Your resume (biodata also known as CV ) is your window of opportunity. It reflects you and your personality. If you cannot reflect all aspects of your personality in it , it would close the opportunity which you could have got with ease. Writing a good resume is a mix of art and science. One can also take professional help or use authorized templates provided by the Employer. Take Help of a professional Career Counselor or have a few Career Counseling Sessions before preparing new CV.

Normally you get a maximum of 2 pages to write and impress the HR/Recruiter and if you write poor resume it will surely find a place in Recycle bin Before writing your resume, you need to understand its purpose and why you are doing so.

All employers are looking for certain common traits in a potential candidate. Relevant work experience may land you a getting the job. There are a number of key personal qualities and skills that employers always look for . For freshers writing a resume is a tough task since the focus is more on academic accomplishments. If you need to stand out then you need to acquire a competitive advantage by acquiring employability oriented skills which will enhance the job prospects. It is very difficult to mention all these skills in a resume, but application of mind and certifications will be help.

The skills which are commonly looked for in a resume and subsequent interviews are :

• Teamwork and leadership
• Ability to take initiative
• Problem solving
• Original thinking
• Soft (communication) skills
• Customer care
• Academic and extra-curricular achievements
• Commitment and Loyalty

You need to consider all these aspects before you start writing the resume.

Format

There are various types of formats when it comes to resume layouts.The the two most popular types are reverse chronological and skills-based. Considering the fact that if you are a fresher you will have very little to write about experience and you need to write in that column internships, project work etc.

Everyone’s fighting for time in today’s world. No one has the time to go through paragraphs to understand your potential. Make your resumes short and retain only the interesting stuff. As a fresher, you will be tempted to write long paragraphs because your resume may look shorter than of your friends. A longer resume does not mean it is a better one.

Personal Details

Firstly on the top, you will want your full name appear in big letters right across the top. Under that you will put in your address, email address and contact phone number. Normally permanent address is a better idea ( If you have a temporary and a permanent address), mention clearly that you have two separate addresses.

In today’s digital world normally communication happens on email and be very clear about some basic issues related to emailID’s. To make a really great first impression, register your own domain name. You can use it as your personal email and redirect to your normal inbox for free (gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo )

Please use a professional smart looking corporate style snap since most recruiters need this. If you have a youtube video (1 minute) describing yourself, please share its link.

Lastly, you can state your nationality in this section, especially if you are an international student as you may need to clarify your work status.

Personal Statement (optional)

This is not the place for your life story. If you feel that you can sum yourself up in less than two lines, then do it here. Your personal statement should simply state who you are and what type of work you are looking for. If you have made up your mind for pe particular sector in IT as a career option, please mention here for example Software Developer or ERP Consultant etc,

Education and Qualifications

In this section list your most recent education first (that is. university), finishing off with your SSC level. Remember to include the title of each institution and the years that you attended. Clearly mention start date and end date so that the duration of completion is clear to the recruiter. It can also be a good idea to list some key skills/certifications for example foreign languages, technology that you have taken, especially if they demonstrate your knowledge, skills or interest in a certain job role. Grade/marks obtained should be mentioned clearly and correctly as it will be verified later. Any discrepancy in this area will lead to a negative opinion. Most recruiters will demand to see original mark/grade sheets for viewing so no need to deviate anywhere. Any deviation from reality such as grade, marks means you are out.

Employment/Internship

Mention your most recent employment details, as with the education section above. You should include paid work, voluntary work, internships, placements and shadowing roles. It is important to state the months and years that you worked at each place. Under each experience, highlight the key skills, the responsibilities and duties which you undertook to highlight your suitability for the job you are applying for .

Main Achievements (Key Differentiator)

This section is recommended! As It singles you out as a person and can set you apart from the competition. You could include a range of extra-curricular achievements such as elocution, dramatics, art capabilities, sports etc. Remember to make these achievements relevant to the employer and always demonstrate the key skills you have identified.

Other skills

You would not have this in a skills-based CV layout, but otherwise this area gives you an opportunity to expand on the main skills you have highlighted to include a few more. Specific skills such as IT, language and having an international driving licence, which may not be directly relevant to the job application can be included in this section towards the end.

Selective Interests ( Social work etc)

This section is your opportunity to show what you do outside of work and give the employer another insight into character. If you have some community oriented social work such as National Cadet Corps (NCC), Scout, Interact, Rotaract or Leo club memberships as they highlight your social commitment. If you are a blood donor, traffic volunteer, please attach your certifications. If you had participated in community service of any kind please mention over here

References

To tie your resume up you should have a reference section. You can choose to include two contacts – one academic and one industry – or it is perfectly acceptable to put “Available upon request” which saves space.
If you do put down references with contact details, you should always ask the concerned  people or companies for their permission beforehand. This will save you and them any embarrassment if an employer follows up without warning!

DOS

• Research: Find out exactly what the employer you want to impress is looking for, Then write a CV that exactly matches their requirements.
• Evidence: Prove what a great candidate you are by including examples of achievements, improvements you made at work or problems you solved.
• Two pages: Aim for a two-page CV.(max 3 pages).
• Proofreading: Thoroughly check your CV for errors and ensure that what you have written makes sense. Then ask someone to double-check it for you.
• Covering letter: Always provide a covering letter or an email to go with your CV

DON’TS

• Be negative: Avoid any criticisms of past or present employers, or mention any difficult periods in your career history. Your CV needs to be very positive.
• Rely on one CV: Expect to have a number of CVs that you change depending on the job you are applying for. Always tailor your CV.
• Use fancy layout: Avoid unusual fonts, columns, tables etc in your CV when writing it in a Word document. The formatting can so easily go awry when it is read by a recruiter.