Resume plays a very important role in getting you the right job. A good resume gets you easily shortlisted. The effects of a good resume in the beginning of a career is more than ever before.
Yet, many candidates neglect these facts and create a resume that is extremely ineffective and useless. The maximum they would do is spell check the resume for any errors and then send it to the job consultants. But really using spell check, is that just enough for an effective resume? The clear answer is NO!
Importance of Resume Spell Check:
A resume needs to be perfect and this means that you need to make sure that different aspects of a resume need to be presented equally well. Just a spell check is not going to help you achieve this goal. Here we have listed the different aspects that you need to check before you send across a resume to a job portal or a job consultant.
Formatting of a Resume:
The appearance of a resume can matter a lot. If the contents of the resume are not presented in a proper order or flow, then it may not appear appealing. Formatting of a job resume is thus a vital step. You need to align the whole content. You may keep it centre aligned or left aligned as per your convenience.
You also need to justify the text so that they appear to be well organised and presented. If a recruiter has to look at your resume, it must be well organised and appealing. When you prepare the resume on Word, there are several format options. You may choose any of these to give your resume a proper border and a nice look.
Information Included in a Resume:
A resume is the first brief that the recruiter gets about you as a candidate. It is thus vital that a resume creates the right impression on the recruiter. It is vital that you include all the necessary information in the resume like your educational qualification as well as details about institutions from where you got the degree or certificate.
Many candidates make the foolish mistake of including vital information, history and details but forgetting to include contact details. Make sure you have updated the latest address and contact number on the resume. Otherwise, even if the recruiter likes your resume, he may not be able to get back to you.
Type of Presentation Based on the Type of Job:
One significant factor that decides how you present the data on the resume is the type of job you handle. If you are going for a completely technical job, your resume should look thoroughly professional. If you are applying for the job of a content writer, editor or communications manager, make sure there are no grammar errors in the resume. Also make it a point to use strong vocabulary to reflect your strong hold over the English language.
There are creative jobs like that of fashion designer, interior designer or graphic designer. These are individuals who should make sure their creative skills are clearly reflected in the resume they create. Graphic designers may use special designing softwares to make their resume colourful and visually appealing. A resume speaks a lot about the person creating it. Keep this fact in mind. Since your recruiter will judge you based on your resume, always design your resume all by yourself.
Content Included in the Resume:
The resume usually lists out the qualifications and experience of the candidate. It also roughly outlines the skills and abilities about the candidate. However, these are common aspects and do not provide insights into the candidate’s true persona. Hence it is vital that you include points like Career Objective or Career Goal in your resume.
Candidates commonly make the mistake of imitating others while writing their career objective. This is really foolish because the interviewer wants to know what your career objective or career goal is. If they find the same sentence that is used in several other resumes, they may just conveniently neglect your resume.
Instead, if you take your time to think and write what your career objective is, it makes more sense. You may not be perfect but still you are revealing what you think your goal is. If you have written it thoughtfully, even questions in the interview about your career goal will not upset you.
An Effective Cover Letter:
With the modern era of internet, people have started neglecting the cover letter. They think that a cover letter no more matters. This is not true. A cover letter has a great impact on the interviewer even today. It is thus necessary that you include a cover letter with your resume while sending it across to job portals and job consultancies.
A cover letter should be crisp and to the point. It should create the necessary impact in as few words as possible. There should be an effective beginning and a proper end to the cover letter. The matter of the cover letter should be stated in a proper and formal language.
The cover letter should give a brief description of your qualification as well as the job you wish to apply for. You may also mention your core competencies and say why you wish to join the firm. A recruiter should be able to get a brief idea of what is there in your resume by reading your cover letter.
Images Included in an Online Resume:
With the increased use of the internet, the competition among job seekers is much higher on the internet than on the different job consultancies or offline recruiters. It is thus necessary that you spend ample time to design your resume for the different job portals keeping all important aspects in mind.
Apart from having a great resume, you may also have to use the different online networks and channels to market your profile effectively. Use good images for your online resume. It should instantly create a lasting impression on the recruiter.
Check How Your Online Resume Looks on Different Devices:
When you are sending your resume through your email, you usually tend to check the appearance of the resume only on your device. This approach actually lacks proper foresight. You must remember that the recruiter may view your resume through a desktop, laptop, mobile phone or tablet.
The appearance of the resume on each of these devices can be different. If you really want your resume to be shortlisted by the recruiter, you must make a resume that is compatible with all the devices. This is one fact many candidates fail to take into account and thus fail to receive relevant job calls. If you are not well acquainted with the computer and do not know how to create a resume that is compatible with all devices, you may seek the assistance of some SEO agency.
Optimise Your Resume for the Vital Keywords in Case of Online Resume:
If you are hiring an SEO Agency to optimise your resume for job portals and online consultancies then they will surely optimise your resume for the significant keywords. However, if you are planning to do it all by yourself, make sure you target the right keywords. You just need to use your logic to find the ideal keywords. Think of yourself as a recruiter and see what keywords he may use in his search.
The most probable ones are job vacancy, name of the designation, resume, job application and job search. But you must not neglect the less significant possibilities like career prospects, career goal, career objective, core competencies and cover letter. Make sure you use the vital keywords aptly so that your resume is seen by the recruiter. You may even refer different keyword websites to help you with the apt keywords.
Never Lie On Your Resume:
Most candidates are in a hurry to bag the job. In the course of finding the right job, individuals tend to lie on their resume. They may include fake certificates of courses they have never taken. They may add some extra qualifications that they do not actually possess. These tricks may get you to the interview round but it will not take your further. The interviewer is going to verify all the facts that you have mentioned in your resume. If he finds out a lie in your resume, he will simply throw you out. The bad impression created will last forever. He may even convey to others in the same field about your lie worsening your chances of getting a job in your field.
Finally:
A resume is your gateway to a good career. It is a vital step in your career progress. If you neglect your resume or simply use tools like spell check and think that is enough, you are making a big mistake. If you give your resume the importance it deserves, you may get the right job opportunity and your career will be completely set.
