Resume Preparation

Dos and Donts

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

2014

Ensure the Resume adheres to the

following
Your resume is a summary of professional skills, experience and education.
Should be a maximum of 2 pages.
Ensure that the contents are organized and key information is mentioned on
the first page. Every inch of space is valuable.
Ensure that the Information matches the prospective employers needs. Tailor
the resume as required.
Have consistent formatting
Use white space not too much, not too little
Use fonts consistently. Use conventional fonts (Time Roman, Arial). Font size of 10 points or
12 points
Keep it simplestick to text only, black and white, no images

Ensure that Name is used as the heading

The email id (professional) & contact number are mentioned on top of page 1
Have a professional email id
Get your resume reviewed By yourself, friends, seniors, relatives

Ensure that your Resume does not

have the following issues
Should not be more than 2 pages
Do not state the obvious in the headline - RESUME
Should not have errors like
Spelling, Grammar errors
Incorrect Punctuation
Incorrect or non-standard Acronyms

Do not have your postal address on 1st page. Have it on 2nd page.
Do not have a funky email id
Minimize use of bold highlighting, underlining. Avoid unusual effects such as
shadows and reverse typeset.
Do not have Hobbies, Extra-curricular activities etc on Page 1, unless it is
relevant to the job being applied for
Do not mention Weaknesses in standard resume
Do not have Fathers occupation, Passport number etc.

Major Contents of Resume

Name and contact details (Include single phone number and email address)
Objective or Executive Summary
Ensure that the Career Objective is specific to your aspirations, and not just flowery

language.
It should not be too narrow or too vague.
An executive summary explain who you are and what you're looking for.

Education
Ensure that your education has current degree at the top, and remaining in reverse

chronological order
Mention Name of Degree, Specialization, Name of College, Name of University, Location,
Marks/Grade

Employment History (if any)

Begin on Page 1, in reverse chronological order

Include dates, location, duration, responsibilities
Write all job descriptions in using action verbs
Emphasize key accomplishments
List the most important responsibilities or successes first.
Use keywords that draw attention
Highlight when sector is similar to the one you are applying

Major Contents of Resume - Contd

Current Course Contents
Areas of interest that are relevant to the job you are applying for
Highlight summer project, Internship
Highlight projects done as part of coursework
Mention papers, seminars, workshops etc
Technical Skills
Do not mention rudimentary computer skills like MS-Office, Windows-7
Mention any domain specific software that you have used like Matlab, SAP, SAAS etc
Mention any relevant external training attended
Mention any Certifications achieved
Achievements and Awards
Separate the sections dealing with extracurricular activities and those with academics
List significant achievements first
Strengths
List strengths specific and relevant to the job
Avoid listing weaknesses
Personal Details
Languages known, Date of Birth, full postal address, email address etc

Finally
Ensure that the resume conveys what you intended
Rewrite the resume at least a couple of times to get it right
Self-review and Peer-review the resume
Review the resume before each interview, to ensure that it is

updated and that it is relevant

If resume is being sent electronically, send PDF format, and
ensure that it is free of virus