Don't Mess Up The Dates
Dates are the most important part of any resume. You should specify how long you were employed at each previous employment in months, not years. If there are any gap years in your employment or education, don't try to hide them. They will come out eventually, and you'll look bad for trying to suppress them. Instead, be straightforward and be ready to explain any time periods the interviewer might find unusual.
Make The First Page The Most Impressive
Most people read only half of the first page to decide whether they like what they see and want to pursue it further. What you put on the first page will determine whether the reader will flip onto the next pages, save your resume to read it again later or junk it right away. All the "good stuff", thus, should be on the top half of the front page.
Describe Stellar Job Achievements, Don't Focus On Job Descriptions
Don't bore readers and interviewers with endless details about what your job demanded or what was expected of you. You should include a brief description of the capacity you were hired in, and focus instead on the specific accomplishments that set you apart and made you a valuable asset within your capacity as an employee.
Write In Active Voice
Active voice and strong action verbs are your friends. Don't use descriptive, passive language. Not only does it create a laid back atmosphere, it's also vague. Most resumes include phrases such as "assisted in" or "responsible for" which doesn't specify whether you were a team member, bystander or key figure. Use strong verbs that show you were at the helm, such as "created" or "developed" or "generated sales worth..." or "led the team at..."
Don't Go On And On In The Personal Info Sections
Things such as your interests and hobbies don't really mean much to prospective employers, unless of course they're really unique or are relevant to the job at hand. So, unless you're a mountaineer who's scaled impressive peaks or a boxer with some medals, keep the personal interests and background sections small, or do away with them completely. And try to avoid generic interests such as "listening to music" or "shopping" because it makes you average, boring and forgettable!
Maintain The Mystery
If you put in everything and anything that is interesting about your professional potential as well as the person you are on a few sheets of paper, there will be nothing more for the employers to look forward to. While you should certainly share all the necessary information with them in your resume, do save something for the interviews. You can discuss your professional and
Ketan Sethi is CEO of a web designing company in India providing custom web design and development services for clients scattered all across the globe.
