Resume Tips, How To write Good, Proffessional And

Impressive CV
2 Jun, 2007 Study Submitted by: ronak
The CV that wins
A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is the mirror which i!es com"anies com"lete "icture o# the
candidate$ CV is a medium to market your sel#$
%ost "eo"le underestimate the im"ortance o# a CV (resume)$ %any o# us "ut o## writin
our CV until last moment and do an inade&uate 'ob$ (thers #eel that they know it all and
treat the 'ob o# writin a resume #ar too casually$ Actually, you would be well ad!ised to
ensure that both your resume and co!erin letter are so well "re"ared that they stand out
amon a thousand others, not only in content but also in "resentation$ Any com"romises
at this stae and you may not be short listed #or the inter!iew$

CV -Crucial in getting an Interview
)our CV is your #irst communication with the "ers"ecti!e em"loyer$ *t ser!es as "ersonal
ad!ertisement #or you and must there#ore, be orani+ed in such a manner so as to make it
interestin, attracti!e, brie# and in#ormati!e$ ,hether the inter!iew is ranted or not
de"ends to a lare e-tent on the im"ression created by the CV$ *# you wish to be one o#
the #ew to be called #or an inter!iew, you must ensure your CV is distinct #rom the
hundreds o# other CVs o# candidates who may be as e-"erienced or as well &uali#ied as
you$ .oday a ood 20 to /0 "er cent o# candidates et re'ected because they ha!e not
"resented their CVs well$
%oreo!er, your "ers"ecti!e em"loyers do not ha!e the time or the inclination to meet all
the "eo"le who may be interested in an o"enin, that makes it more im"ortant that amon
the other thousands o# CVs, yours must stand out0 not only in contents but also by the
way it is #ormatted$
Essential Information must e mentioned
.here are certain items which must be included in e!ery CV$ (ther items may or may not
be mentioned de"endin on whether they are rele!ant or not$ .he items which must be
included are i!en below:
Personal Information! 1ame, date o# birth, marital status, lanuae known, address,
tele"hone number$
Educational "ac#ground! *nstitutions attended with years, marks obtained,
&uali#ications, achie!ements, com"uter literacy$
Emplo$ment Histor$! 1ame o# orani+ation(s), years, desination(s), res"onsibilities,
achie!ements and trainin "roram attended$ *nclude any "art time or summer
em"loyment i# you do not ha!e any #ull time e-"erience$
%tic# to t&e "asic Rules
Stick to these "ro!en uidelines #or writin a CV:
.he term 23io4data5 is out$ Curriculum Vitae (CV) has re"laced it$
6o not make a mistake o# beinnin your CV with the title 23io4data5 es"ecially i# you
are a""lyin #or the manaerial "osition$
3e#ore writin your CV sit down and think throuh what in#ormation you want to
hihliht$ *nclude your achie!ements, your hobbies and interests, academic
&uali#ications, details o# your work e-"erience (i# any) and your 'ob ob'ecti!es$ 6on7t
write a #inal CV without includin all these$
3ein your CV with a section on "ersonal "articulars$ 8-clude #amily backround$
,rite your date o# birth and not your ae$ *# your CV were to o in a databank, only to be
retrie!ed 2 or / years later, it would be di##icult to make an estimate o# your ae$
)ou must i!e your "hone number e!en i# you do not ha!e your own "hone$ 9i!e a
"hone number o# your #riend or a relati!e who can "ass on a messae to you &uickly$ .his
is !ery essential as many !acancies ha!e to be #illed urently and inter!iews ha!e to be
set u" at a !ery short notice$ Always mention the S.6 code o# your town o# residence i#
a""lyin outside the city and remember to mention country code as well when a""lyin
abroad$
6on7t clutter your CV with irrele!ant in#ormation$ %ention your nationality only when
a""lyin abroad or when s"eci#ically asked to do so$
%ention your #ather7s occu"ation when a""lyin #or a "osition at the entry le!el or a
'unior le!el non4manaement 'ob, or when s"eci#ically asked$
.ry and i!e ma-imum "ossible in#ormation in minimum s"ace$
)ou may include a 'ob ob'ecti!e at the beinnin$ )our ob'ecti!e should be as s"eci#ic as
you can make it or it can be tailor4made to e-actly corres"ond with the re&uirements o#
an ad!ertisement to which you are re"lyin$
%ake sure that the reader is &uickly able to assess your accom"lishments$ *# you ha!e had
work e-"erience, start with your most recent e-"erience and then the e-"eriences that
you ha!e had with the orani+ations you were "re!iously in$ )our most recent e-"erience
will be the one most rele!ant to your new 'ob$ So mention it #irst and your "re!ious
e-"eriences later$
Similarly, start your academic backround with the most recent &uali#ication$
%ake sure that your CV is not loner than two "aes$ *t should, at the same time, not be
so short that your "ros"ecti!e em"loyer does not know anythin about you a#ter oin
throuh it$ *t must be concise and should be in#ormati!e$
Presentation
%ake sure your CV looks ood$ :resentation is o# utmost im"ortance$ )ou must:
(a) A!oid s"ellin mistakes$
(b) ;se ood &uality "a"er$
(c) 6o not send curriculum !itae with s"ellin errors corrected by whitenin #luid or by
hand$
(d) ;se "ro"er marins and s"end time #ormattin it "ro"erly$
(e) Send the "rinted laser out"uts instead o# "hotoco"yin$ *t may cost you more but it
says a lot about you$
6on7t lie e!en i# it is a small lie$ ;sually such lies are about achie!ements, rades and
marks or summer "ro'ects$ .he "ersonnel de"artments in most com"anies do take "ains
in !eri#yin claims$
References
)ou may include re#erences at the end o# your CV$ .hese are names, addresses and "hone
numbers o# two or three "eo"le who could !ouch #or your character, com"etence and
commitment$ *deally, these should be "eo"le who ha!e worked with you, or your collee
"ro#essors$ %any 'ob seekers startin out in their careers #eel that im"ortant "eo"le7s
re#erences will im"ress "ros"ecti!e em"loyers$ 1othin could be #urther #rom the truth$ A
bi name will communicate that you are a name4dro""er who ets by on his #ather7s
contacts rather than achie!ements$ An e-"erienced inter!iewer will be #ar more
im"ressed with the re#erences o# "eo"le who know you "ro#essionally$ *n any case, your
"ros"ecti!e em"loyer will check with re#erees, so make sure you ask your re#erees7
"ermission be#ore "uttin their names in your CV$
;se one or at best not more than two ty"e#aces while "re"arin your CV$ *# you are
lookin #or !isual relie# and hihlihtin then you can use block ca"itals, italics, bold
ty"e, underlinin, !aryin #ont si+es, or any combinations o# these$ Choose a #ont that is
sim"le and easy to read$ 6o not o in #or a #ancy ty"e#ace$ *t will take away leibility o#
your CV$
6on7t lea!e a"s in your CV$ *# you ha!e lost some years between your <2 and
raduation or a#ter your raduation, e-"lain the a"$
%pecial Tips for t&e 'res&er
8!en i# you ha!e a "ro#essional deree #rom a "restiious institution and are lookin #or a
"osition at entry le!el, you need to market yoursel# e##ecti!ely to et a "lum o##er$ *# you
are not #rom a co!eted institution your task becomes that much harder because a number
o# to" recruiters may not e!en !isit your cam"us$
)our basic task is o# communicatin the #act that your skills, school and collee
education work e-"erience, achie!ements, "ro'ects and e-tracurricular acti!ities 4 all add
u" to make you the riht "erson #or the 'ob$
6on7t underestimate the !alue o# your summer 'obs, and your e-tra curricular acti!ities$
.hese are o""ortunities to use skills related to the 'ob$ .hey are o#ten more 'ob related
than the academic &uali#ication itsel#$ .he skills that you can demonstrate throuh any
"ro'ect or e-tracurricular acti!ity include leadershi" skills, an ability to neotiate, "lan
and orani+e$ *n the absence o# any direct orani+ational e-"erience these add real meat
to your CV$ *n other words, they hel" to di##erentiate you #rom the crowd and are o#ten
the most interestin "art in your CV$ 3e sure to include all "ro'ects that you were in either
alone or as a team and anythin =e-tra7 you did$
>et us take a look at some o# these in more detail$
%ummer (os! 1ormally any inter!iew will include &uestions on summer 'obs to test
whether you understand the industry, the orani+ation and area o# rele!ance$ )ou are
e-"ected to be an e-"ert in the area directly related to your trainin$
E)tracurricular activities! .hese usually demonstrate inter"ersonal, communication
orani+ation liaison, coordination and leadershi" skills$ ,ere you elected to !arious
o##ices? 6id you orani+e any collee #esti!al? ,ere you instrumental in orani+in
sym"osia? 6id you contribute to the collee maa+ine? @uite o#ten any "ro'ects or
e-tracurricular acti!ities are the most interestin "art o# you$ *# these are "resented and
de#ined well these acti!ities can be a use#ul marketin de!ice to land you with the riht
'ob, at riht time$
%any com"anies ha!e standardi+ed a""lication #orms on the basis o# which they shortlist
candidates$ .y"ically, the a""lication #orm may be re&uired to be #illed in two or three
methods be#ore the inter!iew and would include a statement o# "ur"ose$ %any a
candidate has sli""ed u" in the inter!iew e!en when all was oin well in the inter!iew$
*t is sim"ly because what he said durin the inter!iew was inconsistent with the
a""lication #orm$ .here#ore, we would recommend that you kee" "hotoco"ies o# all your
com"leted a""lication #orms care#ully, es"ecially o# the statement o# "ur"ose, till the
inter!iew$

.here are many Aesume 3uilder So#twares are a!ailable in the market$ )ou Can use it to
build "ro#essional and *m"ressi!e resume$
)ou can #ound that so#twares at:
htt":BBa""s$kat+$wsBsearchBresume
Personal Interview
:ersonal *nter!iew is ne-t most im"ortant ste" a#ter the 9rou"
6iscussions #or ettin into %3A$ Cere are #ew ways to #ace
"ersonal inter!iew$
D$ S"eak clearly and enthusiastically about your e-"eriences
and skills$ 3e "ro#essional, but don7t be a#raid to let your
"ersonality shine throuh$ 3e yoursel#$ 6on7t be a#raid o#
short "auses$
2$ 3e "ositi!e$ 8m"loyers do not want to hear a litany o#
e-cuses or bad #eelins about a neati!e e-"erience$ *# you
are asked about a low rade, weakness in your backround,
don7t be de#ensi!e$ Eocus instead on the #acts$

/$ 3e "re"ared to market your skills and e-"eriences as they relate to the described$
F$ Aesearch in#ormation about
the institutes be#ore the inter!iew$ %ake sure you know the institute in detail at
least #or three years such as minimum and ma-imum rank , "er#ormance, #aculty
and "lacements made by them$
G$ Arri!e early #or the inter!iew$ :lan to arri!e #or your inter!iew D04DG minutes
be#ore the a""ointed time$ Arri!in too early con#uses the em"loyer and creates
an awkward situation$ 3y the same token, arri!in late creates a bad #irst
im"ression$
H$ Carry a "ort#olio, note"ad or at the !ery least, a manila #ile #older$
7$ 3rin e-tra resumes and a list o# &uestions you need answered$ )ou may re#er to
your list o# &uestions to be sure you7!e athered the in#ormation you need to
make a decision$ 6o not be "reoccu"ied with takin notes durin the inter!iew$
I$ *n many career #ields, the lunch or dinner included durin the inter!iew day
encom"asses not only em"loyer hos"itality, but also a sini#icant "art o# the
inter!iew "rocess$ 3rush u" on your eti&uette and carry your share o# the
con!ersation durin the meal$ (#ten social skills are "art o# the hirin decision$
J$ A#ter the inter!iew, take time to write down the names and titles (check s"ellin)
o# all your inter!iewers, your im"ressions, remainin &uestions and in#ormation
learned$ *# you are inter!iewin reularly, this "rocess will hel" you kee"
em"loyers and circumstances clearly de#ined$
D0$ Eollow u" the inter!iew with a thank4you letter$
*ntroduction
Skills
*m"ortant @uestions
EA@
.i"s
*m"ortant
*n#ormation
9rou" 6iscussion
Skills for MBA Interview
The interviews are getting sophisticated these days. Psychological tests, role plays,
and challenges to one's "quick intelligence" and street smarts are often part of the
package.
1. Prepare and over-prepare.
It is assumed that you don't go in with egg on your tie, spinach in your teeth, or
without a thorough knowledge and position for which you are interviewing. Beyond
that, there's an important principle that will enale you to e much more confident.
It's called, "over!preparing." It goes like this" Plan your strategy!!your answers to all
the possile questions you may e asked or the challenges that may e thrown at
you!!and then practice, practice, practice.
2. Be particularly clear on what you know and what you want to achieve.
If your interview is resume!ased, have the facts of your stated o#ective, education, etc. thoroughly memori$ed
and mentally supported. %s to your o#ective, e clear on what you want, as well as what you don't want.
3. Make sure your responses atch your clais.
If, for e&ample, you've taken e&tra coursework to qualify for a particular position, license, or certification, tie it
into your narrative, e.g., "'hen I took my coursework for my (P%, I learned that ..." Build on your resume, ut
don't refer directly to it, ut do it sutly.
!. Be clear a"out your stren#ths.
)ou're almost certain to e hit with questions pertaining to your strengths and weaknesses. *now your strengths
and emphasi$e those that relate specifically to the position for which you're eing considered.
$. %escri"e your weaknesses as stren#ths.
This is tricky, so let's think aout why the question is asked. The interviewer proaly wants to learn several
things aout you with this question, such as" whether or not you are arrogant, whether you know yourself, and
finally, what you are doing to eliminate your weaknesses. %nswer this question so that you leave a positive
impression in the mind of the interviewer.
&. If you've "een fired( "e forthri#ht a"out it.
+o many people have een laid off through no fault of their own in the past ten years that it's no longer a stigma
to have een fired!!unless it was for #ustifiale cause. %nswer directly, ut without a "charge" in your voice.
). Be clear where you want to #o.
% standard question which has all manner of variations is" "'here do you want to e five years from today," -nly
today, the answers are different. .nless you plan to inherit /ad's company, your answer is apt to e a lot more
general than it might have een a decade ago. 'hy, +ince, the economy and nearly every industry are changing
so fast that specificity with respect to the distant future is e&tremely difficult. +o, instead of responding to the
question with, "I plan to e in a position of senior leadership in this company," you might want to say" "I plan to
ecome qualified in every phase of this industry."
*. +ave clear personal standards.
Today, however, many organi$ations are looking for people who /- have standards regarding their personal and
professional lives, who can articulate them clearly and concisely, and who live y them. In this case, the riefer,
the etter. "I am committed to life!long learning and growth."
,. Interview the interviewer.
The applicant who will take anything offered is unlikely to win any ut the most temporary of positions. %
%3A *nter!iew
Introduction
+kills
Important 0uestions
1%0s
Tips
Important Information
2roup /iscussion
competent interviewer 3there are some4 will respect your efforts to assess the organi$ation and the position in
terms of whether or not it meets )-.5 requirements. %nd you owe it to yourself to have defined efore hand,
what you ideally want and what you are willing to settle for, under certain conditions. 1or e&ample, you might
really want a salary of 678,999 to egin with, ut you'd e willing to take less if the opportunities for growth are
clearly in the picture.
1-. %on't allow yourself to "e "ad#ered.
':%T )-. %5; '-5T:. %nd, your worth is a function of qualification your capaility and willingness to perform
it. In most cases, unless you are very good, you will have to work within limits. 'ithin the limits, what you are
worth is a matter of mutual agreement ased on your own knowledge of your worth and your aility to convince
those interviewing you. +o, to sum it up" *now the range of compensation, make your own realistic
determination of what you're worth, and then e prepared to stand your ground.
You've got the skills, right?
5ead the following answers carefully and adapt them to your particular situation.
Question: Tell me about yourself.
Better Answer. <ast year in school, I played on the asketall and soccer team. It kept me usy, ut I learned
to manage my time. I=m also involved in volunteering with my sister=s 2irl +cout troop. That=s een a great
e&perience in learning how to work as a team with other leaders plus plan activities.
Question: How would your teachers describe you?
Better answer. >y teachers would tell you I work hard to get my assignments in on time and I=m not afraid to
ask for help if I need it. They=d also tell you I try to e friendly to shy kids in my class.
Question: Why should I hire you?
Better answer. I=m a reliale person. I=ll arrive to work on time and do the est I can on the #o. I=ve done
volunteer work, ut now I=d like to gain actual work e&perience. If you hire me, you=ll get someone who isn=t
afraid to learn.
Question: Tell me about a time you had a problem and how you solved it.
Better answer. There was a oy at school that really othered me. :e umped into me and would slam my
locker shut when he walked y. :e=d also say sarcastic things to me. I talked to a teacher aout it and she
offered to e a mediator. +he rought oth of us into her class and asically let me tell the oy I wanted him to
stop eing a ully. I confronted him in a strong way. The situation is much etter now.
Question: What do you like best about school?
Better answer. I especially like working on pro#ects together with my friends. I #ust got done eing in charge of
decorating for our school dance. I organi$ed my friends and we worked together to set up the gym with a
:awaiian theme. I also like participating in school events like sports teams and student government.
/oon MBA Interview 0uestions
Some Commonly Asked Interview Questions
1. 'hy did you decide to enter the field of management -5 what motivated you to
seek a P2P,
2.'hat are your strengths and weaknesses,
3. <ist three of your most important?proudest accomplishments.
!. The person in this position needs to e innovative and proactive. (an you descrie
some things you have done to demonstrate these qualities,
$. :ow would you rate your communication skills and what have you done to improve
them,
%3A *nter!iew
Introduction
+kills
Important 0uestions
1%0s
Tips
Important Information
2roup /iscussion
&. 'hat e&perience do you have dealing with academic scholars,
). 'hy did you choose @ .niversity for your P2P education,
*. Tell us aout yourself. %<+- Tell me aout yourself.
,. 'hy do you think more students are going into pulic services than technical services,
1-. :ow do you work in groups, and what e&perience have you had working in groups,
11. 'hat do you see yourself doing five or ten years from now, -5 'here do you see yourself going from here,
12. Tell us aout your su#ect ackground and aout your coursework.
13. 'hat e&perience have you had using the Internet,
1!. /o you have the skills necessary to create and maintain our ''' home pages,
1$. 'hat do you see as the future of the Internet as a reference tool,
1&. 'hat courses 3college?graduate school4 did you find most satisfying, <east satisfying, 'hy,
1). 'hat would you say you learned from your college?graduate school e&periences that you see eing carried
over to your life today,
1*. /o you plan to continue your education,
1,. 'hat does success mean to you, :ow do you #udge it,
2-. 'ho or what in your life would you say influenced you most with regard to your career o#ectives,
21. 'hat motivates you to put forth your est effort,
22. /escrie a time when you were under pressure to make a decision. /id you react immediately or take time in
deciding what to do,
23. /escrie a prolem person you have had to deal with. 'hat did you say or do,
2!. 'hat important goals have you set in the past, and how successful have you een in working toward their
accomplishment,
2$. /o you do personal planning, If so, what are your goals,
2&. 'hat things give you the greatest satisfaction,
2). :ow would you descrie yourself,
2*. /escrie your most rewarding e&perience.
2,. :ow do you feel aout your aility to write, spell, and communicate, 'hat kind of feedack have you
received aout your writing aility,
3-. /escrie your e&perience in creating documents, proposals, research findings, or any other form of written
copy.
31. /escrie how you schedule your time on an unusually hectic day. 2ive a specific e&ample.
32. 'hat is your philosophy of reference,
33. 'hat are your A 3or 84 favorite reference ooks
'hat specific goals have you estalished for yourself for the ne&t B9 years,
C. 'hat do you really want to do in life,
A. 'hat are the most important rewards you e&pect in your career,
D. 'hat do you consider to e your greatest strengths and weaknesses,
8. :ow do you think a friend or a professor who knows you well would descrie you,
E. :ow has your education prepared you for your career,
7. :ow do you determine or evaluate success,
F. :ow do you feel aout competition,
G. :ow did you rank in your graduation class in high school, 'here will you proaly
rank in college,
B9. 'hy did you select your college or university,
BB. 'hich of your college years was the most difficult, 'hy,
BC. In which e&tracurricular activities have you participated, 'hat have you learned from participation in these
e&tracurricular activities, 'hat did you en#oy the most,
BA. /o you have plans for continued study, 3'hy did you decide to pursue an advanced degree,4
BD. 'hat are your special ailities,
B8. 'hat criteria are you using to evaluate the institute for which you hope to #oin,
BE. /o you en#oy sports as a participant,
B7. 'hat types of ooks have you read,
BF. 'hat have you learned from your mistakes,
BG. Tell me a story.
C9. :ave you ever had any difficulty getting along with fellow students, faculty, or employees,
CB. /o you have an analytical mind,
CC. Is it an effort for you to e tolerant of persons with a ackground and interests different from your own,
CA. /o you have any questions,
123456%76 8 APP6A9A2/6.
>ake sure you know the institutes in detail at least for three years such as min.?ma& rank, performance, faculty
and placements made y them.
1eep 6ye /ontact
>aintaining eye contact with the person you are speaking to is a great communication skill. 'hen you speak to
others, the est way to note if they're listening is if they're maintaining eye contact with you. The same goes
during an interview. If you fail to maintain eye contact with the interviewer when he?she is speaking, or if you
look around the room when you are speaking, the interviewer may get the wrong impression.
%ress forally
If you're not sure what to wear, you cannot go wrong with usiness casual. 'ear lack, dark gray, dark rown, or
%3A *nter!iew
Introduction
+kills
Important 0uestions
1%0s
Tips
Important Information
2roup /iscussion
navy lue pantsH a lue, green, or rown dress shirt 3solid!color, oviously4, a matching tie, and clean, usiness
dress shoes. This a very common dress code in an environment.