Is your resume, your toughest interviewer?

Is your resume, your
toughest interviewer?
NEWINNINGS2DAY@GMAIL.COM

Seeking employmentSeeking employment
The universe of resumesThe universe of resumes
Resumes shortlisted by recruitersResumes shortlisted by recruiters
FiltrationFiltration

Resume
I can’t believe we
aren’t together. I
thought we had a
spark. Is it
something I said?
Sorry, it’s
really loud in
here. Could
you please
speak up?
Recruiter
Resume

• Recruiters review 1000s of resumes annually
• They too, operate under deadlines, performance targets and pressures to identify, interview and finalize offers within a
short window
• Many strive to do this to the best of their abilities and without bias despite poor infrastructure
• A resume that increases chances of the right decision for both the recruiter and the individual, holds an edge
• How can you make your resume work harder for you?
• Is your resume, your toughest interviewer?
Behind the scenes

• Neat format, overall? Good, I’m focussed.
• So, what’s the story here? Where does the individual’s skills/experiences closely align today? Let’s see –
industry, sector, profile of clients served, personal journey....
• Alright….and which business vertical seems apt? Key competencies....
• Looks good so far….but I’ve got 5 positions only. What stands out about this candidate so I can shortlist?
• What’s this resume not telling me, that could be very positive about this candidate?
• What’s this resume not telling me, that could be a potential risk about this candidate?
• How am I feeling now? Could we (organization) be the right fit for each other?
Recruiter
What goes on in a recruiter’s mind when looking up a resume?
A recruiter navigates bit of a mental maze:

Length is not indicative of quality
a. No rigid rules in today’s age but basics still hold good!
b. Resume can be 1-page long or ideally, up to 2 pages. If 2+ pages, have really, really, REALLY, good stuff to show!
c. Online templates available but are only as good as the content within. Focus on the quality of your content and give your
lines, enough oxygen to breathe
Basics

First half of Page 1 is akin to front-page headlines
a. The 10-15 seconds that a recruiter or interviewer will spend on that space in your resume will likely, determine their
attention span for rest of your resume
b. That’s your trailer, highlights package and hook
c. Many firms now use bots to screen and shortlist resumes - review the job description carefully to incorporate key words /
tags in your resume
Basics

Check for spelling and grammatical errors
a. It shows that you can be trusted to pay attention to details. Also, where bots are used, spelling mistakes may result in bots
not scoring your resumes high if key words don’t show up during word-search.
b. Even better, have someone recheck before submission
Recognize the difference between ‘results’ and ‘enablers’
a. What we do (our roles) are usually ‘enablers’; what we achieve through it, are ‘results’
b. Does your resume reflect both enablers and results in a balanced way? 98% of the resumes we reviewed, carried elaborate
details of roles/responsibilities (enablers), but were weak on details of actual results accomplished
Basics

Which font style/colour should I use? Should I include a photo? Can I use infographics?
a. The simple guiding principle is that your resume needs to look professional in the context of the role.
b. Do your research. You can present your content in any way that makes it unique but it still needs to be authentic (not
misrepresent) and efficient.
Document format? Unless the job portal requires otherwise, PDF is usually recommended.
Should I include a cover letter?
a. Yes only if you can keep it short, clearly indicate the role you are applying for in response to a job-advertisement. A cover
letter isn’t mandatory in today’s times.
Basics

What’s approved?
a. There is no “approved” structure.
b. The end-goal is to highlight your aspirations, accomplishments, experiences and competencies.
c. Feel free to experiment as you consider the following elements.
Structure of a resume

a. A simple elegant band no more than 2 lines, with your name, prof. qual. (as appropriate), email-ID, phone # and preferably,
LinkedIn profile link.
b. Full address not required. Can include city and state instead.
Section 1 – Name, most relevant/latest professional qualification,
contact details
Name, prof. qualification (optional), contact details

• Has become a questionable part of the resume over the years
• Usually a string of ‘trying hard to impress’ and sophisticated-sounding words in most resumes that provides little useful info
for a recruiter (for e.g. “A motivated professional who seeks to be part of organizational development along with personal
development”).
• As a candidate, ask yourself – “who isn’t motivated?”, “Who doesn’t want to be part of the org. growth and grow
personally?”, “Does my summary truly reflect my aspiration with clarity?”
Optional Section – “Profile summary / Career Objective”
Profile Summary (overrated section, can aid or hurt) – can drop this and use “Executive Highlights”, smartly

Let us confess:
• Many recruiters pay scant attention to this section unless it’s well-written.
• Often, candidates barely refer to this section themselves in their interviews which validates that it’s not on top of their minds,
although it’s right on top of their resumes.
• It thus becomes, a waste of good space.

When should you include this?
• If you are specific about the field to gain experiences in and can highlight relevant experiences, unique competencies in a line
or two.
• If you are unsure if your profile summary reflects it accordingly, drop this section and focus instead on using this space for the
next one.
• Remember that the first half of Page 1 is prime real estate. Be ruthless about the content that you include here. Don’t include
something because everyone does it.

This is a snapshot of the whole resume, preferably in bullets.
Section 2 – Executive Highlights
Executive highlights (equivalent of “What I’d like you to recall about my profile”)
 Your area(s) of expertise (industry, sectors, technical area) and who do you serve?
 Specialized qualifications/skills that are recent and highly relevant to the role you seek
 Your greatest accomplishments thus far (exclusive, significant, relevant, recent)
o Avoid generic statements. Show clear results (“Accomplished XXX by YYY”). XXX is the actual result and YYYY is
what you did – your core competency”)
o Accomplishments can be in the sphere of professional experiences, education, community efforts

If there’s one thing that we’d like you to take away from this entire article, it is that you showcase actual results, (Sections
2 and 3) in addition to the roles you perform.
What do we mean?
Here are some examples of generic strengths/accomplishments written on resumes – they sound nice but don’t really
inspire confidence for a recruiter.
a) Proactively offer best alternate options for resolving issues to client in partnership with vendors and ensure well planned
and timely delivery.
b) Successful record of exceeding performance targets.
c) Saved significant costs for client.
d) Advisor with proven results in the field of ABC.
e) Received awards for consistent brilliant performance.
f) Improved revenues/collection/error rates of <XYZ business unit>

Recruiter
What’s the problem with those statements? Here’s what a recruiter could be thinking:
“The individual seems to have important roles, but what was the actual impact?”
“These lines sound the same as the last 47 resumes. What makes this individual stand out?”
“Is this individual really capable of doing all that they are claiming as roles, skills or
accomplishments?”

So, how can you make it work for you?
When describing achievements, consider using a simple construct –
‘Achieved <insert specific result> by <insert specific actions performed>’
"Achieved $250,000 in annual gross margins by <action performed>".
Use action-oriented verbs such as “achieved, created, identified, enabled” etc.
The second part of the statement (<action performed>) should reflect your core competencies i.e. what are you so good at, that
you were able to save $250K?
While this doesn’t guarantee anything, it inspires more confidence that the individual isn’t hiding behind nice-sounding string
of words but is boldly laying out specific accomplishments for scrutiny.

If you have highly diverse experiences, that’s a big plus so long as you can weave the story thoughtfully. Consider having a
major theme and minor themes, depending on which roles you’d like to apply for/specialize in.
Section 3 – Professional Experiences
Professional Experiences (equivalent of “let me elaborate my experiences for your review”)
1) Most recent to least recent
2) Highlight experiences/skills gained in most recent stints (last 4-5 years). Manage space accordingly – more space for most
recent roles.
3) Check if your statements answers atleast some, if not all of these Qs:
a. What do I do? (responsibilities/roles/results accomplished)
b. Why do I do what I do? (what are you trying to achieve through your roles?)
c. How do I do? (what skills did I use/learn as I executed my roles?)

Section 4 – Education
Education
2) Many candidates make the mistake of listing every course/certification earned. Highlight your most significant
qualifications. Group supplemental certifications separately.
3) Knowledge of MS office applications can be stated as is. There’s no need to list out each MS office application.
4) If you only have a basic degree, take up a few online courses on Udemy, CourseEra, eDX etc. These will help indicate that
you are a self-starter. Knowledge of MS Excel is beneficial in most organizations. Consider courses in future skills, esp. if
your field is undergoing rapid changes now.

What’s not required!
• Full home address, parents’ names, date of birth, passport/visa details, marital status, declaration statements.
• Further, most of these are personal and confidential information – you’d not want them floating around!

• Your resume isn’t a piece of paper that needs to be designed to impress
• Instead, it is a bit like a sculpture and a work of art, that you can use to express
• There’s no end to the effort you can invest in its detailing
• The key is balance of all elements, and that requires deep thought and homework
• You can speak to it, ask questions of it and in fact, allow yourself to be questioned by it
• When you truly apply yourself to this process, you’ll learn much more about yourself and also be at great ease during
the interviews as well
Good luck!
In Closing

BASIC CONSTRUCT (NOT A TEMPLATE)

Name, prof. qualification (optional), contact details
Profile Summary (overrated section, can aid or hurt) – can drop this and use “Executive Highlights”, smartly
Executive highlights (equivalent of “What I’d like you to recall about my profile”)
 Your area(s) of expertise (industry, sectors, technical area) and who do you serve?
 Specialized qualifications/skills that are recent and highly relevant to the role you seek
 Your greatest accomplishments thus far (exclusive, significant, relevant, recent)
o Avoid generic statements. Show clear results (“Accomplished XXX by YYY”). XXX is the actual result and
YYYY is what you did – your core competency”)
o Accomplishments can be in the sphere of professional experiences, education, community efforts
Professional Experiences (equivalent of “here are additional details about my experience”)
2) Highlight experiences/skills gained in most recent stints (last 4-5 years). Manage space accordingly – more space for
most recent roles.
3) Check if your statements answers these Qs:
a. What do I do? (responsibilities/roles/results accomplished)
b. Why do I do what I do? (what are you trying to achieve through your roles?)
c. How do I do? (what skills did I use/learn as I executed my roles?)
Education
2) Many candidates make the mistake of listing every course/certification gained. Highlight your most significant
qualification. Group supplemental certifications separately
3) Knowledge of MS office applications can be stated as is. There’s no need to list out each MS office application.
4) If you only have a basic degree, take up a few online courses on Udemy, CourseEra, eDX etc. These will help indicate
that you are a self-starter. Knowledge of MS Excel is beneficial in most organizations. Consider courses in future
skills, esp. if your field is undergoing rapid changes now.
<Any other information>

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