Jane Sumerset asked:

In the corporate world of the modern era it is vital to have the idea of writing a resume because it is the means which helps a prospective employer to select an employee for his organization or institution. In other words the resume or the curriculum vitae is the source of presenting your personal and professional details which will act as a tool for marketing you to the employer. These details should be put forward in such a manner that it will draw the attention of the employer and open the doors for an interview with the prospective employer.

Method of Writing a Resume

Writing a resume is an art which requires the proper skill and the knowledge of setting the entire data in an order which will help the employer to get the required information within the first few lines of the resume. The formatting of the resume can be done either chronologically or in the reverse order that is first you put the details about your objectives and achievements and then the other qualifications.

It is desirable that the relevant information about the achievements in connection to the position for which you want to apply should always be given in the forefront. This will help the employer to shortlist you for the interview. The formatting of the resume should be attractive and flawless. The layout of the resume is the attention catcher so it should start with proper header consisting of the personal and contact details. The other details should be put under the sub-headings. If you lack the resume writing skills needed, a resume writing software may fill the gap.

roxygrl141485 asked:


What should I say in the objectvie section of my Resume? I am not sure how to structure it. I am a communications major and am graduating in May. I am looking for a job in the communications field? Anyone have any suggestions?

There is a lot riding on having that perfect resume and that perfect cover letter. It could mean the difference that perfect job or a mediocre job that you aren’t really that happy at. It’s no wonder that the pressure of writing a good resume and cover letter is a little intimating to job hunters everywhere. Millions of job hunters turn to books promising to provide them with the tools to write that perfect resume. People spend hundreds of dollars on computer software that is guaranteed to produce a resume and cover letter that will get them hired to the job of their choice. For those who don’t’ want to spend money there is a whole network of free samples and articles right at their fingertips every time they log into the internet. Some people actually become obsessed with finding the perfect sample of what their resume and cover letter should be like.

While these job hunters are headed in the right direction, something that needs to be kept in mind is it’s a strong and personalized cover letter that will get them that interview. As great as these samples might sound, people should not be tempted to pass them off as their own cover letters. Each cover letter needs to be customized to the position and the company they are applying for.

A resume can be a little easier to write than a cover letter. Essentially a resume is a history of your work experience. It’s not uncommon to have only one resume on file instead of multiple ones, because let’s face it there is only so many ways you can list your experience. You can use the same resume to apply to company ABC and company XYZ. A good resume simply shows employers that you have the skills and experience that meet their criteria. The key to a good resume is to let your abilities and skills shine through.

However it’s not advisable to use the exact same cover letter for both companies because as we all know, no two jobs are alike. In fact no two companies are alike. Each company comes with its own sets of needs and you cover letter needs to state how you meet their specific needs. Why you might be a perfect match for one company might not hold true to another. Because of this it’s unadvisable to use a sample cover letter that you might find online.

That’s not to say using these examples you find as a guideline or even “tweaking” the samples to make it fit YOUR skills, YOUR personality, and show that YOU understand what the company is looking for is a bad idea. In fact these types of resumes and cover letters are very specific and could help demonstrate that you fully understand the company’s needs. Even more importantly they could help you get across the point that you are a perfect match for them.

There are many avenues for you to pursue while looking for a resume and cover letter. As was mentioned before, you can always hire someone to help you write your resume and cover letter. Or even better they will write your resume and cover letter for you. This is a costly service though and not one that I would recommend. You don’t really know these people, you only spend a small amount of time with them so why trust them with the most important tools you need for a job.

An easier less expensive route is to check out your local book store. There is usually a whole section dedicated to books geared toward people looking for help writing that perfect resume. While these books will offer samples, they also arm you with the knowledge you need to write a good resume and cover letter yourself. To me this is the greatest advantage with a how to book, it educates you. You can’t put on price on that sort of education.

Lastly, the easiest way to look for resume and cover letter samples is your computer. Walk into any computer software shop and you will find a variety of programs that will help you with your resume. It’s almost like having a professional resume maker but without the expensive cost. These programs guide you step by step through the process. If you really don’t want spend the money on software, don’t worry. There are plenty of sites dedicated to helping you write that perfect resume. Most of the time they will cost you either a small subscription fee or nothing at all. The only downside to this is that sometimes they don’t go into as much detail as say a book would. They are not always as organized as a book would be either.

As long as you are looking for resume and cover letters samples to assist you in your job search, which can only benefit you. However looking for them to copy and pass off on your own could mean sudden death in the job hunt.



By: Mario Churchill

About the Author:

Resume Templates

Understanding the difference between a resume and curriculum vitae is more important before choosing a template. Curriculum vitae is used to for an academic education whereas a resume is used to apply for a job opening. Job aspirants should look out for a resume template rather than a curriculum vitae template. While selecting resume templates pick the one that matches the work experience and not the work profile. This information is based on a research conducted with top Indian companies. Once the right resume template is chosen, carefully search and delete if there are any watermarks or logos of the website were the resume templates were downloaded. The recruiters would have come across similar resume patterns in their experience, so it is very important to alter the resume template so that it looks different from the usual one. There are many websites offering free resume template without any watermarks or logos in them. It is advisable to use those websites to download the required templates for a better work. With a right resume template in hand the candidate can start editing the information precisely.

Resume Format

Resume Format is nothing but the layout or order of information. There are numerous websites featuring resume formats that are categorized as IT, BPO, Manufacturing and more. Very nearly every resume formats be full of the same set of information. Do not write resume based on a profession, but on experience. It does not matter whether the applicant is using a resume template or not, what matters more is the resume format. If the template is not in a suitable format there is no value of using it.

Resume Writing

Even with a resume template the candidate need to concentrate more on professional resume writing. Walk through the resume writing tips before editing the resume template. Using these guidelines a candidate can prepare a qualified profile even without a master of pattern. The below mentioned resume writing guidelines are provided by experienced HR professionals.

Career Objectives

Writing a career objective is too basic on a professional resume format. Candidates with good work experience need not have to write a career objective. It is more suitable only on a fresher resume. The career objective should explain the candidates focus on the job applied for.

Experience Summary

The experience summary is where the recruiter mainly concentrate on a resume. Always begin the resume with a nice experience summary. Keep in mind that resume writing is not about the past, but for the future, so never go too deep into the previous job details. Just brief the work experience with roles and responsibilities and mention the key achievements accordingly. The awards and promotions gained on the previous company add high value to the profile without doubt.

Education Details

Education details should be mentioned on the resume in an inverted pyramid style. The highest or most recent qualification must be mentioned first. Schooling details can be furnished only if the school is well recognized. Other qualifications like computer courses, languages or other valuable curriculum can also be mentioned if they are relevant to the position applied for. Awards and merits earned during graduation will definitely put on usefulness to the resume.

Personal Details

Personal details should comprise the age, gender and other additional languages the candidate can read write or speak. A descent personal profile includes the candidate name, age and gender which is more suffice for the recruiter to understand the candidates esteem. Never mention father name, religion or blood group on the personal detail which is immaterial and immature.

Extracurricular and Hobbies

Extracurricular activities and other interests can also be mentioned on a professional resume. Never mention watching movies or listening to music as a hobby. It is better to leave the resume without mentioning hobbies as they are not required for a recruiter to select a candidate. A qualified resume format will only feature experience summary, Key achievements, qualification and personal profile.

Other implications

Before writing a resume go through the advertisement posted for the job opening and use the keywords used in the advertisement on the professional resume. Always use Serif fonts for the heading and sans serif font on the content for a fashionable look. The “verdana” font is mostly preferred on the content with a font size of 10. If you maintain a descent linkedin profile do not hesitate to mention your profile url in your email note while forwarding your resume to the HR professional. These are the additional information collected from HR professionals. One should not necessarily follow these guidelines, but knowing this information may have a very good impact on professional resume writing.

By: Mohan S Kumar

About the Author:

How to write a perfect IT resume – Part 1