A resume is a key element in your job application process as it decides your first impression on the hiring manager. A recruiter spends on average 6-7 seconds on a resume, it’s important to make every second count. A well-written resume can open many doors for you, let me help you with some tips and tricks in my pocket to do the same:
· Keep it short and crisp. The resume should not be more than 2 pages ever. Experts say if you’re starting out or in an early stage of your career a one-page resume is more than enough.
· Talk numbers. It’s always a good idea to put quantifiable points in your resume. For e.g., Rather than saying “Managed to organize a successful college fest” you should state “Managed a team of 8 people to successfully organize the college fest in the limited budget of 2.5 lakhs INR”. It shows your people’s skills as well as financial management skills.
· Customize and optimize. When applying for a job, thoroughly go through the job description, research the company and role then customize your resume accordingly. Most big companies today use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to scan and screen the first round of resumes. If your resume is not well optimized, it may never see a human hiring manager.
· Balance of hard and soft skills. Recruiters are usually looking for someone who has good technical skills like coding, excel as well as has a good personality to gel up in a team. Make sure you mention a good example of both skills in there.
· Seek feedback. Before you sent out your resume for job application share it with your trusted peers, seniors, and mentors for feedback and input. If you feel your information is confidential, you can opt for professional resume reviewing experts.
· Revise and check for errors. Always make sure to revise your resume for grammatical errors, spelling, and punctuation. Also, make sure your headings are correct and the template or formatting you are using is in place.
· Mention your social handles. Today everyone scans through a person’s social media profile before meeting them. Save them the trouble of finding you and mention links to your social media handle like LinkedIn or Behance to help them get a better idea of you. Things that cannot be mentioned in the one-page resume can be reflected here.
I decided to look for a job straight out of graduate college while most of my counterparts decided to go for a master’s. It’s more difficult to illuminate your skills in handling conflict at the workplace when you’re fresh out of school. I gave my fair share of interviews before I landed my first job. Here I would like to share and help others in the same position that I was, on how I learned from my mistakes and prepared for interviews so that I leave the room/call feeling great.
The Preparation Checklist
· Prepare and rehearse key questions for the interview. Also, prepare negative questions such as handling a problematic co-worker or what you will do if you missed a deadline. Such questions are asked to check your professionalism and problem-solving skills.
· Put the time into research and familiarizing yourself with the company and position. Talk to people already working in the company or people working in a similar profile to understand the growth and challenges of the job. You can use LinkedIn or Glassdoor for the same.
· Read at least the top 3 headlines from the industry. It gives you the confidence to engage in conversation and ask questions. It shows that you actually have a keen interest in what you are applying for and have done your homework well.
· Create a bullet list of important points. It’s easier to skim through the bullet list just before the interview rather than long paragraphs of research that you might have done.
Questions to ask the interviewer
We are usually silent or caught off-guard when at the end of the interview, the interviewers ask if we have any questions. So here are a few questions that may come in handy:
· What do the day-to-day activities of the role look like?
· What tools or techs of communication do you use to collaborate remotely?
· How has the company adjusted to working from home?
· What do the professional development opportunities in the company look like?
Tech-Check and Surroundings
Now that interviews are happening online and in your personal space, it’s important to take care of a few things before starting an interview.
· Test the technology, and make sure the audio-video connection is smooth.
· Check lighting, remove distractions and put your phone on silent.
· Keep your CV next to you to avoid switching between different screens throughout the interview.
It’s always a good idea to follow through, a simple thankyou mail for the interview and their time would show your genuine interest.
For a more comprehensive understanding, we have industry experts with us conducting one to one mentorship sessions for interview preparation, resume review and LinkedIn profile building.
A resume is a key element in your job application process as it decides your first impression on the hiring manager. A recruiter spends on average 6-7 seconds on a resume, it’s important to make every second count. A well-written resume can open many doors for you, let me help you with some tips and tricks in my pocket to do the same:
· Keep it short and crisp. The resume should not be more than 2 pages ever. Experts say if you’re starting out or in an early stage of your career a one-page resume is more than enough.
· Talk numbers. It’s always a good idea to put quantifiable points in your resume. For e.g., Rather than saying “Managed to organize a successful college fest” you should state “Managed a team of 8 people to successfully organize the college fest in the limited budget of 2.5 lakhs INR”. It shows your people’s skills as well as financial management skills.
· Customize and optimize. When applying for a job, thoroughly go through the job description, research the company and role then customize your resume accordingly. Most big companies today use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to scan and screen the first round of resumes. If your resume is not well optimized, it may never see a human hiring manager.
· Balance of hard and soft skills. Recruiters are usually looking for someone who has good technical skills like coding, excel as well as has a good personality to gel up in a team. Make sure you mention a good example of both skills in there.
· Seek feedback. Before you sent out your resume for job application share it with your trusted peers, seniors, and mentors for feedback and input. If you feel your information is confidential, you can opt for professional resume reviewing experts.
· Revise and check for errors. Always make sure to revise your resume for grammatical errors, spelling, and punctuation. Also, make sure your headings are correct and the template or formatting you are using is in place.
· Mention your social handles. Today everyone scans through a person’s social media profile before meeting them. Save them the trouble of finding you and mention links to your social media handle like LinkedIn or Behance to help them get a better idea of you. Things that cannot be mentioned in the one-page resume can be reflected here.
I decided to look for a job straight out of graduate college while most of my counterparts decided to go for a master’s. It’s more difficult to illuminate your skills in handling conflict at the workplace when you’re fresh out of school. I gave my fair share of interviews before I landed my first job. Here I would like to share and help others in the same position that I was, on how I learned from my mistakes and prepared for interviews so that I leave the room/call feeling great.
The Preparation Checklist
· Prepare and rehearse key questions for the interview. Also, prepare negative questions such as handling a problematic co-worker or what you will do if you missed a deadline. Such questions are asked to check your professionalism and problem-solving skills.
· Put the time into research and familiarizing yourself with the company and position. Talk to people already working in the company or people working in a similar profile to understand the growth and challenges of the job. You can use LinkedIn or Glassdoor for the same.
· Read at least the top 3 headlines from the industry. It gives you the confidence to engage in conversation and ask questions. It shows that you actually have a keen interest in what you are applying for and have done your homework well.
· Create a bullet list of important points. It’s easier to skim through the bullet list just before the interview rather than long paragraphs of research that you might have done.
Questions to ask the interviewer
We are usually silent or caught off-guard when at the end of the interview, the interviewers ask if we have any questions. So here are a few questions that may come in handy:
· What do the day-to-day activities of the role look like?
· What tools or techs of communication do you use to collaborate remotely?
· How has the company adjusted to working from home?
· What do the professional development opportunities in the company look like?
Tech-Check and Surroundings
Now that interviews are happening online and in your personal space, it’s important to take care of a few things before starting an interview.
· Test the technology, and make sure the audio-video connection is smooth.
· Check lighting, remove distractions and put your phone on silent.
· Keep your CV next to you to avoid switching between different screens throughout the interview.
It’s always a good idea to follow through, a simple thankyou mail for the interview and their time would show your genuine interest.
For a more comprehensive understanding, we have industry experts with us conducting one to one mentorship sessions for interview preparation, resume review and LinkedIn profile building.
Meraki Counselling is a one stop counselling platform catering to Career Counselling, Therapy and Wellbeing and Connecting with Industry Experts. Checkout what else do we hold in store for you:
· Career Assessment and Psychometric Analysis
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