by Komo Seso

Created on: May 07, 2009   Last Updated: May 12, 2009

Applying for jobs online or by mail, the stress involved in preparing a impressive resume is unmeasurable. The intention, such that the application is not redirected to the shredder or marked for deletion, drives us to better format the resume before sending it, though time consuming.

To help in formatting the resume and avoiding certain mistakes, such that it receives a glance leading to actually "reading" the resume for consideration, are as follows,

1) Attach a cover letter:
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1.1) Specific: The cover letter should be specific towards the job that you are applying. This shows to the hiring manager, your interest towards the job position, which is an added advantage. Having a general cover letter, with no inclination towards the applying job does not draw much of the recipient's interest.

1.2) Specify briefly your skills and why you consider yourself a good fit for this position

1.3) Adding a line on how you can be a value-add, builds a curiosity and makes them give a good look at your resume which will be subsequent to cover-letter reading.

1.4) Mention your contact details with full name, a good time to reach you and the mode (either email or phone) to contact you.

1.5) Mentioning your salary requirements, weakness or hobbies in the cover letter is generally not considered as a good idea.

1.6) When in job-search phase, obviously we tend to apply for more jobs and not just one. Care should be taken to send the correct relevant cover letter to the relevant job posting and not mix them up.

1.7) The language used should be simple and formal. This builds the first impression of you with the representative of the organization.

2) Structure the resume:
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2.1) Contact: At the top of the resume (could be on every page too), mention your name and contact details (like phone and email id).

2.2) Page Number: Page numbers displayed, makes it easier for the recruiters to go through the pages sequentially.

2.3) Summary: Summarize about yourself, the overall years of experience, your growth plans (aligning your growth to the growth of the organization), etc.

2.4) Education and Certification: Mention your education and certificates earned in chronological order. Good idea to display your scores.

2.5) Work history: Mention your work history in chronological order. Each work experience should briefly point to the organization you worked, the duration, title and few points about your responsibilities. Simpler, precise and crispier, the better.

2.6) References: It is not a good idea to mention

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