How to Write An Eye-Catching Resume

Any MBA aspirant will agree that one of the most important reasons for taking up an
MBA is a dream job in a dream company. While your B-school and the MBA experience itself will certainly propel your career upwards, ensure that you project a personal image that your prospective company finds irresistible. And the first interaction that you will ever have with any prospective employer is definitely your résumé.

As a B-school student, you will interact with companies and firms in many ways – seminars, contests, and festivals being a few. But your most significant interaction with them will be during the all-important placements. Your résumé will be the first non-face-to-face interaction with companies. And going by the old adage, “the first impression is the last impression,” your résumé has the power to make or break your impression on the prospective employer. But don’t fret – writing a good résumé isn’t so difficult. Your résumé should be as unique as you are, and with a little bit of planning you can build an impressive one!
Clearly, there is no sure-shot style or format for writing a résumé. But the basic guidelines to observe are that there should be no spelling mistakes or typographic errors, and correct grammar. Think of your résumé as a showcase for your accomplishments; shouldn’t a showcase be clean and shiny to show your gleaming trophies?

Do’s and Don’ts
Be honest. Experienced HR managers can easily spot any exaggeration or false information on your résumé. This also means you have to write your résumé yourself! After all you know yourself better than anyone else, and your résumé will influence the questions you are asked at the personal interview.

Don’t be modest! This is the time to list your awards, accomplishments, scholarships, and certificates etc. While confidence is important, at the same time, you need to be subtle. It is indeed a competitive world and you do need to sell yourself. But it may not be a good idea to sound far-fetched! Justify all your achievements with good solid statements.

Keep it brief. When the HR looks at a résumé, the first thing they determine is the candidate’s fitment in the organisation. They try and ascertain the candidate’s ability to link his knowledge base to the industry. So don’t tell your life story, but try and present as complete a picture as you can. HR looks at the competencies of the individual and past performance. An all round profile stands better chances of being considered. Exclude unnecessary personal information – religion, health, weight, family status, etc. Like anything in excess, a long resume is easy to put down. So resist the urge to oversell; don’t exceed two pages.

Use short sentences. It’s advisable to use bullets with short sentences rather than lengthy paragraphs. HR managers are in a hurry to shortlist résumés. An easy to read format will make it easier for them to quickly scan and still absorb it. A good résumé is neither too short nor too long. It should reflect the candidate’s personal qualities and competencies rather than just factual details. It should be evident that the candidate has put in genuine efforts to prepare it himself rather than just filling in his details in a standard template.

Make it look sensible. Let your résumé be pleasing to the eye. But don’t make it look like a wedding card! Avoid unusual or exotic fonts. Put in certain phrases in bold print or italics to draw attention to them: for example, awards, scholarships or such special achievements. Use good quality bond paper in white, ivory or even a pale shade of grey. Space out lines and sections so the information doesn’t look crammed.

Double-check for mistakes. Make sure your grammar and spelling is in place. If you are not confident enough, ask someone to help you weed out errors. It shows that you pay attention to detail. While there are several different styles and layouts that you can use, here’s one example of what your résumé could look like:

Heading: Your name, address, phone, email, and web address.

Career Objectives: A few clear, concise, and focused sentences. Be ambitious but avoid flowery or vague career objectives. However, keep them broad enough to include closely related jobs.

Summary Of Qualifications: A bulleted list of brief statements, describing your strengths. This is where you can sell yourself!

Educational Details: The name and location of your school and college, the degree earned, and your major. Mention first classes or distinctions if any, but leave out ‘pass class’ or ‘passed privately.’

Honours And Achievements: A list of your most recent honours and achievements. Mention your participation in career-related as well as philanthropic activities, but avoid political or religious organisations.

Work Experience: Mention relevant work experience. List only that which connects with the Career Objective stated.

References: “Available upon request” is the accepted format for references.
Other Headings like Internships, Travel Abroad, Student Teaching, Related Studies, or Research, etc can help you be specific about your career expectations.
Once your draft is ready, ask the career counselor or a faculty member in your institute to take a look at it. If need be, they can help you polish it up, sort out any potentially confusing sentences and suggest an ideal format. Then read it yourself so you can feel proud about the unique personality that you are! During your personal interview a wonderfully done resume will be a powerful complement.