Modernizing your Resume!

• Now-a-days your resume is a marketing document, not a historical record. This is because employers receive resumes by email and other means by the thousands.

• A reader will take about 6 - 10 seconds to decide whether to dig further into the text. The top portion of the resume must have a "wow" appeal for the reader to then take the effort to read it in detail.

• Add grandeur to the mundane tasks you may have done in the past:

Original: My job requires changing air filters and topping the car with engine oil.

New: I can change air filters and top the engine oil on all kinds of cars including imports, SUV's, and luxury cars.

• Simplify your resume so it can be scanned visually by the reader, faster. For example:

Original: From Nov 1, 2005 - April 15, 2007 Worked for InfoSys

New: Nov 2005 - April 2007 Worked for InfoSys
is shorter and the information is communicated by a visual glance.

• If you have numbers to quantify your accomplishments, show them:

Original: Answer incoming calls and pass on requests to the appropriate person.

New: Answer approximately 50 calls a day, and 70 calls on peak days to pass on requests to the appropriate person.

• Dump the "Objective" paragraph. You are narrowing down your opportunities by putting this "filter" at the top of your resume.
  
  If you feel you must have an Objective section in your resume, be specific. Don't say things like "I want to be part of a big company".

• Don't start every sentence with an "I".

• Photographs are not necessary to secure a job!

• Do not list hobbies.

• Do not use buzz words in sentences. For example "I am a go-getter". Other similar buzz words to avoid are:
  • Go-to person
  • Results-driven
  • Team player
  • Hard worker
  • Detail oriented

• Use correct tense for past jobs. For example, say "Built gadgets" instead of "Building gadgets", "Oversaw" instead of "Oversee". It shows you have updated your resume, even after leaving your last job which probably said things in the present tense.

• Provide a way for the interviewer to contact you easily. If possible, provide your cell phone number. Avoid providing multiple numbers to avoid confusion.

• Unless you are a fresher, or the job does not require higher education, skip the secondary school information. Show your college education, diploma's, and degrees.

• Write in short sentences. Long narratives are very tiresome to read.