Parts of your resume

Posted by Manjusha Filed in Business English

Your resume should have the following parts

Contact Information

Put your contact information at the top of the page. This should include your name, address, phone number and email id.

Objective Statement

Stating the objective isn’t strictly necessary, but if you can write a short, specific and clear objective statement, it will definitely help your case. Your objective statement should be a summary of your career goals, as well as your skills and experiences. A generic objective statement is useless and merely wastes precious space. Instead, write a custom statement targeted to the specific position you have applied for. In your objective statement, you can mention the name of the company and the position you are seeking.

Example:

Objective: Contribute my skills and knowledge as a system analyst for Infosys Limited in order to help them achieve their mission of providing innovative and cost-effective software solutions to customers worldwide.

Work Experience

While stating your work experience, include the name and location of the companies where you previously worked, the dates you were employed and the positions you held. Also state your responsibilities and achievements. While you were in your previous jobs, did you learn any specific skill that is relevant for the position you have currently applied for? If so, state that as well. If you are making a career shift, focus only on those skills that will be useful in the new position you are seeking.

As far as possible, list your achievements in specific, measurable terms. For example, if you increased sales in your department, state by what percentage.

Examples:

Achieved targets before deadline
Increased sales by an average of 10 percent annually
Increased sales by $400,000 per year

Be honest, when listing your skills. Don’t make false claims. If you claim to have skills or knowledge you don’t have, you will land in trouble when you begin working. And if the employer finds out that you had lied about your qualifications, it will seriously hurt your growth prospects. That said, you may list those skills that you are confident of acquiring before you join the company.

Education

Start with your most recent education. Include the name of the college or university you attended; the date you graduated; the subject of your study and the degree or certification you earned.

Other Sections

In addition to work experience and education, you can also include any other information that might improve your chances of getting the job. For example, you can write about your computer or language skills, honors or awards, hobbies or interests etc. Just make sure that the information you provide is relevant. Any information that isn’t relevant must be left out.

References

More and more employers now ask prospective job seekers to include references with their resume. Don’t just write ‘References are available upon request’. If they are indeed available, then you have no reason not to include them with your resume.

You can use your former employers and university professors as references. Avoid family members even if they are highly qualified professionally. Before using a person as your reference, make sure that you have their permission to do so. Inform them so that they wouldn’t be surprised if they receive a call from the company you have applied for. If it is possible, include copies of recommendation letters from the people you use as references.

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