5 Tips to writing a Great Resume

Are you of the opinion that a resume is a summary of your achievements, or a summary of your past doing or even of where you aim to be in the future? Well, you are not completely wrong, but there's more to. A lot more to it!

Did you know that is most big conglomerates, a resume is reviewed first not by the hiring manager or even HR executive - it is in fact reviewed by an Application tracking system software that finds key words in your resume that matches the job description. It then becomes imperative to consider - does your resume have the necessary keywords to get filtered by the software, before it reaches the hiring manager or HR executive?

After vetting close to 10,000 resumes over the last 7 years & being an Interviewer at a European business School, I am sharing my Top 5 tips to building a great, job ready & state-of-the-art resume.

TIP 1: Keep it ONE PAGE only!

On average, a recruiter spends only 6 seconds reviewing a single resume! But how do you fit a plethora of your talent and achievements into a single page? Well, its simple! You only talk about the best & relevant ones. One-page resumes offer maximum clarity, stand out and are always recommended for candidates regardless of your work experience. If Elon Musk can do it, why can’t you?

TIP 2: Your Resume is Marketing Document

In a professional world where your resume becomes your identity, your first impression is also your last. Instead of summarizing your previous work, quantify them with numbers & showcase how you added value to the organizations you have worked for. Any grammatical error is looked upon negatively & might be a game changer.

Remember, to use the resume to Sell it, not tell it.

TIP 3: Use of Action Words

Let us take the example of the following statements: 'Helping sales team' vs 'Furthered organization's sales objectives by 20%'. Even though they essentially mean the same thing, the manner in which the statement is presented in the resume, creates a different impression in the mind of the recruiter. Use of strong action words/verbs show how you added value to your job and organization which is sought after trait in all potential candidates. At the end of my resume workshop, I will share a list of key action words that would help you write robust resume.

TIP 4: One Size does not Fit All

One of the biggest mistakes candidates or job seekers make is to apply (blindly) for numerous jobs with the same Resume. It is very similar to shooting an arrow in the dark. It is imperative for you to tailor your resume to ensure that every line of the job description is fulfilled in your previous jobs, internships, education degrees, projects, certificates or even skills & hobbies. When I interviewed for my Sales Manager role, I did not mention my Diploma certificate in Brand Management but I mentioned my A-grade in Sales Management Subject in my MBA. But for my next role of an Associate Director/Country Manager, I mentioned my Brand Management Diploma. Ps - I managed to crack both processes to get the job.

TIP 5: Importance of Certifications

Is your undergraduate degree enough for you to land a 21st Century job? The answer, more often than not, is negative. Even today, in most Indian colleges/universities, a marketing text book or class still discuss the features of offline media or adding value & brand positioning for a soap, shampoo or a biscuit. While the knowledge of that is crucial, most marketing job openings are in a Digital field. Most roles today have become more fluid, and cannot be fit into a traditional structure, like that for most Indian undergraduate classes. The best way to learn about & be up-to-date with what is happening in your field of work or area of expertise is to enroll in an online certification course. Certifications give the recruiter confidence that the candidate is willing to learn & makes good of his/her time. Certifications give a sense of comfort to the recruiter that the candidate is inquisitive, willing to learn & he/she makes good of the time at hand.

I will be sharing these insights in depth & a lot more secret tips, sample resumes in my FREE Resume Building workshop on Friday, 9th October, 2020. Click here to register!