Although i am no expert, nor do i belong to the HR or recruiting dept. by any chance, A few days ago, i got an opportunity to filter a few resume and select only those fresher candidates who were good enough for the position. It was only then i got how difficult it might be for a recruiter to set a filter to select only a few candidates out of a bunch of resumes in his/her inbox. Initially since i was myself a beginner i started going through the resumes one by one and later figured it out that i could not really go through all the 100+ resumes i had. What next? There were few things i noted about the people who used to send their resumes. Some of them knew how to sell their resumes while some didn't. Here are some key impressive points i feel that a fresher could include while sending a resume. Please let me know if i get wrong anywhere.
- A catchy subject-line which mentions his most suitable quality for the position.
Some candidates mentioned some certifications, or some course relevant to the position in the subject line or some other outstanding performance of themselves in the subject line this made their resume look different. I didn't even bother to see inside a lot and i shortlisted them for the one quality that they had. They knew how to sell themselves.
- A side headline of the resume mentioning their best skills or skills relevant for the position.
I am not sure if this is a part of a good resume writing etiquettes but i did see that some people did not necessarily update their resume for each company they apply for, All they do is mention a separate side headline to the resume, and in one line either mention their best skills, distinguished quality, or any other skill relevant to the position. But dont do this everywhere!! Surely, if u have mentioned in the Subject-line of the mail any of these things, you don't need to be repeating this on the resume too.
- Skills at the 1st page, next to the basic personal details.
Some resumes looked really boring and i didn't even feel like going to the next page. Reason being, their was unnecessary self description which obviously yields me nothing. While few resumes were to the point and right after looking at the 1st page anyone could make out that the person was suitable for the position. So, if the skills possessed are mentioned on the 1st page a recruiter knows what should he be looking for in the resume.
- Mentioning common skills in a different manner is surely advantageous
Almost all the resumes had the skills section say "C, C++, JAVA". So, how does one differentiates him from others? Why should i hire/shortlist him? I think its better that when a fresher writes his resume he needs to ask himself this question and write it. "C,C++,JAVA" is something the 100 people who have applied for the job with you already know. What different do your know? Answer: I know it better!! Obviously one must mention his/her proficiency in them based on which he could get selected. Besides, presenting this in a different manner could be great as well. e.g listing a link for a JAVA based project.
- Mentioning achievements in academics or co-curricular in college. (Relevant to the position can be a plus)
When a fresher, you don't really have much to mention in your resume in terms of experience. Achievements at school or colleges could really count here. Achievements surely need to be recent. Something you achieved in high school may not really be your interest now. A participation in a Programming competition or any technical activities could really mean a lot. Besides, participating in online communities discussion forums, Technical blogs could also be a plus and would surely make your resume look different.
- Position for Academic qualifications and Marks
A good enough grade/marks/percentage should always be mentioned on the 1st page no doubt. But, when you know your marks could make your resume look bad its wise to hide in a way that it doesn't look too bad. e.g instead of mentioning 48% i would just say 2nd class grade. Does that sound really bad? Next, if the marks are not competitive enough post it to the next page. Let it not be the reason for not being shortlisted if you have good enough skills/qualities.
- Dirty and Negatively catchy fonts and unnecessary bold tags.
May be this should have been the 1st point. A resume that is not wisely made and doesn't look neat isn't something that will get much of an attention in terms of selection, although it may become a matter of example for Dont's of a resume. Wise selection of fonts is surely a must. Some of the resume were seen with Comic Sans and were seriously Comic ones too. When you don't know what to choose, i would recommend a KISS (Keep it short and simple) Times New Roman is fine if you don't want to be too choosy.
- Certifications, images on right place.
I have seen people with certifications add an image of the company which as well looks good and counts for sure. e.g the OCJP certified candidates have the Oracle image on the resume, but make sure you position it correctly. Placing it in some corner of the resume will only make it look bad or dirty. Either have it at the top corner of your resume or have it next to the mentioned certification. Don't make the image look like the only good thing of your resume, cos some people practice making the logo the header or the footer of the resume making it appear on every page of the resume, which i don't think is a good practice. Although this statement of mine may need an expert clarification.
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