What is a Resume?
A résumé is a compilation of work experience, qualification, accomplishments and credentials typically arranged in a chronological sequence. It is a document that is sent across to prospective employers, to allow them to assess the viability of your application, for the desired position, in their organization. Seems pretty straight forward, doesn’t it? All you gotta do is- write about your skills & education, move on to the first job you took and trace it up to your current profile, highlight some strengths, top it up with a career headline or objective and you are good to go! Only if life was so simple. Well, no matter how simple it sounds, it’s actually far from being simple, at the least!
Résumé: An insight
A résumé should be much more than a subtle narcissistic retelling of your life.
- It should give your prospective employer an insight into the type of person they are considering to be a part of their team.
- The professional and personal strengths and respective skills used in a given role.
- The achievements, with honest contributions made and challenges faced.
- The learnings over the years and your ambitions for the future.
A résumé or curriculum vitae has been the sole document for job applications around the world for decades now. The word curriculum vitae is derived from early 20th century Latin and it means “the course of life”. Not just education and professional journey; LIFE.
Good résumé vs. Bad résumé
Good or bad is always a matter of perspective but there are some elements that are better avoided while writing a résumé and you may want to follow these 10 commandments:
- Thou shalt not do typos or grammatical mistakes.
- Thou shalt not provide contact information that is incorrect or not updated.
- Thou shalt avoid using too many fonts.
- Thou shalt not lie.
- Thou shalt avoid writing vague statements.
- Thou shalt be specific in the details provided.
- Thou shalt not make thy CV a mere chronological listing of events.
- Thou shalt resist all urges to write essays / slogans in thy CV.
- Thou shalt keep the information crisp using action words like ‘Resolved’, ‘Analyzed’, etc.
- Thou shalt not follow a template approach to writing thy CV.
Sounds like a lot to do, doesn’t it?
Writing a CV is a skill that needs to be developed. Being able to highlight the strengths of your professional profile and the knowledge/ skills that you bring to the table can give you the platform to breeze through the interview and get the coveted job.
Do you need an expert to write your CV?
Recently, Jeff Weiner, CEO – LinkedIn, shared an article by Kylan Nieh, talking about the features of the Résumé Assistant Application by LinkedIn and Microsoft. While talking about ways in which professionals can make the best out of it, Kylan stresses on the fact that “having an expert who’s familiar with the intricacies of writing a résumé can be a great way to help you get the creativity flowing.”
An expert in résumé writing understands the importance of your CV and has the skills to help you ask the right questions to yourself before writing the résumé. If you know yourself well, then writing your CV can be easier but channelizing the information optimally while marrying it to your core objectives, is absolutely essential too.
At Change Ur Story, we believe that every professional has a unique set of skills and experience, which needs to be highlighted in a structured manner. Our resume writing services have been designed based on years of experience of making professionals see themselves with the eyes of their prospective employers. Drop us a line and we will be glad to be of assistance.
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