Frequent mistakes while preparing a resume

Sir, I'm an engineering student. What are the common mistakes a fresher does while preparing his/her resume? -Sukanya, Hyderabad

The first and foremost thing is copying from others. Nothing wrong in following or using other's template or structure, but not everything. It's not advisable to depend completely on someone to prepare your resume. You need to think through and prepare it and then go for professional’s help, as required.

You can't disregard the popular saying - the first impression is the best impression. Resume is the tool through which you're approaching the employer for the first time (most of the times) and trying to impress them. So, you must emphasize and do not commit mistakes and thereby lose the opportunity.

You can take help from other experts but ensure he/she is the right person who can understand and respect your aspirations and spend good time for it. Follow these simple tips while preparing your resume:

There should be no spelling mistakes, have a spelling & grammar check before you send it. Written communication matters a lot in business and at work. It may cost you a job or an opportunity when you have spelling/other mistakes in your resume. It is a known fact that the way you present the things reveals what you are, how you think, and how you work. And that will affect your career profoundly. It’s of no use when the interviewer doesn’t understand what you are trying to say. So always double check and ensure there are no such spelling and grammar errors.

Ensure that you mention correct email ID and mobile number, it’s always better to give an alternate contact number.

Remove objective statement which may not sync with needs of the prospective employer. Start with a statement of purpose or brief cover letter.

A resume need not be in one or two pages, it is again a traditional approach. If you have worked with more than two or three employers, you may require more space to describe your past experience. The idea here is you can add blog/other social media links where you demonstrate your past experience.

You may start with why you want to apply for the said position and how you can contribute and bring value or solve their problem. Then write a summary of your profile followed by work experience. Later add your qualification and skill set you possess. You can end with any two references you know.

Never write generic statement or list out all the technologies used in the market. Every hiring manager knows that it’s not possible to master in all.

Those who notice your errors will rarely correct you, but they will always try to judge you based on that. You can correct your friends, in a polite way. Then request them to monitor your usage, too.

If you get an opportunity to talk to the employer, then do not send your resume at the beginning. First understand them and their requirement and prepare your resume accordingly. This way you can sell yourself in a more appropriate way and tell them specifically how you’re going to solve their problems.

Employers will talk to applicants? Yes, most of the times, they do if you approach with any referrals. If you do not have any reference, then it’s a challenging task for you to get their time. Remember, instead of wasting time by just going with the resume, it’s always better to invest your time and efforts to meet people you’d like to work with.

Showcase your past experience, it’s not adequate and of no use until and unless you demonstrate on how you can bring value with your past experience. This is possible only when you understand their requirement.

You must know the latest recruitment practices like the role of social media. A lot of managers do a remote assessment before they call you for an interview.

Sir, I am pursuing engineering first year. I've seen some of my relatives who struggled a lot to win the job. So I do not want to face such problems and would like to utilize each and every day for a better career. So please suggest. -Keerthana, Bengaluru

Few students may not focus on studies and keep on complaining.., whereas the other set of students realise the importance of making the best out of what they've got. When you enter the college on first day, you may find strangers and surprisingly some of them might be your childhood friends. You'll enter into an environment where you meet people from different places and with different culture and mindsets.

Be flexible, mingle with friends, share your thoughts and lunch box too. Explore the possibilities that your college offers to reinvent yourself and get rid of old barrage/disappointments. You must focus on two things: Firstly, be open and show willingness to explore new friendships.

Secondly, retain that mood of openness and strengthen the relationship. Not only with classmates, maintain good relations with Directors/Principals, teaching staff, non-teaching staff, librarian, etc.

Mere getting first class marks or distinction is not enough. Do not restrict yourself, leave your comfort zone and focus on continuous improvement. Understand education and employment should be directly connected. Narrow down the gap between these two.

Do internships in real time environment to know the reality not just for the sake of certificate. Never forget the power of ASK. Keep on asking yourself and others to learn continuously. As Dr APJ Abdul Kalam rightly said - all of us may not have equal talent, but all of us have an opportunity to develop our talents. He also considered the youth to be the country's asset, the gate keepers to India's tomorrow.

Keep motivating yourself and make everyday a special day. At the end, what you do after your academics is what really matters.

Sir, I did B.Tech- Electrical Engineering and joined as a personal assistant. Later I realised that it's not my interest. So, please suggest me on how to set up a perfect career plan... -Chitra, New Delhi

Lot of young aspirants think that once they start working everything is easy and can settle in their life. I feel getting a job might not difficult, if you are clear about your career plans. However, managing your career, growing in it is a challenging thing. Lot of youngsters opt for any job because of frustration, pressure, disappointment with their routine job search and finally come back to the cross roads to look for alternatives. Having mere degrees/certificates will not get you a job. You need to find out your strengths and where your interest lies. So, it's always better to set your career road map before you step into any job.

Here are simple steps you can follow...

Identify your short & long term goals: You can't start mapping your path if you do not know the destination. So, first identify where would you like to see yourself in next 2/3 years time. Then ask yourself why these goals are important and how they will benefit your career growth once they are met. However, be flexible to change your career plans as required and be open to learning new skills.

Find out your strengths and areas to improve: Check if you have a passion to become something great, but it should help you sustain and grow. Do not compromise on the skills required to cope up with the selected area and market dynamics. Make a list of the skills you have right now and the areas to improve further, also list out the hurdles and ways to overcome them. Make a habit of self learning and you must have a self motive to continue this journey of learning throughout your life. Be a life long learner.You may like to find a guide/mentor with whom you're comfortable.

Action plan: It's a very critical aspect of your entire career road map setting. If you feel your goals are big then bring them down to smaller tasks and set timelines for each task. You can't have vague plans; it should be SMART - specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bounded.

Identify your target industry, domain and companies: Once you're clear about your area of interest and strengths, the next step is to find out where you can start your journey.

Leave your comfort zone; build your network and always try to be on the right track.

Periodically cross check your progress....what you have planned and what you achieved and then take corrective action plan.

What if the interviewer asks me what other job vacancies have you applied for? Which companies have you spoken to? I feel uncomfortable to answer such questions. How to handle such questions during interview? -Pruthvi, Hyderabad

The interviewer asks such questions to find out how much you're interested to work with them. Otherwise, it should not be their business, there's nothing wrong about a job seeker exploring opportunities with other companies. If you try to be honest and fair enough and reveal everything, you might lose that opportunity. If you have not applied for other jobs, be honest and say it is the start of your job search. Otherwise in a polite way, you could say "Sorry, I do not disclose that information". However, the best solution is you can simply tell them that you're also exploring opportunities with other companies but this would be your first preference.

By:kamal pabba

The writer is the CEO and founder of Passion4career, an organisation that trains students to make them employable. For queries call 8099453869 www.facebook.com/khrconsultant [email protected]