A job well begun is a job half done. Preparing an effective CV is the first step towards securing a new job, hence if one does a good job while preparing it, the rest becomes less cumbersome. This section has so many good reviews on writing a good CV, hence I will not waste my time and yours repeating the same commandments, but would like to present an employer’s point of view as he goes through a pile of resumes for that "most wanted" position in his company. I would like to put the reader in the employer’s shoes to critically examine his CV, so that he presents himself in the most appropriate manner.
So here it begins:
Step 1: The employer decides to create an openning( a job position) in a team for a person who needs to perform a set of duties / responsibilities consistently. To do that he would need to possess some specialised skill set and a certain degree of prior exposure(or maybe not). So he creates a position primarily with the following:
A certain skill set(Technology / process / tools) to perform the role.
A set of qualifications(Educational / Vocational/ Professional).
A degree of exposure to similar job / process / tools.
Some specifics like age group, communication skills, ability to work during unholy hours, expected compensation range etc.
Step 2: The employer advertises the position through one or more the the possible media and prospective candidates get to know. Hence you should read the job description carefully so that you present facts(if you can) relevant to the job needs.
Step 3: The employer(or his representative) gets hit by 100s or 1000s of resumes in a Tsunami like fashion. Remember, the person who has to shortlist resumes never has enough time in hand(1-2 minutes per resume max), plus he would he upset by the sudden surge of emails in his mailbox with everyone claiming to be a James Bond or a Superman. Shortlisting would always be done based on parameters mentioned under #1. above. Hence your resume should communicate all this within the first 1-2 minutes to the reviewer.
Step 4: Employers have different shortlisting strategies. Some prefer to shortlist a set number, say 50, out of as many resumes that come their way for a job posting(till the last date). Some prefer to look at a set percentage, say 10%, of all that come by. There are others that can use a combination(e.g.lesser of both types). And there may be still weird ways that the writer has yet to witness. The bottom line is that a small percentage of all resumes make it to the interview table.
So how do you make your CV stand a fair chance? So how should you present facts? Still interested.read on.
Rule no 1: Be honest. Why you should be so is out of the scope of this review. Those who agree can read on, rest can aviod as what I write ahead will not make sense either.
Rule no 2: Be clear: Do not use words like "somewhat", "more or less", "nearly", "almost" etc. These are vague expressions and the reader can understand what he wants to NOT what you want him to.
Rule no 3. Present the most relevant facts at the beginning. For example, whether you have travelled to Timbuctoo earlier or not may not interest a reviewer when he is looking for a Business Analyst with good domain understanding of Insurance and goog communication skills.Makes sense? Your primary skill set, tools used and relevant experience are the normally important facts.
Rule no 4. There should ideally be no’Page 3’. No one bothers to read beyond the first or at most the second page of your resume. Good or Bad, that’s a fact. So if you have hidden treasures on page 3 onwards, chances are that they would remain hidden for eternity.
Rule no 5. Have a short but clear career objective. Aviod objectives like "I would like to make the world a better place to live in with most optimum use of cutting edge technologies in a professionally managed organisation that provides me opportunities to take their vision to the next level". Could you follow it? Me neither, just cooked up anything. I have read scores of them in reality that can put this one to shame.
Rule no 6. Do not mention irrelevant facts. An experienced candidate need not mention his Std 10th and 12th marks and the trophies that he earned in school, unless specifically asked for. Freshers may still need to keep them there. Do not mention your passport status / number unless asked for. Believe me, this might be the sole point of rejection where the need to the job does not include overseas travel(and obviously your superior need shows up where it should not).
Rule no 7. Keep your CV up-to-date. That esentially means that don’t send a CV that was last updated on 23/01/2007 to a prospective employer on 24/05/2007. Chances are that your latest experience may go unnoticed. Hence do proof read your CV before pressing the "send" button. Remember, there is no "undo" in real life.
Rule no 8. Read rule no 1.
Disclaimer: I have tried to be as generic as possible, but since I am an IT guy and have interviwed only IT positions, there can be a bias in favour of IT organisations and CVs. It is advisable for people of other professions to analyse the same from their perspective before running after my life!