What Makes a Resume Tick?

Imagine a situation where you have only thirty seconds to speak about yourself, to advertise your potential and market your skills. Thankfully, it is seldom that we are faced with such a possibility. But our resumes are put to this test every time, with every recruiter.  Most employers can afford no more than a cursory thirty second glance at every resume and only the most dynamic, unique and visually appealing resumes attract a second look.

So how do you ensure that your resume makes the cut among the shortlisted ones? Are there any fixed rules or conventions that you could apply to ensure that your resume puts you in top contention for the job? Unfortunately there is no magic formula that can conjure up the perfect resume. However there are a few time tested guidelines that could help you in your task.

Golden rules to frame an impressive resume

• Focus on employer's expectations: Contrary to what many people believe, resumes should not put the spotlight only on the candidate: Your recruiters are more interested in how you can contribute to the organization, how you can bring in greater profitability and success. Therefore flaunt your skills and successes in such a way that they show quantifiable proof of your achievements. Word your resume keeping in mind the employer’s expectations
• Never compromise on ethics and honesty: In your enthusiasm to outdo the others, you may be a little tempted to exaggerate or embellish facts and stray away from the complete truth. Such tactics always meet with an embarrassing end and put an outright question mark on your credibility, shutting all the doors of opportunity. The best bet is to be completely honest even about any shortcomings or lapses as employers value honesty over everything else
• Research about the organization:  This is one aspect that candidates totally overlook and it becomes most obvious when the same resume is sent to multiple organizations. It is worth going that extra step to read about the goals, vision and the values that the organization stands for and reflect those in your resume. Every company works on an ethos, a set of principles, which if you identify and incorporate in your resume, would be sure to strike a positive chord with the employers and convey that you would fit in well with the ideology of the company
• Give your resume a powerful start: Begin your resume with an objective that is confident and compelling enough to capture the attention of the employers and force them to read on ahead. A smart objective is one that successfully matches your expertise with the vision of the organization, projecting you as the best person for the post.
• Spruce it up: The overall layout, the look of the resume and the content all add up to make an impact. Make sure that it looks simple yet elegant, subtle yet assertive. Sprinkle it with the right action words like ‘lead’, ‘developed’, ‘implemented’, ‘achieved’ as these words emphasize your professional competence

Writing a resume is certainly no less than an art as it requires tact, style and expression. Use the unique guidelines given here to design a resume that will give wings to your aspirations and fuel your dreams towards a bright future.