The electronic boom in the recent era has brought about a new age for the resume. There are many employers who only accept electronic resumes, either out of practicality or out of preference. This internet rage has entirely changed the way resumes are written, read and processed. An online resume is a resume which is created and hosted online. Some prefer to call to electronic resumes. Online resumes are very popular amongst business professionals.
Your online resumes are very powerful from a personal branding point of view. There are millions and millions of resume online. But, why should an employer choose you over your competitors, when he/she sees resumes of both? It is your brand message that will help you get that job. A poor and an ineffective online resume with no personal branding is just doomed to fail. When it comes to personal branding in online resume, we talk about Visual CV. A Visual CV is a multimedia online resume in which you can embed graphics, images, designs etc. You can customize your online resume in your own multimedia style. A Visual CV sets you really apart from your competition. A nice, decent Visual CV can really do the task for you.
Resumes are meant for job search, right? Online resumes are just an electronic way of approaching for a job. A good online resume can build your personal brand, but is it really worth it, when it cannot get you a job.
A resume displays your skills, qualifications and abilities to help an employer take a decision, whether the required job is suitable for you or not. A resume is simply an indicator for employer. It displays your level of uniqueness. Employers are themselves searching for online resumes to hire rather than recruiting from traditional methods. The benefits of using an online resume are very little, but very effective.
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Increased visibility:
A traditional offline resume goes straight into the hands of the manager of the business. But when you create an online resume, a wide pool of prospective employers can look at it. You attain much more visibility without actually travelling to the business.
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Full control over the document:
A single change in your resume is visible to all the readers throughout the web world. You need not send multiple copies of your hard resume to deliver the message. You have your complete control of a single resume which is present all throughout the internet.
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Speed:
A company may quickly need to hire someone. They cannot put up advertisements for their job offers. Online resumes come handy in such cases as those companies will then, search for resumes online. Now is your chance to bring up your resume in such cases. A quick selection of your resume can take place in these cases.
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Formatting:
Online resumes give you a greater chance to show your skills and abilities. Multimedia usage, graphics, clickable links, images etc. can be easily used in online resumes. You get a good opportunity to impress your prospective employers. Such possibilities are not available in offline resumes. Even though you can add such things in offline resumes, but which employer will like a hard copy resumes with colorful graphics.
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Eco-friendly:
Online resumes are definitely far better than hard copy resumes which uses papers. The more papers you use, the more it hurts the environment. Online resume is not only efficient but it can also save a tree or two. Direct your employers towards online resumes and realize them the importance of eco-friendliness.
You know the importance of branding of a product or a company. Apply the same strategy to build your resume to create your own personal brand which differentiates you from the rest of your competition. Convey your value to the employers with your branded resume. Your resume should be written in a convincing tone.
A well written resume focuses on answering the employers’ question “Why should I hire you?”. Your resume should contain all the qualifications that make you fit for the job. It should convey that unique value that you will bring upon your appointment. An HR professional spends a maximum of 30 to 60 seconds on an online resume. Therefore, it is very important to make your resume scannable. A personal branded online resume should be solely written to sell your abilities and to entice the employer to grant you a job.
Let’s give you some excellent writing tips with the implementation of which you can create an effective online resume.
There are basically two main types of resume format, chronological format and skills format.
The chronological format presents your work history in a chronological order, from the recent job to backward. It presents your entire resume in a timeline approach. This is an excellent format to choose upon if you have a good solid work history. Students who have been an intern in some companies can take up this format to showcase their dependability and professional interest.
Most students prefer to choose the skills format, which is entirely focuses on displaying the skills that you have to offer for the presented job. This format enables you to list time spent on performing various skills. Students who have taken up some external study or industry courses should choose this format. Volunteerism and other unpaid experience in skills can also be listed in this format.
Most of the resumes are a hybrid combination of chronological and skills based resume forms. There is actually no fixed rule on how to put together a resume. Your only criterion, while creating a resume should be to grab employers’ attention and to present yourself as a serious contender for the offered job. Always remember that your resume should be professional. Amateur resumes makes the employers think that the person is not interested in the job.
Chronological and skills format are the two basic types of resumes. There is a different type of resume called as targeted resume. It is a combination of style and information that focuses on your qualifications for the job.
The content in your resume entirely depends on your selection. Include everything that can convince your employer. Remove all the useless and unwanted material from your copy.
A basic format would be:
- Name, address, phone, email, fax and other contact information
- Job Objective
- Education
- Experience
- Activities
- Optional to include:
- Skills and Qualifications
- General Abilities
- Awards Received
- Licenses and Certifications
- Other Qualifications
Always think about what your employer wants to hear and focus on that while writing one. HR professionals are very busy persons. Make sure your resume stands out. Do not over use “I” in your resume. Reader knows who the topic of discussion is. Go straight to the action words and the activities performed.
There are various types of fonts, sizes as well as formatting styles that you can use to create an effective resume. There is no rule of thumb that you should use “Times New Roman” of “Calibri”. It is important that your resume is scannable and easy to read. You can use a combination of fonts and sizes, bold and italic letters, lower case and upper case letters, bullets, asterisks, etc. to organize your information. But make sure your information doesn’t get lost within the formatting.
There are a number of websites that enables you to create a resume online. There are a variety of resources that helps you with writing and creating a resume, hosting resume and using your resume to apply for jobs.
Before starting to use a resume builder, check the options that it provides. Some resume builders charge while some are free of cost. Many websites provide resume wizards or templates which you can customize to create a resume of your own. Check out all the editing options, printing options, hosting options, and customizable options etc. to choose one that suits you best.
Another type of resume that you may need to work with is scannable or text resume. Text resumes only contain words, without any kind of special formatting. Text resumes should contain industry related keywords and key phrases that the employer would be searching. Exclusion of those keywords may discard your resume.
The last type of resume format is the curriculum vitae format which provides a details statement of your qualifications, experience, education etc.
Mostly, people use a combination of all types of resumes. I recommend you to take your own time, choose the correct information that you want to tell, and format it accordingly.
A majority of job seekers make some unwanted mistakes while creating a resume, which makes them lose the job. Just answer these questions to check whether you’ve committed any mistakes.
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Is your resume too long?
Many of you might have heard that your resume should fit one page. Well, the real fact is, that the recruiters or hire do not care if your resume is one or two page long. What they care is that whether it is easy to read and lures out the prominent information upfront. Your resume may be of one, two or three pages, provided you are confident that you can continue to hold employers’ attention up to that extent.
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Does your resume begin with an objective?
Do not start your resume with an objective. Recruiters and hiring managers hate such resumes as it focuses on the needs of the job seeker rather than focusing on the needs of potential employer. Instead of telling them what you want, tell them what you can give. Tell them what value you will provide to the job, if appointed. For a greater impact, tailor this statement into each part of your resume so that the reader continuously sees a match between his/her needs and your skills.
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Does your resume specify?
Backup your achievements by providing some contextual specifics. For example, when you write “contributed to product design” in your resume, it gives an unclear image to the employer about your actual contribution. Instead specify of what you actually did, such as “contributed to product design of abc product with xyz technology”. This level detail shows the reader of your share of work in your field.
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Does your resume clearly state that you can satisfy the needs of the employer?
You are the “product” and the resume is your “product features”. The person who receives your resume will quickly scan it, not more than 40 seconds to determine whether you are fit for the job or not. Your job is to convey your message quickly, clearly, loudly. Create a compelling personal profile which showcases your key strengths in an attractive and easy to read format.
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Does your resume highlight your achievements along with your responsibilities?
Do not simply create a list of responsibilities without the providing the achievement facts to back it up. Most readers already know what your responsibilities were. They just want to know what makes you different from others, and they will not search out your resume to find one. It is your task to give them the differentiators. This is most effectively given by highlighting the results that you’ve achieved. Focus more on it, rather on the regular duties of your job.
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Are there any typos?
Everybody wants their resume to be perfect. For this, proofread your resume over and over again. When you think it’s ready to go in the market, have your friends go through it. Don’t even misspell a single word. It creates a very bad impression.
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Is your resume readable?
50% of your resume impact depends on the design of the resume. It is your design which easily grabs employers’ attention. Highlight your strengths clearly. It does not matter how qualified you are, a disorganized, badly laid resume is doomed to get rejection.
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Does your resume list irrelevant information?
Why would your employer be interested in the number of children you have? Is he really concerned about your marital status? Obviously, No! Don’t mention any kind of irrelevant information. Do not list your hobbies unless they directly support your qualifications for the job. Do not mention any unprofessional affiliations or volunteerism work unless it directly relates to the position you are applying for. Any kind of personal information contains the risk of turning your readers off.
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Are you just too humble?
Many feel uncomfortable boasting on a resume. Rather, they would prefer to save it for an interview. What if you don’t get a chance to enter in the interview room? Therefore, take credit for the things that you have established. If your resume doesn’t spark interest, you may never get that opportunity to brag your achievements.
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Does your resume provide links to your professional profiles?
Hiring managers and recruiters often prefer to go online to check your professional profiles. Give them that opportunity by providing links to your professional profiles on LinkedIn or Twitter. Make sure that your profiles are ready to be scanned by an employer. You can also provide a link to some professional sites you own. This gives your employer a chance to learn more about your contributions that you have made in your field.
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Does your resume contain testimonials?
Consider adding testimonials in your online resumes. Adding testimonials is still a new concept for online resume creators. Adding them can automatically stand you out from the crowd. Find two or three reputable references in your field to vouch for you.
The nirvana for any job seeker is to be the strongest candidate each time he/she applies for a job. Increase your chances of being that persona by developing your personal brand in your resume.
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