Showcase your skills to attract interviewers
R.C. Sharma

One fine morning, you get excited after seeing an advertisement in the leading newspapers asking candidates to attend an interview for a job with a reputed MNC. Like many fresher candidates, you too make up your mind to try your luck. However, keep in mind that like you there are hundreds of candidates aspiring for the same job.

Companies receive hundreds of applications and of these, shortlist and finally select a few candidates. Now you must know why is it that only a few candidates attract the interest of the company and bag those coveted jobs while others fail. Have you ever thought about how an application realises someone's dream and makes his life. Do you wish to be that candidate who attracts attention and comes out as the chosen one?

Submit a different CV for every job

If your answer is yes, the solution to your quest lies in the acquisition of the talent to sell your skills. All candidates might have the skills advertised as a pre-requisite for the post. However, what sets you apart from others is the way you present your skills. You need to adopt an extraordinary pattern to present your skills in a way that would lure your prospective employer. For selling your skills, a good resume in an appropriate format is a winning mantra. You will find some tips below on this.

Most new candidates are not aware of how to write an appropriate resume for themselves. When a company issues an advertisement for a post, it is quite obvious that they are looking for specific skills and areas of specialisation in their prospective employees. Therefore, remember the interests of the screening officials and make a slightly different resume for every job you apply for.

Aims and goals

Your CV should broadly give the screening committee a clear idea about your skills, your goals and what you desire, considering your long-term ambition. When the person concerned is briefed about these individual goals, he gets a clear direction in selecting the right candidate by reviewing the company's stance under the same headings.

Qualification and skills

Remember to distinctly highlight your skills and qualifications pertinent to the job you have applied for. You may possess some extra skills or qualifications, but do not mention these under the qualifications needed for the job. You could include them under extra information. This again helps the screening officials zero in on your skills that have relevance to the job.

Experience

This forms an integral aspect of a fresher's resume. As a greenhorn you cannot claim professional experience equivalent to an experienced applicant. However, internships, projects and specialised presentations can give your resume that needed edge.

Include any part-time experience, apprenticeship or projects that you may have undertaken as a student or as an ad hoc employee. These can fetch you some extra points.

Achievements

This section can include your achievements, awards, scholarships, prizes won, workshops attended, membership of professional bodies as well as interests and hobbies.

This way, your talents get a platform. However, let not your achievements and interests overshadow your professional qualifications and skills.

Once the contents of the resume are in place, turn attention to the aesthetic aspects. Format the resume—segregate each sub-head into a separate section, align paragraphs, use bold lettering to highlight points that reflect the message you want the employer to receive. This would draw their attention to it. Your resume must create an impression on a first-time reader.

It is essential to read your several times carefully to ensure there are no spelling or grammatical mistakes. A resume with spelling mistakes will surely make a poor impression on prospective employers.

It is aptly said: Well begun is half done. If your resume is appropriate and up to the mark, it will surely get you shortlisted in the screening process and move you closer to your coveted job. Remember, the first impression matters the most, so make it the best.