Wednesday, 5 June 2013

Good Resume Creation Requires Clarity Over Everything Else

By Michelle Howe


All of us at some stage will have to go through the process of resume creation, when we create a 'curriculum vitae', or CV, of our accomplishments and qualifications. Job hunting is a challenging enough experience without you being handicapped by having a sub-quality CV, so it is important that you get it right. A resume is not simply a list though, it needs to be properly formatted, proofread for spelling and punctuation mistakes, and be in a legible font.

Firstly, always remember that though gaining a job is the ultimate aim of creating a CV, its primary purpose is to secure you an interview. This is why it is best to keep the CV succinct and to the point. Do not make long lists of everything you have done at work, as this is not only boring but also indicates a mind which cannot filter what is important. The list of experience should be short and to the point, with examples of what you have done much more important than listing qualities which you think you possess.

It is a good idea to use bullet points when you are detailing your achievements and past employment details. Not many human resources departments will either want or be able to devote masses of time to reading paragraph upon paragraph of text. It is therefore wise to break up the text into more easily legible chunks, which will also have the effect of making you look like someone who is capable of basic organisation of information too.

Keep the whole document as short as possible too. While all of your personal details and contact information, as well as your education, should be at the front of the CV, the rest needs to be kept as precise and succinct as possible. If you can keep the whole document to only two pages, that makes it much easier for employers to read and to hold onto, as large documents can become easily detached and sections lost.

Proofreading is one of the most important parts of creating a good CV. Spelling and punctuation always give an employer a very good idea of your all-round intellectual abilities, so make sure that everything is correct. Simple mistakes, like not knowing when to use its and when to use it's, can make you look very stupid indeed.

The CV also needs to be formatted in such a way that it is straightforward for the potential employer to read. Use bold text and headings to help clearly delineate which sections of the CV refer to which events and skills in your career. Avoid fancy fonts; the aim of a CV is to get you a job interview, not look nice.

Pictures are also something which you should never include in a CV. You should not have to include images of what you have achieved, unless they are specifically requested as proof of some technical ability. Pictures of yourself are simply irrelevant, and make a CV look childish.

A good CV is clear, succinctly written and well-formatted. It uses a clear font, bullet points and has no pictures included. Always proofread it very carefully before sending it away, and your resume creation process has a much better chance of being successful.




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