One of the most important document of any person in academic sphere is his resume. It is a one pager document which can be a deal breaker. It talks about the person credentials and is a document on which basis the interviewer able to understand the persons profile, his academic qualification, his interest areas, his geographical background and his overall personality. It is the first document which being scanned by the interviewer .As at the first round level the number of aspirants are in large quantity so the resume need to be prepared very meticulously. The resume is a tool with one specific purpose: to win an interview. If it does what the fantasy resume did, it works. If it doesn’t, it isn’t an effective resume.
A great resume doesn’t just tell them what you have done but makes the same assertion that all good ads do: If you buy this product, you will get these specific, direct benefits. It presents you in the best light. It convinces the employer that you have what it takes to be successful in this new position or career.
I am sharing few tips for preparing a potential resumes

 Your carrier objective

Try to present this paragraph in the best possible manner, this paragraph should be such that it able to project a positive and assertive personality. It should reflect your loyalty and long term association, it should be written in a crisp and effective manner, try to keep this paragraph simple and effective. You should try to write on both sides of the table like how you shall be contributing to the organisation and how you will be benefitted from the organisation. Do not use fancy language and hyperbolic words.

Qualitative factors
Any interviewer while selecting a candidate takes deep note of the Qualitative factors beside the academic degree and qualification. You should write in your resume about your aptitude and attitude like team player, problem solver, and leadership quality.Try to showcase all such events where you have represented something like a class prefect. Sports team captain etc. Try to project that you believing in doing things and have a go- getter attitude and have an assertive personality.

Professional Qualification

Present in this the degree or degrees you hold present it in a chronological order starting from recent to past. If you hold multiple degrees try to give focus on the degree which is better describing your role or which is more relevant to the employer.

Academic Qualification

You should present the academic qualification in chronological order starting from recent to past. You should add your specialisation area and put more focus on this area. If you have not score high in your academics then do not show your percentage.

Training
Do mention in your resume the specialised internship or training you have undergone. Try to built a story like what contribution you have made to the organisation while you have undergone your training program .Showcase your project report which you have prepared during training and mention the hard work involved in preparing this project report from scratch and how your project report was unique and useful to the organisation. If you have received any praise from the organisation for your report do mention it in a line or two.
Past experience
Show your past experience in the corporate world if you have any, mention the streams in which you have worked, what unique project or work you have undertaken and how you contributed to the organisation.
Show your Humanistic Face

If you being associated with any NGO or social cause highlight it in your resume or else if you have convince your Board of Directors of your current organisation to get associated with any social cause do mention it.

Be honest:

Although a CV does allow you to omit details which you would prefer the employer not to know about, you should never give inaccurate or misleading information.CVs are not legal documents and you can’t be held liable for anything within, but if a recruiter picks up a suggestion of falsehoods you will be rapidly rejected. An application form which you have signed to confirm that the contents are true is however a legal document and forms part of your contract of employment if you are recruited.

Be concise: 

A CV is an appetiser and should not give the reader indigestion. Don’t feel that you have to list every exam you have ever taken, or every activity you have ever been involved in – consider which are the most relevant and/or impressive. The best CVs tend to be fairly economical with words, selecting the most important information and leaving a little something for the interview: they are an appetiser rather than the main course. Good business communications tend to be short and to the point, focusing on key facts and your CV should to some extent emulate this. The longer and denser your CV is, the harder it is for an employer to comprehend your achievements.

Layout

The resume layout should be simple and impressive. You should not decorate it and try to give a formal look.

Paper

If you are providing a hard copy use A4 size bond papers which need to be bright white not a dull one, if you have a two page resume then stipple on the top left corner. However if you are sending a soft copy always sent a PDF copy rather than a word copy.
Initials
Always put your initials while submitting a resume and also place a date and place.
Address
Always mention your current residential addresses and if you are out station candidate and you are applying for a job in another town or city, it’s better to write open for relocation.
Spelling and Grammar check

Before finalizing the resume put a spelling check and grammar check in the Microsoft word which will help you to make your document flawless.
Photograph
If you are a handsome looking guy or pretty looking girl affix your photograph, this at times play a positive role in your selection process.
Passport
If you have a passport do mention your passport no.

References
Many employers don’t check references at the application stage so unless the vacancy specifically requests referees it’s fine to omit this section completely if you are running short of space or to say “References are available on request.”

Normally two referees are sufficient: one academic (perhaps your tutor or a project supervisor) and one from an employer (perhaps your last part-time or summer job).

Contributed by : Maneesh Srivastava ( Class of 2008, IBS GURGAON )