1. Writing your way into interviews

2. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam  Self Marketing Tool  Personal Ad  Job Skills Showcase  “Value Added” to Future Employer Résumés are a

3. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam The average recruiter will give your resume approximately 10-20 seconds upon initial review!

4. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam Ten steps to creating an effective résumé 1.Choose Target 2.Find out skills, knowledge, experience and training are required for job. 3.Make a list of your 3-5 strongest skills or abilities that make you a strong candidate for your target.

5. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam Ten steps to creating an effective résumé 4. For each of these think of several accomplishments that will illustrate or demonstrate your use of it. (background, action steps, and results) 5. Demonstrate each accomplishment in a simple yet powerful action statement. 6. List jobs held in reverse chronological order.

6. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam Ten steps to creating an effective résumé 7. List education and training relevant to your job target. 8. Select résumé format Chronological or Functional. 9. Arrange your action statement according to format selected. 10. Summarize your key points at top of the résumé.

7. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam Common Résumé Myths zRésumés should tell the exact truth good or bad zRésumés should be only one page long zRésumés need to be written in complete sentences zRésumés can fit all jobs

8. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam Common Résumé Myths zRésumés should only document your job responsibilities and work history zChronological is the Best Format zRésumés should detail every job equally zContent is more important than presentation

9. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam Objective Statements vs. Summary of Qualifications zObjective statements are using too vague or too specific zObjective statements are sometimes too much to read zSummary of Qualifications that are bulleted are usually easier to read zSummary of Qualifications speak straight to the point zMost HR and Hiring Managers prefer a Summary above Objectives

10. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam Summary Statements  Summary statements give you the opportunity to highlight a few of your most important or relevant characteristics.  Summary statements focus on your skills. You will want to change your statements to address each job description.

11. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam Types of Resumes sChronological-The most widely used style of resume. It presents information on educational and professional experience in reverse chronological order. sFunctional/Skill-Stresses skills and abilities rather than dates and times of past experience and education..

12. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam Resume Layout  Try to have one-inch margins on all sides. You want to create the visual impression that there is not too much reading to be done.  Font size should be 10-14 pt.! Anything less will give the reader eyestrain.  Printing needs to be laser quality.

13. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam Electronic Resume Scanning  Avoid italics, underlining, shadows, and reverse type.  Avoid vertical and horizontal lines, graphics, and boxes.  Avoid 2 column formats.  Font size should be 10- 14 points.  CENTER your name and address.  Use standard fonts such as Helvetica, Future, Optima, Times, Univers.  Use white or ivory paper.  Multiple pages are okay.  Use key words, jargon and acronyms specific to your industry.

14. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam The Anatomy of a Résumé

15. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam Heading Should include: zName zAddress – If you have a permanent and local, put both. zPhone number – it’s okay to use your cell phone number. zEmail Address – be careful of trendy email address names such as “hotstuff@hotmail.com.”

16. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam Education  List institutions attended in reverse chronological order.  DO NOT INCLUDE HIGH SCHOOL.  List marks if better, can be in major or overall.  Additional information such as relevant coursework may be included if it is reflective of a specialization or is particularly relevant to the position you are pursuing.

17. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam Experience  List work history in reverse chronological order.  Descriptive statements displaying skills, abilities, and professional accomplishments should be listed for each employment listing.  Begin descriptive statements with an action verb.  DO NOT INCLUDE reasons for leaving, past salaries, complete address or phone number for employer, or past supervisor’s name.  Internships and non-paid employment can be listed in this section. It is not necessary to note if they were unpaid.

18. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam Additional Sections  Information that is not appropriate for other sections of the resume, but is of relevance to your pursuits should be included under an additional heading. Potential headings include:  Honors and Activities  Computer Skills  Accomplishments  Professional Memberships  Projects  Skills or Summary of Skills

19. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam Resume Do’s zUse a direct, active writing style. Make your statements short. Avoid the use of “I”; begin sentences or phrases with action words. zExpect to do several revisions. A top-notch resume is rarely written the first time. zKeep the resume to one or two pages. zEmployers do not have the time, nor the patience, y to read a lengthy document. Make it easy for them to keep reading yours.

20. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam Resume Do’s continued zMake it visually appealing. Use lots of white space and wide margins, which make it easy to scan. zUse the present tense to describe your current job. All previous positions should be described in past tense. zSupport all activities and accomplishments with results and benefits. zSummarize employment by briefly describing your functions.

21. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam Resume Do’s continued zPick a resume format and be consistent. zUse positive language in describing your accomplishments. zUse short phrases rather than complete sentences. If you can say something in three words, don't use 10. zKeep the reader of your resume in mind. Ask yourself, “If I were the employer, would I interview this person?" Unless the answer is an unqualified “YES,” you still have some work to do.

22. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam Continued… zUse words and phrases appropriate to your employer/industry. zLay out your resume so that a job description or a sentence on the first page doesn't run over to the second. zUse capital letters, dashes, bolding or bullets for emphasis. Use these symbols sparingly, or they lose their effect. zProofread your resume for correct spelling, punctuation, and grammatical and typographical errors. Have your resume critiqued by several professionals.

23. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam Resume Don'ts zAvoid using abbreviations. Use professional or technical jargon only if it is relevant to the position you seek. zDon’t use odd-sized paper, overly fancy stock, color, style, or anything considered eccentric. Use a good white, cream, or light gray A4 paper zLeave the photo of yourself off the resume. zYou don't need to list references. Reserve them for the interview. zLeave off personal data: caste, father’s name, number of children etc

24. 26 July 007Pradeep Yuvaraj | Karpagam Your Resume should be: 4Concise. 4Focused. 4Easy to read and find information. 4Error-free. 4Powerful