Your resumé is the first interface between you and a prospective employer. An impressive resumé is half the job done.
It ensures that you get one foot in the door; the remaining task is how you handle the interview.

There’s generally a lot of confusion regarding how a resumé should look, what points it should highlight, how many pages it should run into, and what information can be eschewed.

Fact is, your resumé should provide an idea of your job profile, experience, skills and achievements in your career. It shouldn’t be a printed soliloquy of the trials and triumphs in the life of your career.

It should be concise yet descriptive, and relevant without rambling. Here are some pointers for designing a perfect resumé.

WEEDIN’ OUT
Human resource (HR) managers are usually submerged under multiple resume submissions and are confronted with the unenviable task of hoeing the good from the bad. Even if yours is an exclusive or monopolistic position, you need to capture your employer’s interest.

V Sriganesh, Senior General Manager at Datamatics Staffing Services and Resume Expert at monsterindia.com says, “An ideal resumé should not exceed two pages - two-and-a-half at the max. The typical corporate employer will usually lose interest if it’s a long and convoluted CV.”

Create a stellar resumé that survives the preliminary weeding-out test. Ask yourself the following questions: Can an employer see my main credentials within 10 to 15 seconds? Do irrelevant details overshadow critical information? Do I effectively sell myself on the top quarter of the first page? If you’re not able to answer these questions on your own, get someone else to do it.

PROP UP YOUR SKILLS
If your MBA or post-graduate degrees are important to your career field, keep them visible early on in the CV. The HR manager shouldn’t have to dig for your academic details.

V Sriganesh says, “Cover educational qualifications, work history in reverse chronology, mention responsibilities handled, significant career achievements, core competencies, skill sets and personal attributes.

Avoid listing intrinsic details of job responsibilities and key result areas for two reasons: They clutter your resumé and leave no room for the interviewer to probe further at the interview stage as everything is already listed.”

REVAMP YOUR RESUMÉ
It’s not necessary to mention your extra-curricular interests in your resumé. Mentioning that you’re an inveterate booklover or award-winning chess player may not serve any purpose, besides taking up space - unless these facts matter in your job profile.

Stating obsolete technical or business skills doesn’t add value to your resumé either. Sriganesh outlines some broad guidelines to keep in mind, “Gender and nationality need not be mentioned. Mention marital status if you’re applying for an overseas position where the employer would have to incur the cost for accommodation.

Age and date of birth are mandatory in India, as a prospective employer would use this information to track how fast or slow your career growth has been and also for reasons of fitment (fitment refers to suitability of the candidate for a particular slot, keeping in mind the age of her superiors, subordinates and peers as well as the average age in the company).

References are compulsory in India. Have two references, preferably from your ex-bosses or senior level people you have worked with recently.”

REMOVE OLD EXPERIENCES
If you have a long career history, spotlight the previous 10 to 15 years. If your early career is vital to your current goal, then mention it very briefly; don’t chronicle minute details.

Employers are most interested in what you did recently; they want to see how you’ve upgraded your skills and experience over the years. Also avoid repeating information; this usually happens when the duties in all your jobs were more or less the same.

If you’re faced with such a situation, don’t list the job profile; instead, mention your accomplishments in each job.

Sriganesh advises, “Avoid over-committing or exaggerating in a resumé and take credit for what you have done individually, not what was achieved as a part of a team. Lastly, never state untruths in a resumé.”

THE WRITE ANGLE
While writing your resumé, steer clear of personal pronouns and articles. Avoid redundant words such as ‘job includes’ or ‘responsible for’. The reader is usually aware that you were responsible for the tasks mentioned in your resumé.

Use bullet points liberally. After structuring your resume, use an editor’s eye to tidy it up. Ensure that the font is readable, the typeface is clear, and the resumé is free from typographic errors and imperfect grammar.

AT A GLANCE
* Highlight academics only if they’re relevant
* There’s no need to mention facts like you won the recitation contest in Kinder Garten
* Don’t clutter your resumé with your life story, leave some room for questions at the interview.
* Spotlight recent career achievements instead of job profiles.
* Take credit for what you’ve done individually, not what was achieved as part of a team.