SMART SKILLS
The write way to seek a job
Usha Albuquerque

Finding a job is hard work. It demands lots of time, energy and emotion. Your CV (curriculum vitae or resume) is an important part of this job search. And although it's not going to get you a job, your CV is an essential career management tool that will help you access exciting job opportunities.

But preparing a winner CV is not an easy job. A CV should open doors. It should stimulate enough interest in the person reading it to decide to call you for an interview. Think of it as an ad for you. If the ad prompts a prospective buyer to check out more about the product- that is you- it has done its job.

Treat CV as an ad

There are many ways to develop a CV that works. There is no single formula for representing yourself in a CV. Basically, your CV is a document that showcases you and your career achievements. It should also capture and reflect some hints about your personality. So, there are innumerable ways to package this information.

The basic purpose of a resume is to:

• Get the attention of the reader
  

• Provide appropriate information
  

• Convey your skills, interests, abilities and accomplishments
  

• A resume does not get you a job - its purpose is to help you get an interview
  

• Employers often ask resume-related questions during an interview
  

Catch attention

To get the attention of the reader, the CV has to create quick and lasting impressions. Whether its through your choice of language, length or brevity of the document, its design and layout, or the way in which it presents information about you, your CV should set you apart, without distorting or misrepresenting facts. On way to develop a CV is to look at many different samples, and then come up with your version of what you feel is the most suitable. You can check CVs in a book or on the Internet.

Provide information

There are different ways to organize the career information you are presenting. The three basic formats are:

• Chronological: The most commonly used, it begins with the most recent career and educational history and works backwards;
  

• Functional: It organises information in functional areas drawn from the entire span of work experience, and good for those planning a major career change;
  

• Combination: It organises functional experience in reverse chronological order.
  

If you are just out of school or college you can use the chronological format beginning with your most recent educational qualification, and then detailing any experience you have gained in extra-curricular work activities.

All CVs must contain three key areas of information:

• Contact information: Who you are and where you can be contacted.
  

• Work History: This can contain a list of credentials, organisations you have worked with, clients you have served, projects you have worked on, listed in reverse chronological order- the latest, first.
  

• Education and Training: List your highest level of education first, and work backwards. If you have professional or specialized training related directly to your job objective, list it first. List any honours and awards, which highlight your educational achievements.
  

Convey your skills

Describe accomplishments, not responsibilities. What you have done in the past gives employers clues and expectations about what you can do for them now. Give the number of projects handled, savings of cost or time, skills developed, and other information on expertise and credentials, which can enhance your stature or position in the workplace. If you have attended any courses, seminars, workshops or training programmes, be sure to include them, along with what you have learned from them.

• Prepare a draft and revise it several times. There is no excuse for typographical errors, misspellings or faulty grammar. They will reflect poorly on you.
  

• Use lots of while space. It is simpler to read. A crowded one-page CV is neither pleasing nor effective.
  

• Use boldfaces and italics sparingly. Words that appear in all capital letters or underlined (except for section headings) tend to be distracting eyesores.
  

• Print your CV on high quality, white, off-white or beige paper.
  

• A covering letter should always accompany your resume. Through this, you can provide a lasting impression and draw attention to the more detailed information in your CV.
  

• Write for the ear and not the eye. So basically, write as you would speak.
  

• Don't write complete sentences. Look for ways to economise on words. Use short bulleted statements that can be easily absorbed by the reader.
  

• Don't mix typefaces, unless you are a trained graphic designer. A consistency in types-choices is ideal.
  

You must remember that the average reader spares less than 10 seconds for a first look at your CV. So, create a lasting impression in this time span.

The writer has authored the Penguin India Career Guide (Volumes I and II) and The Essential Guide to Careers.