How to write an effective resume?

Farman Ali Thara

Your Resume is the primary medium of presenting yourself as a candidate for a job to a prospective employer. But many of the job seekers do not give proper attention and care in preparing their CVs accurately. As a result, many potential job seekers do not get calls for job interviews to get the opportunity to present and prove their potential.

When an employer looks at your resume, you’ve got about 30 seconds to make a good impression. That’s the average amount of time most employers spend reading a resume. To capture the reader’s attention, you need to be clear and to-the-point. And, that’s not all. Keep in mind the following guidelines to create an effective resume to crab a good job.

Be concise

Human Resources staff usually don’t wants to read a long and drawn out version of your life because usually they have stack of resumes to read and they usually spend minimum time on reading cv so try to be concise and be relevant and always avoid lies while drafting your CV.

Don’t Forget your Objective:

Before diving into writing your resume, plan out your career objective. Make it clear and focused. Remember to keep the message consistent throughout your resume as you summarize your skills and accentuate your strengths.

Write a Powerful Opening Statement

If you are a recent graduate or have limited experience in your career, you should include a Job Objective statement at the top of your resume, which will help focus the reader’s attention and describe what type of position you are looking for.

If you have experience in your career field, you want a powerful Summary statement that illustrates your best qualifications for the position at the top of the resume. A well-crafted opening statement should convince an employer to keep reading.

Customize It: Focus on Your Benefit to Employers

Describe your experience in a way that relates to the skills the employer is seeking. Focus on highlighting accomplishments that will arouse the interest of employers who read your resume. Answer the question: “How can this candidate fulfill the role and make a positive impact?” If a company is looking for a candidate who has leadership ability, highlight your experience in training new employees or in managing projects. Remember that the goal is to get the interview.

Quantify Your Achievements

You need to give the reader an idea of what you have done throughout your career, but instead of focusing on the duties you were responsible for at your last jobs, list your accomplishments in action-benefit statements along with quantifiable facts to back up your claims. Use numbers, percentages and dollar amounts to show your success in achieving company goals. Instead of writing “Responsible for increasing sales in my territory,” use “Increased sales in my territory 150% over 6 months. Managed 30 accounts increasing revenues from $1.5M to $2M annually.”

Be Professional, Not Personal

You do not have much room in a resume, so why take up valuable space with information unrelated to the position you are seeking? Focus on your work experiences and never refer to personal information such as race, religion, marital status, age, political party, or even personal views. In all but a few instances, it would be illegal for the employer to consider such issues. Also, avoid the use of humor and clichés in resumes and forget about mentioning the fact that you enjoy horror movies and surfing in your spare time.

Personal Traits

If you want to include personal traits in your resume, such as “Dependable, Highly-Organized, Self-Motivated, and Responsible,” rather than just listing these traits, try demonstrating these characteristics using examples from your experience. For example, instead of writing “Dependable,” write “Never missed an important deadline in five years as a project manager.”

Be Honest

Lying or exaggerating about your skills and abilities will only come back to haunt you.

Be Organized and Logical

In addition to reviewing your experience, employers also use the resume to sense whether you are organized, logical, and concise. Make sure your resume is balanced, neat, visually appealing, and flows consistently. Clearly separate sections and emphasize section titles.

Just Communicate

Abandon the use of exorbitant, exquisite vocabulary. In other words, don’t try to impress employers with the depth of your vocabulary. Use words everyone can understand.

Placing Professional Titles

There are several places where it would be appropriate to put your professional title. You can place your title next to your name in the format “Ahmed Abdullah, FCA.” You can include it in your Summary, Education, or Licenses/Certifications sections. If your title is an important qualification in your job search, be sure it appears at the top of your resume.

Including References in Your Resume

You do not have to include references on your resume. Most employers will assume you can provide references if they are requested.

The Best Way to Send a Resume

There are several ways to send your resume to an employer: fax, e-mail, regular mail, and express mail. When deciding which way to send your resume, it is always best to follow the instructions of the employer. If not mentioned in a job advertisement, then ask your potential employer which format they prefer, and then follow their instructions. In other cases, here are some things to consider: The advantage of postal mail is that you can ensure your resume will be seen in its best form, properly formatted and printed on quality paper. The advantage of e-mail and fax is that your resume can be seen immediately, usually the same day.

 Contributor is an HR Professional hailing from Hunza.