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Questioning Resumes

If you too have agonized over your resume, take heart in the fact that you're not alone. Most of us have spent hours worrying if the resume should be one page or more. Unfortunately, there's no easy solution to this dilemma. You cannot discount one as right and the other wrong. There are times when one can be more effective than the other. The deciding quotient is purely situational.

The bottom line for an effective resume is that it should generate enough interest in you for an interview call. Your resume must be able to convince a prospective employer in under 15 seconds that you warrant a second look. If your document doesn't amplify your skills, then why should a potential employer lavish their precious time by calling you. We are trying to assist job seekers. And have put together some use tips to help you on the path to success.

Often, including just the most relevant information on a plain white paper makes the best impression. Don't try and pad a non-existent resume, especially when you are a fresh entrant. Those telephone directory resumes are meant for only for those with rich and varied work.

Considering that the average resume is reviewed in such a short time, it's best to trust a well-constructed, one-page document over two or more pages of meandering text. Remember, unless the first page fails to secure attention, the other pages won't even be looked at. It's common knowledge that recruiters are usually so busy, that every minute counts.

Do remember that a resume is not supposed to answer all the questions. If it does, most recruiters won't even bother to call you for an interview. Avoid including chapter and verse about your past. As a matter of fact, consider having two resumes. The first is your 'professional' version and gives the facts in a bulleted, quick to scan and comprehend form. The second is the 'complete' version and is in excruciatingly minute detail.

Make sure your resume list the most recent job or achievement. That's because what really matters to employers is what you're doing now. Most consider early jobs, educational credentials and personal data as ancient history that rightfully belongs to Page Two.

A well-written resume's benchmark is a brief, creative summary of qualification and experiences that is likely to interest prospective employers. And while you're about it, consider condensing your two-page tome into a focussed and tightly-knit one-page self-sales document.

But always remember that all resumes are not appropriate for all occasion. Certain circumstances deem it appropriate to have a longer resume. A resume that shows your in-depth, topical and detailed experience may fare better than an (in comparison) two-three page document. Similarly, professions like medicine and academics usually require more than four-five pages from a candidate and the resume must list all the research papers you have produced. Do take care and carefully consider your background and your future prospects.

But regardless of whether your resume is a single page or has a whole bunch, avoid certain aspects can spell doom for any resume seeker. And take care to avoid being a victim of the 'sameness' factor.

But how to differentiate and distinguish yourself in a market that's overloaded with people whose mission in life equals yours? The answer is 'market appeal'. Try and etch this phrase into your memory. Your resume should be able to most effectively convey a feeling of success. That's the key to tackle competition. However, don't fall victim to visual excesses. Prospective employers are not looking at your page layout skills; unless the position applied for is that of a designer.

However strength of presentation and a clean, crisp layout attracts interest. And compels a reader to keep on reading going. Most employer decisions rest on the first five or six lines, excluding the heading. An effective resume also conveys action orientation. It should give your employer a clear idea as to how you'll benefit his/her company by transferring your experience and relocating the 'value-added benefits'.

It's imperative to support your job objective with every accomplishment and personal trait that the resume mentions. Lack of target can frustrate the entire exercise of job search. And that can be really depressing for all you sensitive souls out there.

Another important point is format. Your circumstance should decide the advantages of chronological and functional formats, or styles. Selection should be based on need and can be easily completed in one or two pages.

Last but not the least, learn to vary your point of view and infuse creativity in the way your mind normally functions. Imagine yourself in someone else's shoes and attempt to think up your experience and describe it in various fashions. This analysis helps to weed out irrelevance and objectify your perspective. Thus there's a reason for inclusion or exclusion of every single information. Once you're able to achieve this, everything falls into place. And voila! Your resume is done.

Amrita Ghosh
[email protected]

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