Key resume skills

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

"They are greeted by their clothes," says the first part of the well-known proverb. This is why career sections in many magazines give their readers advice on how to dress for an interview. "The hair is long - the mind is short" is another pearl of folk wisdom, and for this case, on the pages of many printed publications you can find photographs of neat "business" hairstyles that can turn a punk princess into the embodiment of professionalism. "Eyes are the mirror of the soul," and here psychologists come into play, who advise looking into the eyes of the interlocutor and smiling.

In general, you are ready for an interview: an impeccable suit is ironed, your hair is hair-to-hair, an open gaze and a smile of 32 teeth. In addition, you have an honors degree and work experience. But for some reason no one invites you for an interview yet.

So how do you get to this interview? How to impress a future employer who has not yet seen you, a smart, beautiful woman? A correctly written resume - CV (curriculum vitae) - is the bridge that can lead you to the long-awaited professional one-on-one.

Key resume skills need to be clear and concise, give a complete picture of your work experience, and at the same time generate curiosity, leaving room for questions in future interviews - all on one A4 page, maximum of one and a half pages. Concentrate, imagine the company of your dreams and start …

In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, once upon a time …

A classic start for stories with a happy ending. For your story to end well, be more accurate and informative. The first section of the resume is. In this part, the future employer would like to see your full name, year of birth, marital status, and whether you have children. In some countries, it is customary to attach a photograph of the candidate to the CV. In Russia, a photo is necessary only when applying for positions where appearance is important for work - restaurant administrator, fashion salon manager. As a rule, in the announcement of such vacancies, they immediately write about the need for a photograph, so it is better to attach it to your resume only in those cases when you are asked to do so. In the autobiographical section, you must also include all contact information: address, email address, home and mobile phone numbers. But it's better not to write a work phone number or send a resume from a corporate email address: it is not necessary to demonstrate to the company you are interested in that you are using "working" communication means for personal purposes.

After personal information usually follows In this case, information can be submitted in two ways, depending on the presence or absence of this very work experience. "The sum does not change from the change of places of the terms", but the first impression can be completely different. If you have just graduated from college or are working very recently, start by studying. Write which educational institution you graduated from, the duration of the course, the faculty and the name of your diploma - all this may be of interest to your potential employers.

If you have attended any specialized courses, also write about it with an indication of the results at the end of them, such as an internship or a promotion. Although the courses are also different and not all of them are appropriate to indicate in the resume. I remember that at the age of 18 I was terribly proud of the fact that I attended a school of fashion models and always wrote about this in my CV when I was looking for a secretary job for the summer. I think everyone understands what kind of proposals I have received. As soon as I removed the "model school" from my resume, the companies' responses became extremely professional.

If you are not a green newbie and you have something to brag about professionally, then brag! Start your key resume skills by describing your work experience, and then post your studies. By this you inform the employer that you have already risen enough on the career ladder, but at the same time all your achievements are based on a solid "granite of science". In chronological order, starting from the last or current place of work, indicate the name of the company and its brief description, the title of your position and your responsibilities, and try to imagine what your future boss might think about all this.

Do you remember the fable about the dragonfly and the ant? Usually the fable itself is vaguely remembered, but everyone knows that the ant was a positive and stable worker, but the dragonfly was a frivolous hopper. Now look at your resume, who are you? If you have worked in the same place for five years, like a diligent ant, then describe in more detail how your responsibilities have changed from year to year and how your company has developed. And if it so happened that in two years you have changed three companies? At first glance, it may seem that you are a dragonfly hopping that jumps from one place to another and does not linger anywhere. In order not to make a negative, and most importantly, the wrong impression, explain in a few words why you left your previous jobs.

Another of the folk wisdom warns: "Your tongue is your enemy." When looking for a job, a language, especially a foreign one, can become a best friend and a springboard for a career, therefore, after describing your professional experience, you should select a paragraph in your resume for your linguistic capabilities. Indicate all that you know and the level of proficiency in them, as well as assessment certificates, if you have ever seriously passed foreign language exams in special courses. If you have "English with a dictionary", write about it anyway, what if you need to read some technical instructions for your future work? The "school" level of English is quite enough for this.

Another paragraph of your resume will be devoted to listing all the programs that you know and the level of proficiency in them, as well as pay attention to the graphic design of your resume: such little things as the correct font and aligned paragraphs once again show that you have no problems with a computer. …

When you're done with professional characteristics, try adding to your resume: write about your interests and hobbies to show that you are not a robot, but a living person who has something to do outside of working hours. Sports (you are energetic and full of energy) and reading English classics in the original (you know a foreign one) are welcome, and cross-stitching and growing zucchini at home are not very good, although … if it's really interesting, write, why not?

It is also useful to write something original in your CV (like hunting sharks) - and they will certainly want to talk to you.

And at the end

A few words so that the key skills for a resume are true … If it seems to you that your work experience is not impressive enough, and you do not shine in foreign languages, you should not invent non-existent professional achievements … Usually interviews are conducted not by fools, but by trained specialists on personnel, they will in no time determine that the brilliant career you declared exists only on paper. Another popular saying: "What is written with a pen, you cannot cut it out with an ax" … Nonsense! Nowadays, a resume is compiled on a computer, and even if the first attempt fails, click on Delete and rewrite it. All in your hands!