes
more critically for these very same reasons.
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The functional resume is advantageous when:
Combination Resume
This format combines the best elements of the chronological and functional types. It presents patterns of accomplishments and
skills in a section headed "Areas of Effectiveness" or "Qualifications Summary." But it also includes a brief work history and
education summary. This format is advantageous for those who wish to change to a job in a related car
Easy 7 Steps
Summarize your qualifications by writing a summary paragraph that highlights your professional
background as it relates to the needs of the company. Hiring managers need to see immediately
that you have the skills and experience they need. If an employer has to figure out what you can
do for him, the odds are you won't get an interview.
Over 15 years of diverse and challenging experience, combined with powerful presentation skills,
a disciplined approach to the task at hand and the innate ability to anticipate potential obstacles
are attributes that contribute to a strong record of excellence and acknowledgement for "getting
the job done."
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to achieve accelerated growth in sales and profits.
Fourteen years experience with a major international organization on a career path which
supported increased levels of responsibility in the areas of management, communication and
training.
Over 12 years of technical sales and marketing experience including: electronic component sales
knowledge of Unix, Pascal, Sun work station, Fortran new software business start-up and market
presentation international marketing penetration.
The Objective
There is much debate regarding the inclusion/exclusion of a job objective-use your judgment. It is
usually placed right under the heading. The job objective is a targeted, brief description of the
specific kind of job you are seeking: legal administrator, bookkeeper, medical transcriber, diesel
mechanic, etc. Avoid vagueness here, if you can't be specific leave it off the resume. It should be
specific to the point of repeating what the advertisement/announcement stated. Since you may
need a different resume for each opening you locate, you may also need to change the job
objective. You can always discuss your objective in the cover letter.
Do not assume that any job objective is better than no job objective. If your objective is vague or
unfocused, you will appear unable to decide what you want to do with the next part of your life.
Target it to the specific kind of job you are seeking, e.g., secretary, bookkeeper, sales
representative, medical transcriber, backhoe operator, etc.
Example: Position teaching science and/or math at the secondary school level. Position within a
financial institution requiring strong analytical and organizational skills. The profile is an
alternative to an objective statement. It gives you the opportunity to present your strengths at the
very beginning of the résumé.
Eager to contribute to the growth of a progressive company with quality products or services.
Qualified by business education, customer service and administrative experience. Professional
appearance and advanced interpersonal communication. Highly motivated, strong work ethic;
available as needed for training, travel, overtime, etc. Financed 80% of college tuition and
expenses; additional 20% through scholarships. In writing the major areas of your résumé, it is
important to emphasize your abilities and accomplishments more than past duties. You may also
want to indicate how well you performed. This will help infuse personal qualities such as
character and personality into your résumé.
Step 2 Education
This category is particularly important if you have not had a great deal of work experience.
Remember, your most recent educational experience should be listed first.
Include your degree (A.S., B.S., B.A., etc.), major, institution(s) attended, date of graduation,
minors or concentrations, and any special workshops, seminars, related coursework or senior
projects. A G.P.A. of higher than a 3.0 (either overall G.P.A. or G.P.A. in major) should also be
noted here.
If you are a student, recent college graduate or have limited paid work experience, but have been
involved in volunteer, internship, practicum or student teaching work experiences, be sure to point
this out to the employer. This is what your skills are and what you can do on the job. Be sure to
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include all significant work experience in reverse chronological order.
Note to teacher candidates: Be sure to include your student teaching experience on your résumé.
You should describe your work responsibilities with an emphasis on achievements using action
words to communicate your skills. List the most important and related responsibilities first. Identify
the most relevant work experiences and describe them fully. Be brief with the irrelevant
experiences or omit them. It is sometimes useful to divide your work experience into two
categories: Relevant Experience and Other Experience. You may want to add that work was
performed to earn a certain percent of college expenses.
Example: Earned 75% of college expenses through the following part-time jobs
Interests
This is sometimes used to evaluate your suitability to a geographic area or to understand your
"personality type". Include this section if you have available space. Include social or civic
activities, health and fitness or sports activities, or hobbies which indicate how you spend your
leisure time. Computer Knowledge: If using computers is a necessary skill for the job you are
seeking, be sure to highlight your knowledge in this section.
Example:
Databases: Oracle 8.x, SQL Server, Sybase
Client/Server: Power Builder 3.x/4.x/5.x/6.x/7.x, Visual Basic
Oracle Skills: SQL, PL/SQL, Replication, Database Administration, Oracle Web toolkit
Web skills: HTML, XML, Sybase EA Server, Power Dynamo, Power Site, Jaguar Component
Transaction Server, Oracle Application Server Data modeling: Erwin
Object modeling: Rational Rose, BPWin
Hardware: Sun Workstations Operating Systems: Windows NT, UNIX Programming
Languages: Java, C, C++, Perl
Activities, Honors, and Leadership are also important categories to include. If the activities
involved work responsibility, note it in some detail. The employer is interested in the skills you
have developed whether through volunteer or paid experiences. If you were elected to offices or
committees, mention it. Recognition and demonstration of leadership roles are valuable.
Step 5 References
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Be sure to ask individuals if they would be willing to be a reference for you prior to mentioning
their names to prospective employers. Names of individuals are not usually listed on the résumé
(unless there is space available at the end), but you should prepare a typed list of three
references to provide at the interview. This list should include name, title, employer, address,
business and home telephone number. You may also state at the bottom of your résumé
"References furnished upon request."
Employers today want to know concrete things about you, and what you can produce. Most
résumés today are filled with empty generalizations, failing to be distinguished in any way from
the crowd of respondents. By beginning sentences with Action or Power Words, you are showing
employers you are capable of tactical strategic thinking and have proven results. Here are some
Power Words to get you started:
• accelerated • mastered
• accomplished • motivated
• achieved • operated
• adapted • ordered
• administered • originated
• analyzed • organized
• approved • participated
• conceived • performed
• conducted • pinpointed
• completed • planned
• controlled • prepared
• coordinated • produced
• created • programmed
• delegated • proposed
• demonstrated • proved
• designed • provided
• developed • proficient in
• directed • purchased
• earned • recommended
• effected • reduced
• eliminated • reinforced
• established • reorganized
• evaluated • revamped
• expanded • reviewed
• expedited • revised
• facilitated • scheduled
• found • simplified
• generated • set up
• implemented • solved
• improved • streamlined
• increased • structured
• influenced • supervised
• initiated • supported
• inspected • surpassed
• instructed • taught
• interpreted • trained
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• launched • translated
• led • used
• lectured • utilized
• maintained • won
• managed • wrote
Never send a résumé without a cover letter. The purpose of a cover letter is to express your
interest in an organization and to request an interview. The opening paragraph must get the
reader's attention and interest in your employment potential. This paragraph should also refer to
the specific position sought and areas in your background that make you an attractive candidate
for it.
The development section (usually one or two paragraphs) highlights specific aspects of your
education, training, and experience that relate to the position or organization to which you are
applying. It also refers the reader to your enclosed résumé for further details.
The concluding paragraph should request action by the reader. You should request an
opportunity to meet with the person to discuss your qualifications and employment potential in
greater detail. Include information on how you can be contacted by providing both day and
evening phone numbers.
Important: If you are expecting a prospective employer to contact you at home and you have an
answering machine, this may be a good time to review your outgoing message. This is the
employers first contact with you. Be sure your outgoing message is respectable
1. Overall appearance...
makes an immediately favorable impression
is inviting to read
is easy to read
looks professional
2. Contact information...
is clearly presented at the top.
includes address information; permanent and temporary
includes telephone number(s) where you can be reached day and night
4. Organization...
highlights strongest qualifications or credentials
uses headings to help establish common ground with employer
is brief - usually one page unless you have 5-10 years experience
5. Content...
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demonstrates ability to do the job and speaks to employer's needs
supports and substantiates objective
stresses transferable professional skills, accomplishments, and results
contains only that personal data relevant to the job
omits racial, religious, or political affiliations
8. Experience section...
Each relevant paid, volunteer, extracurricular, intern, or co-op experience
dates position held
description of transferable skills, accomplishments, and effectiveness
specific examples of successes and results supporting your objective
examples that quantify results or successes
9. Language...
is expressed in succinct manner
uses action verbs to begin phrases
has short action-oriented phrases instead of complete sentences
is free from grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors
is in active rather than passive voice
uses vocabulary of the field for which you are applying
17
Common Mistakes:
Mistake:Typos.
Correct: You have one chance to make a first impression. In many cases, your resume, or your
resume plus a cover letter, are the only things an employer has to base an impression of
you. The resume is a critical document for presenting yourself. The view is that if you
would make a mistake on your resume, you'll probably make a lot more mistakes on the
job. It's easy to miss your own typos. Use spellcheck, but remember it won't catch every
error. Frightening example: If you leave the first "l" out of "public relations," spellcheck is
not going to let you know. Get the idea? Ask friends to proofread.
Mistake:Using a unique, creative layout or style to stand out from the crowd.
Correct: The best way to stand out from the crowd is with high quality content and a clearly
written, neat, error-free document. Employers are looking for content, not fancy or
dangerously creative layout. Don't stand out for the wrong reason.
Cover Letter
18
The best thing you can do to help ensure that your resume gets read is to include a personalized
custom-written Cover Letter with your resume. The cover letter gives you an opportunity to stand
out from the dozens or maybe hundreds of other people who are applying for the same position
as you are.
Sir/Madam,
• To work efficiently and effectively as well as grow with a prestigious organization in field
of production, maintenance, and designing. So as to achieve self realization and
accomplishment of organizational goals.
• To work in a creative and challenging environment using cutting edge technologies where
i could constantly learn and successfully deliver solutions to problems.
• To be an excellent software professional and move into higher technology areas which
provide an environment to improve my technical and analytical abilities.
Your resume should always have a good COVER LETTER attached, as a personal
communication between you and the individual who receives the resume.
Many job hunters are intimidated by the task of writing a cover letter, but it's not that hard if you
think of it as just a friendly, simple communication from one person (who's looking for a good job)
to another (who's looking for a good employee). It is in the interests of both parties to make a
good connection!
1. Be sure to address your cover letter --by name and title -- to the person who could
actually hire you. When it's impossible to learn their name, use their functional title, such as
"Dear Manager." You may have to guess ("Dear Selection Committee") but never say "To whom
it may concern" or "Dear Sir or Madam"!
19
2. Show that you know a little about the company, and that you are aware of their current
problems, interests, or priorities.
3. Express your enthusiasm and interest in this line of work and this company. If you have a
good idea that might help the employer resolve a problem currently facing their industry, offer to
come in and discuss it.
4. Project warmth and friendliness, while still being professional. Avoid any generic phrases
such as "Enclosed please find." This is a letter to a real live person!
5. Make a personal link to a specific individual in that company, if at all possible -- also called
"name dropping." For example, "My neighbor, Phil Lyons, works in your research-and-
development department, and from what he tells me about the company and its current
directions, I think I could be a good fit for your team."
6. Set yourself apart from the crowd. Identify at least one thing about you that's unique -- say a
special talent for getting along with everybody at work, or some unusual skill that goes beyond
the essential requirements of the position -- something that distinguishes you AND is relevant to
the job. (Then, if several others are equally qualified for the job, your uniqueness may be the
reason to choose YOU.)
7. Be specific about what you are asking for and what you are offering. Make it clear which
position you're applying for and just what experience or skill you have that relates to that position.
8. Take the initiative about the next step whenever possible, and be specific. "I'll call your
office early next week to see if we could meet soon and discuss this job opening," for example.
OR -- if you're exploring for UN-announced jobs that my come up -- "I'll call your office next week
to see if we could meet soon, to discuss your company's needs for help in the near future."
You need an effective cover letter. Your resume can be impressive. But if your cover letter isn't
impressive, it's entirely possible that your resume will never get read. First impressions are lasting
impressions. The cover letter you attach to your resume and send to an IT company or public
sector firm must make the very best impression possible. If you do it right, your resume will be
read and you might get an interview. Do it wrong and your resume won't be looked at all. That's
how important a cover letter is. Most people spend about thirty seconds reading a cover letter, so
it has to make your case clearly and effectively.
1. Emphasize the skills required. Your cover letter should make very clear that you have the
skills and the experience for the position you are applying for. State this in the first paragraph.
2. Make no mistake about it The most important caveat in a cover letter? Absolutely no errors!
Your cover letter must be perfection itself. A typo, a poor printing job, a misspelling - mistakes will
make a poor impression because they imply that you don't care. Never hand write a cover letter.
Never!
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3. Use a word processor. Prepare your cover letter on a computer using MicroSoft Word. Don't
have a computer? Borrow a friend's or go to a business center and rent one for an hour or two!
4. Avoid fancy fonts. You are not creating a flyer or a poster. So use a business font such as
Arial. No colors. Black on white reproduces easily. Use a plain white paper. No deckled finishes
or colors either. Print your cover letter and resume on a laser printer. DeskJet printer ink
smudges.
5. Keep it short. Your cover letter should be one page in length and perfectly centered. The
cover letter and resume are never folded. They are placed in an envelope large enough to
accommodate them unfolded.
Sanjay Dixit
282 HSR Layout, Koramangala, Bangalore 560012, India
Email: sanjay_dix@userhome.com
Phone: 91-80-1234-5678
EDUCATION
• Built an optimizing compiler for mC++, a C++ subset with support for dynamic
object migration over the network between compatible type-spaces.
• Built a user-level distributed file system based on NFS with write-through
caching, fault tolerance and consistency guarantees.
WORK EXPERIENCE
21
• Research Assistant, TIFR, Mumbai (Aug - Dec 2004): Implemented a library
of image processing functions for edge detection and de-skewing on scanned
images. Adapted an off-the-shelf OCR package to operate on scanned mail
images with 99% address recognition accuracy at the city/pin-code level and 85%
at the street level.
• Project Trainee, Kreativ Networks, Bangalore: (Jan 2005-present): Joined a 7
person startup implementing campus-wide video-on-demand system for corporate
training. Implemented the streaming video component with buffering for jitter
reduction. Also, bit-rate reduction in the event of congestion to meet frame-rate
guarantees. Extensive performance testing was conducted.
COMPUTER SKILLS
PUBLICATIONS
Occlusion Culling using Hyperplane Projection and Frequency Domain Splicing. Pavan
Pleasant, Amit Ganguly, and Janaki Rajagopalan. Graphics Interface '01(2004) pp. 323-
333.
AWARDS
• Best B.Tech thesis - 2004. Dept of Computer Science. IIT Chennai Silver
Medalist at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), 2003. Seoul, S.
Korea.
• Ranked 18th in IIT Joint Entrance Examination - 2001.
REFERENCES
22
CURRICULUM – VITAE
Vivekanandanagar, Mysore
OBJECTIVE
Seeking full time career with an organization, which will permit me to use and contribute my
abilities in software development and also to enhance my knowledge and contribute towards its
growth by committed and high quality work. My Motto in life is “Problems are opportunities and
never accept defeat in life”.
EDUCATION
(2001-2005)
First semester 61.9%
Second semester 57%
23
Third semester 57.8%
Fourth semester 61.9%
Fifth semester 62.5%
Sixth semester 70.3%
Seventh semester 77.3%
TECHNICAL SKILLS
PRE-DEGREE QUALIFICATIONS
Board
PROFILE SUMMARY:
He is very exciting and full of energy, who can make atmosphere around him
very vibrant. He is very determined and hardworking, who is much focused to achieve
what he intends to. He is very friendly, open-minded and levelheaded person. He likes to
work in a team. He can get along with the People nicely. He loves his family & friends,
they are his motivation. He wants to be recognized.
PROJECT DETAILS
1. Implementation of Cryptography over Networking
24
Cryptography is the art of manipulating information into an intermediate form and hence
secures it from getting it into wrong hands. In our application we have implemented
network security using the famous and efficient ciphers BLOWFISH. An attractive user
interface being given using GTK Glade tool. The application allows the user to either
pass or receive messages across the network and these messages are made secure
through the BLOWFISH cipher.
Language: C
Team Size: 4
Team size : 2.
Language: C
Team Size: 4
25
PERSONAL DETAILS
Date of birth 10/12/1983
Permanent address #1255,5th main, 2nd cross,
Vivekanandanagar, Mysore
Karnataka-570023
Nationality Indian
Gender male
Languages known English, Hindi, and Kannada
OTHER ACTIVITEIES
I was an N.C.C. cadet in High School level. I am interested in playing cricket. I listen to
music. I love traveling. I am deeply attracted by the Ideas and thoughts of Swami Vivekananda.
DECLARARTION
I hereby declare that the information furnished above is true to the best of
my knowledge.
26
Sample Engineering Resume
This sample engineering resume will give you a quickstart on building an effective and optimized
resume for your job application. Visitors can feel free to customize and edit our sample
engineering resume as per their requirement for job application. We hope that our sample
engineering resume will go a long way in portraying your abilities and skillsets efficiently.
Richard Anderson
1234, West 67 Street,
Carlisle, MA 01741,
(123)-456 7890.
OBJECTIVE :
EDUCATION :
University Of Colorado at Boulder
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, expected May 2003
Cumulative GPA: 3.2
• Relevant Projects: Designed, built, and tested an evaporative cooler, Spring 2002
• Relevant Courses: Advanced Thermodynamics, Intro to Combustion, Failure of
Engineering Materials
EXPERIENCE :
BYRD CONSTRUCTION, Longmont, CO
Carpenter/General Laborer, Summer 2002
• Learned valuable skills which can be applied to improving the actual implementation of
design in the field
• Gained valuable experience assisting customers with their confidential financial aid
accounts
LEADERSHIP :
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE, USAF ACADEMY, Colorado Springs, CO
Cadet, active duty military, Jun 1998 – Jul 2000
27
• Secret Clearance gained from Combat Survival Training
• Basic Cadet Training, Recognition, Combat Survival Training (CST), Parachuting,
Gliding
COMMUNITY SERVICE :
CU-VOLUNTEER DAY, Nov 2001
• Served as Big Brother for a young teen who lived with his single mother
This sample engineering resume will give you a quick start on building an effective and optimized
resume for your job application. Visitors can feel free to customize and edit our sample
engineering resume as per their requirement for job application. We hope that our sample
engineering resume will go a long way in portraying your abilities and skillsets efficiently.
Richard Anderson
1234, West 67 Street,
Carlisle, MA 01741,
(123)-456 7890.
Job Objective :
A professional position in chemical engineering
Education :
B.S. Chemical Engineering, June 2000
New York University, New York, New York
Emphasis: Polymers
Experience :
Chipsoft, Fenway, VT
Technical Aide, Commercial Graphics R And D Laboratory Division , March 2000 - June 2003
28
test, tensile and elongation, weathering-accelerated and outdoor, electrocuting, and
weeding.
• Maintained a technical notebook on all projects performed.
This sample engineering resume will give you a quickstart on building an effective and optimized
resume for your job application. Visitors can feel free to customize and edit our sample
engineering resume as per their requirement for job application. We hope that our sample
engineering resume will go a long way in portraying your abilities and skillsets efficiently.
Richard Anderson
1234, West 67 Street,
Carlisle, MA 01741,
(123)-456 7890.
OBJECTIVE :
EDUCATION :
University of Colorado at Boulder
B.S., Computer Science, May 2002
Relevant Courses :
• Data Structures
• Programming Languages
• Computers as Components
• Digital Logic
• Software Engineering
• Computer Organizations
• Numerical Computation
29
• Operating Systems
TEAMWORK EXPERIENCE :
• Digital Logic Course Project: Designed and implemented circuits using Xilinx to make
an elevator operate.
• Senior Group Project: Designed and implemented a project sponsored by Colorado
Frame Company to design picture frames and calculate the cost of materials using
Java language.
COMPUTER SKILLS :
Operating systems:
Win 95/98, UNIX
Languages:
C, C++, 8086 Assembly, Scheme, Lisp, Java, Visual Basic
Software:
Mathematica, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Access
Web:
Experienced in HTML, DreamWeaver
WORK EXPERIENCE :
LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES :
HONORS :
FOREIGN LANGUAGES :
Vietnamese: Fluent (Native Language)
French: Basic
30
Sample Engineering Resume
This sample engineering resume will give you a quickstart on building an effective and optimized
resume for your job application. Visitors can feel free to customize and edit our sample
engineering resume as per their requirement for job application. We hope that our sample
engineering resume will go a long way in portraying your abilities and skillsets efficiently.
Richard Anderson
1234, West 67 Street,
Carlisle, MA 01741,
(123)-456 7890.
Objective :
A position as a Programmer Engineer.
Strengths :
Proficient or familiar with a vast array of programming languages, concepts and technologies.,
including, but not limited to: Perl, C, C++, English, HTML, CGI, Unix, OS/2, MS-DOS, Java,
JavaScript, SQL, i80x86 and 65x02 assembly, COBOL, emacs, vi, REXX, device drivers, compiler
and language design, user interfaces, databases, client/server, telecommunications, debugging,
reporting, and optimization.
Experience :
Lead Programmer, 1996 - Present
Hertz Professional Travel Services, Pittsburgh, PA,
Responsible for all aspects of acquiring, installing and administering LAN hardware (Intel-based
PCs, thin Ethernet and twisted pair); network operating systems (Novell Netware 2.15c and 3.12;
OS/2 Warp; Windows 95); end-user software applications; and telephone networks (NorStar-PLUS
Prelude and Cinphony Automatic Call Distributor). Responsible for designing, implementing,
debugging and documenting the following FoxPro systems: networked reservations, trip
scheduling, billing and reporting; real-time call entry and vehicle dispatching; interfaces to
electronic billing, automated eligibility verification, remote accountability and quality assurance
services.
Worked with management to refine goals, designing and implementing cutting-edge user and
device interface technologies for a networked, corporate-wide restaurant franchise management
system.
Education :
Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA
B.S., Engineering , 1989
31