You’re no idiot, of course. You juggle 101 things at home, meet deadlines everyday, and even find time to plan a weekend getaway. But, when it comes to writing & laying out your resume, you feel like you’ve misplaced the blueprints to your career.
This is an extract from the back cover that made me pick up this book from the college library coz I was in a similar dilemma as I am in my final year and about time!
The title of the book is self-explanatory. The COMPLETE IDIOT’S Guide To The Perfect Resume is written by Susan Ireland and Published by Alpha Books. The edition that I picked up is for sale only in Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and SriLanka.
About the Author :> The author, Susan Ireland, is the owner of a consulting firm specializing in helping job seekers keep pace with the job market.
Cost of the book :> Original U.S. Edition - Rs. 719/-
This Indian Reprint - Rs. 150/-
Through this book DISCOVER THE BEST WAY TO... :>
>> Craft a Clear, Concise and Compelling resume
>> Figure out where you are in your career path and Where it’s leading you
>> DETERMINE what your Best Attributes are and how to use them to market yourself
>> Solve resume-related problems such as Career Changes & gaps in your work history
>> Optimize your job search using resume scanning, resume databases and online career searches
Approximately, the book is 300 pages and the contents of the book are divided into 4 parts with18 chapters & Index. It has a detachable Reference Card that should be used as a guide during the entire process of Resume Writing. According to the book, at least 3 Hours is the average length of time to complete a resume if all goes smoothly! Well, now I realize why I didn’t look so good on paper in my last resume a few months back. I had scribbled it at a deccan-queen pace and I had no clue what more I could put in to drag it to a full-page! Yeah, I admit...I had let my creative imagination run wild (read ’’creatively lie’’) to make it look better. Still, I had finished it in less than 5 minutes!
THE FIVE RESUME COMMANDMENTS :>
[I]THOU SHALT NOT WRITE ABOUT YOUR PAST; THOU SHALT WRITE ABOUT
YOUR FUTURE!
Your resume should paint a picture of you at your next job. Without realizing it,
the reader of your resume will be ’’tricked’’ into envisioning you working for him or
her.
[II] THOU SHALT NOT CONFESS
In other words, you don’t have to ’’tell all’’. Stick to what’s relevant and
marketable.
[III] THOU SHALT NOT WRITE JOB DESCRIPTIONS; THOU SHALT WRITE ABOUT
ACHIEVEMENTS
Talk about your experience in terms of your achievements instead of monotonous job descriptions.
[IV] THOU SHALT NOT WRITE ABOUT STUFF YOU DON’T WANT TO DO
AGAIN
Promote only the skills you enjoy using.
[V] THOU SHALT NOT LIE
You can be creative, but always be Honest
There is a TOP TEN CHECKLIST listed in the book for creating a perfect Resume and I’ll be kind enough to mention them here for those of you needing them desperately like me :)
1. Your name appears in the top center or on the upper right-hand side (not in the upper left-hand corner) of the page.
Your resume starts with a brief and clear job objective statement or a strong indication of what position you are seeking.
Everything on your resume supports your job objective.
Achievements, rather than job descriptions, are stressed.
Achievement statements start with action verbs and do not contain vague terms such as ’’responsible for’’
There are no paragraphs anywhere on the resume. Bulleted statements make achievements quick and easy to read.
Statements and sections are prioritized so that the most impressive information comes first. {’’Don’t use the BEST COMES LAST theory here!’’}
Your resume fits on no more than two pages. The exception to the two-page limit applies to resumes (also called as Curriculum Vitae) for the academic and scientific communities.
If you have a two-page resume, ’’Continued’’ appears on the bottom of Page One, and your name and ’’Page Two’’ appear at the top of the Second Page.
There are no misspellings, grammatical errors or other mistakes.
Some important facts I gathered about the possible destiny of a resume and some other features of this book :>
Each resume is given only about 8 sec - (maybe less) - to grab the reader’s attention! ... {ANALYZE THIS!!!}
A jargon I came across and was amused was ’’boilerplate forms’’ which the author uses to describe the not-so-well-written resumes ... {Ouch! That hurt!}
A carefully crafted resume can help a job seeker get through the seemingly impossible task of finding career satisfaction - in other words, a position where you go to work with a smile on your face because you enjoy your job and come home with a Paycheck that supports your lifestyle.
The book is illustrious with examples, graphical signposts/sidebars (like Commandments, Definitions, Tips, Warnings) throughout
The 4 parts & their chapters explain :
$ Why you need a good resume & what it can do for you
$ straightforward, nine-step resume-writing process
$ shows variations on a typical resume, including hybrid resumes, achievement
resumes & curriculum vita
$ teaches about Resume Scanning & using online services for your job search i.e.
electronics resume
What if, despite all the great advice in this book, you get Stuck? :>
Fear Not! Then, Susan Ireland’s DYNAMITE!! RESUME-WRITING SERVICE will come to aid. From anywhere in the United States, you can have your resume written professionally through this service. (For those of you who live in the San Francisco area, you can have your resume written during a one-on-one session.) For a recorded message about DYNAMITE!! RESUMES, call this toll-free number : (888) 296-2200
THE LEAST YOU NEED TO KNOW :>
# Writing a resume is like drawing your personal map
# A good resume opens the door for a job interview
# A strong, well-thought-out resume starts you off on the right foot when negotiating your salary
# Use your resume to establish a valuable job-search network Well, that’s it then!
Hope you found these tips useful irrespective of the fact that you’re to pen your first resume or your 50th! The principles covered above are well worth the price of this book. However, I recommend you to refer this book completely at least once. Best Wishes!