How to make Presentable Resumes

 How to make presentable Resumes

Everyone is familiar with the old saying “First Impression is the best Impression….” When you meet a stranger the first thing that comes to our notice is his looks. Based on the looks we make the first judgment of any person. Only after this other things including what the person communicates is given importance.

Similarly in an interview your first impression is formed based on the resume that you present to the interviewers. A resume is your blue-print of what you are actually.

Your resume acts as your first meeting with the potential employer and like in any meeting; you should ensure that you put best foot forward.

It is quiet shocking to know that many people do not know how to make resumes and how to compile their achievements on paper. If you are one of those please go through the following details to make your resume more presentable and attractive.

Types of resumes that can be made:

There are several basic types of resumes used to apply for job openings. Depending on your personal circumstances, choose a chronological, a functional, combination, or a targeted resume.

1) Chronological Resume:

A chronological resume starts by listing your work history, with the most recent position listed first. Your jobs are listed in reverse chronological order with your current or most recent job, first. Employers typically prefer this type of resume because it's easy to see what jobs you have held and when you have worked at them.

This type of resume works well for job seekers with a strong, solid work history.

2) Functional Resume:

A functional resume focuses on your skills and experience, rather than on your chronological work history. It is used most often by people who are changing careers or who have gaps in their employment history.

3) Combination Resume:

A combination resume lists your skills and experience first. Your employment history is listed next. With this type of resume you can highlight the skills you have that are relevant to the job you are applying for, and also provide the chronological work history that employers prefer.

4) Targeted Resume:

A targeted resume is a resume that is customized so that it specifically highlights the experience and skills you have that are relevant to the job you are applying for. It definitely takes more work to write a targeted resume than to just click to apply with your existing resume. However, it's well worth the effort, especially when applying for jobs that are a perfect match for your qualifications and experience.

5) Mini Resume:

A mini resume contains a brief summary of your career highlights qualifications. It can be used for networking purposes or shared upon request from a prospective employer or reference writer who may want an overview of your accomplishments, rather than a full length resume.

Checklist for making effective resumes:

1) The very first rule of resume making is that it should be short and sweet. Keeping it short helps the employer to screen through it easily and make a decision fast. No one would like to take more than 3 minutes in reading your resume.

2) It should be easy to read. Effective resumes means that it should be well-organized, with clear headings, brief statements of responsibility, and bulleted points for emphasizing achievements.

3) Do not make excessive use of professional jargons in your resume. This would give an impression that you are trying to act smart. So keep it as simple as possible.

4) Do not use different font size and keep the font type to Times New Roman.

5) Keep Line-spacing of 1.5.

5) Before you submit your resume please make sure that you do a spell check. If you don’t then it shows that you are careless in your activity. Give your resumes to be proof-read by your colleagues and friends. One cannot completely rely on automated spell-check.

Goal setting

Goal Setting

Every individual have some or the other goals in their life. These goals may be small or big. Have you ever thought how far you are successful to achieve these goals?  Goal making is not just important but what are the criteria based on which you make the goal and how much you stick to achieve these goals is much more important. Many people fail with their goal achievement, because they hope that simply setting a goal is enough and once you have set a goal, the rest will magically happen without any action or any change.

To quote renowned American philanthropist Elbert Hubbard:

"Many people fail in life, not for lack of ability or brains or even courage, but simply because they have never organized their energies around a goal."

Just having a goal is not important. You should have smart goals. What are SMART goals….? The SMART in smart goals is an acrostic to help people remember the important points that make personal goal setting effective. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound. Every goal that you make should be smart. Let us look each of these terms in detail.

·         Specific: The goals that you make should be specific and not vague. They should be clear. A goal is specific when it give clear answers to questions like when, where, what, who, which and why. When your goal is specific, you know how to proceed and you are clear about what are the challenges that would come in your way to reach the goal. Your goal should not be general. It should be specific, significant and well-defined. For e.g.  if you have a goal of buying a new vehicle then you should be clear what are your requirements in buying the vehicle, why you want to buy the vehicle, what is your budget in buying the vehicle etc.

·         Measurable: The goals that you make should be measurable. When you set a goal see to it that they answer the questions like how much, how many etc. The term stresses the need of concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of the goal. If the goal is not measurable then you may not know how much progress has you made to achieve your goal.

·         Attainable: When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals. There is meaning to keep goals only if it is attainable.

·         Realistic: A goal is realistic if it represents an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. The goal should be within the availability of resources, knowledge and time. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress. In order to check whether the goal is realistic ask a question to yourself that what conditions need to exist to achieve the goal.

·      Time-Bound: Every goal should be time bound and should be achieved in the time limit that you give. If you have a time-frame then the achievement of goal will be easier for you. Set a very clear date of achieving your goal. Only then will you be pressurized and will be motivated to work hard towards its achievement. Also when you keep a time frame it should be neither too long nor too short. This is because if the time is too long then your performance will deteriorate with time as you will lose interest with more time. If the time allotted is too short then you won’t be able to achieve the goal and this would further add to your frustration.  

Dress-Code in an Interview

Dress-Code in an Interview

Are you wondering what you are going to wear in your upcoming interview? There is no need of worrying. Please check out the following things that you need to keep in mind while dressing for an interview.

Some people do not give much importance to dressing before they go to an interview. They think that what matters are the brains and not the looks. It is correct to some extent but the way you present yourself in front of others will show how much you have in your brains. The first impression is the best impression is what is said since ages. And in an interview the first impression is the way you carry yourself or the way you present yourself in front of others.

Dressing for an interview

1) The clothes that you wear should be properly ironed and should be neat and clean.

2) Wear clothes that are comfortable for you. Clothes made of cotton are the best to wear in an interview.

3) Never try new attire in an interview. Always see to it that you wear clothes that you have worn earlier.

4)  Wear dark coloured clothes like navy blue, grey or black. Or White colour is also suitable for an interview. But never wear bright coloured or fluorescent coloured clothes. This gives a flashy look to the interviewer.

5) If you are wearing ties then ensure that it is going with the shirt and trousers that you are wearing. Choose one that strongly contrasts with the colour of your shirt; selecting subtle or simple patterns enhance credibility. Generally silk ties assures best knot.

6) When coordinating colours, remember, leather to leather and metal to metal. Always match the colour of your belt with your shoes and the color of your belt buckle with your watch.

7) Wear jewelry sparingly for your interviews. In some settings, it may detract from your professional appearance.

8) Socks should match in colour to your suit. Black with black, gray with gray, tan with tan. Black socks are acceptable for dark colored suits, though a closer match is more desirable.

9) Be sure your shoes are shined, that the edging is not fading (a magic marker can sometimes work wonders,) and that laces are not broken or frayed.

10) Your hair should be oiled and combed properly. For girls it is essential that they do not leave it lose and ensure to tie them up.

11) The nails should be clean and trimmed.

12) Do not use very strong perfumes or colognes while you go for an interview. It may sometimes turn off the mood of the interviewer which would affect your prospective chance of getting selected.

13) Take your hard copy of resume along with your certificates and other relevant documents in a small folder or light briefcase.

14) Boys should see to it that they do not keep beards and do not have thick moustaches.

15) Girls should see to it that they do not put much makeup when they are going for an interview.

Following these things will make you feel more confident while going for an interview.

Decision Making Skills

All of us at some or the other point of time is supposed to make decisions. On an everyday basis we are supposed to make decisions related to one or the other aspect. From the small decision related to which dress to wear today to a complex decision which company to choose everything involves decision making.

Decision making is an essential leadership skill. If you can learn how to make timely, well-considered decisions, then you can lead your team to well-deserved success. If, however, you make poor decisions, your time as a leader will be brutally short.

Decision making can be hard. Almost any decision involves some conflicts or dissatisfaction. The difficult part is to pick one solution where the positive outcome can outweigh possible losses. Avoiding decisions often seems easier. Yet, making your own decisions and accepting the consequences are the only way to stay in control of your time, your success, and your life. Decision making skills are also a key component of time management skills.

There are seven steps that you can follow to make decisions.

1) Identify a problem or opportunity

The first step is to identify the problem   or see opportunities that may be worthwhile. Before solving the problem you need to make sure that whether the problems are really worth solving or whether they are useless.

2) Gather information

When you have decided that the problem is worth solving and worth considering collect all the relevant information related to the problem.

3)  Analyse the situation

Analyse the problem and find out how much serious the problem is. What are the other interpretations of data that can be analysed through the problems?

4) Develop options.

 Develop different options for your problems. Find out what are the realistic and feasible options that can be considered for the problem.

5) Evaluate alternatives

Evaluate the feasibility, desirability and acceptability of the alternatives. Find out which alternative will be best suitable for the solution.

6) Select a preferred alternative

Find out what are the consequences of taking some decision and also see to it that these decisions do not lead to some other problems rather than solving the problem.

7) Act on the decision.

Once you have selected the alternative implement it and take action. See to it that taking that decision actually solves the problem.