Tips for CV Writing

  • Keep it relevant to the job you are applying to, employers will not  skim your CV looking for significant information. If the information they need is not immediately apparent, they will not look for it.
  • If you want your CV to be most effective, you should tailor it to the job and organisation you are applying to. You will get lots of information on company websites, company literature, job adverts etc. about the 'type' of person working in the organisation and be able to adapt your CV to match this.
  • Your CV should be a story of what you have been doing in your work life, keep it interesting, you don't want employers to think that you have done nothing exciting!
  • Don't include things that you did at school, or years ago. Employers are interested in what you are doing now.
  • Make sure that there are no spelling, grammatical or formatting errors - get as many people as you can find to proof-read your CV.
  • Do not include contentious information, or information that will lead people to stereotype you.
  • Do not have unexplained gaps in your work history. If you have been travelling, have had time off to care for a child or relative, put this information in. If you leave it blank, the employer will assume the worst!
  • Keep it as short as you can - preferably to two sides of A4 paper (make sure the paper is good quality)

Outside Resume

Resume Format

Always have a .doc (Microsoft Word) format and .txt format of your resume with you. When you are filling your resume in websites, you need the text format and when you are sending resume through mail, it's better to send the .doc format. Few companies may ask specifically for .rtf format. In such case, you don't have an option anyway.

Resume Size

Try to see to it that the .doc resume file size is less than 100 KB.

Resume File Name

Don't give some junk names as file name for the resume. If you keep use junk names, there is every possibility that your mail will travel to bulk/trash folder of recruiter. Your resume's file name should ideally denote your name, experience, technology, years of experience and company name. Keep some valid name for your resume.
Example: Resume_Radha_J2EE_3 Years_Tecnopark.doc
Example: Resume_radha_FRESHER_B.E._Computers.doc

Exclusive Mail IDs

Use only one (or maximum of 2) mail Ids exclusively for the purpose of recruitments. Do NOT use those mail Ids for any other purpose (Especially you should not use it for subscribing to any GROUP mails or FORWARD mails).

Standard Mail Service Providers

You must be careful about the service providers in which you open a mail account. Don't use the mail Ids/accounts from non-standard service providers. If they disconnect services suddenly, your mail ID fails and you need to resend resumes with new mail Id to all the companies you have already applied. So, always try to create mail Ids with standard service providers.

Choose both mail Ids from different mail service providers. In case, if one service provider experiences technical problems, you can use the other service provider.

Mail Space

Always see to it that at least 50 % of your mailbox size is free. Delete unnecessary mails periodically.

Send from same mail ID

While sending the resume, preferably send it from the mail ID you have mentioned in your resume.

Always keep a copy

While sending the resume, always keep a CC/BCC to your mail ID (or at least keep your sent items ON) so that you will know whether the resume is attached properly and/or whether it's travelling to bulk mail folder.

Subject Line

If the company mentions that a specific 'Job Code' has to be written in Subject Line, write that. If nothing specific, then give a proper subject line for your mail.

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