For limited job opportunities there are no dearth of applications. Most employers might be spending less than a minute to read a resume. So, preparing a resume should be the first priority for job seekers. It is all right to draw attention of your employer but overdoing it will ruin your chance to get or retain your dream job. Draft your resume in such a manner that you are able to get an interview call. Remember, the resume is an advertisement of yourself – but it should be true advertisement. 95% of HR professionals always conduct reference checks on job candidates, and more than half say they sometimes find inconsistencies which they hate a lot. Resume should truly showcase your experience and qualifications in most succinct and relevant way.

To do:

The resume should be short and crisp and should be grammatically correct. There should be no spelling errors. Most importantly, a short covering letter should be prefixed to the resume. It should be able to state why the employee should look at your resume.

Begin the resume by writing your full name, address, telephone number, fax and email id at the top of the resume.

Then write an objective. The objective is a short sentence describing what type of job you hope to obtain.

Focus on your education and other non academic accomplishments like winning an important quiz competition or debate, taking part in regional/national level chess competitions, being a school captain, main organiser of the college festival, etc.

You don't need to list every job you've had for the last 25 years. Stick with the most recent and relevant experiences suitable for the job.

It is all right to slightly modify your job title that sometimes is not recognized by a non-technical person.

The resume should end with references. It should ideally not be more than one page long.

Not to do:

You should avoid putting the following on a resume—a fluffy and rambling ‘objective’ statement, salary expected and a ‘personal’ section, passport details, especially if the company in question is headquartered in India. This is because the information stated in the resume is in variance with the job offer.

Inaccurate dates to cover up job frequent changes of job or gaps in employment and inflated job positions and salaries.

One should also avoid writing things which you are not confident about.

A well presented resume could become a passport to your dream job. Happy Job Haunting!