Resume Preparation - A Checklist

Everyone who has applied for a job or who intends to do so knows the value of a good resume. The dictionary definition of resume is summary. But a good resume is more than just a summary of your education and work. Essentially it should also reflect your potential in terms of skills and talents that you may have acquired over a span of time.

A good resume consists of the following parts:

  • A heading comprising of your full name, address, phone number(s), email, and if you have one, URL.
  • The objective is a brief statement of the kind of work that you are seeking. You should write the objective in a manner that is compliant with the objectives of the firm you are applying to. This will help the firm identify with your skill set. Make sure that you enlist all the skills you possess.
  • Your educational qualifications must be given in the order of the most recent qualification being written first. The University/College/School names must be written along with the specialization you have pursued, the duration in which you did the course and the percentage of marks obtained.
  • If you are a fresher, you may not have any work experience to write about unless you have done some freelance work or internships. In the latter case, you should write the name of your employer, the duration of work, nature of work, project(s) undertaken and skills acquired as part of the work.
  • Honours and Awards must be given special importance because they highlight your potential. Remember that a good firm hires you more for what you are capable of than for what you have already achieved.
  • In most cases you do not give any references on your resume, but you may have to place them on request. Make sure that you get the referee permission to put them on your resume. You should include the name, job title, company name and address and phone number with extension of the referee.

    Checklist:

  • Make sure that there are no grammatical, spelling and proof-reading mistakes in the resume.
  • The resume should look neat and professional.
  • The content of the resume must support the career objective.
  • It should be brief and easy to read.
  • Unless your experience is extensive, the resume should fit within two pages.
  • The most relevant and impressive qualifications should be visible.
  • Use white A4 size papers to print the resume, and print only on one side.
  • Use font size 10 to 14 with standard typefaces like Times, Arial, Helvetica and Courier.
  • Do not roll or fold the resume.
  • Avoid italics, underlines and shadows.
  • Use boldface and capital letters for section headings.