Your best personal “advertising” tool to get the attention of employers is your curriculum vitae, otherwise now more widely referred to as your resume.  You would certainly be vying for the same position along with probably hundreds of other eager applicants! How will you get noticed, or better yet, be seriously considered?

Ms. Malou Antiojo, Consulting Manager at KSearch for Finance, Banking, and BPO Practice areas, pointed out some ways to help you stand out at the outset!  According to Malou, she can, from her vantage point, identify at first glance which resume deserves a call-back. Prior to KSearch, she had the opportunity to work in several prestigious companies in the Philippines as Recruitment Specialist-Manager and Senior Supervising Consultant. She was trained to ensure that recruitment needs per department were met at all times and had taken the lead in overseeing the smooth flow of the work process, recommending changes and improvements to align with the growth of the business.

According to Ms. Antiojo, roughly 50% of the executive recruiter’s time is spent on screening resumes for various positions.  This is the part where, she stressed, the recruiter gets a crucial first impression on the applicant.  She added, the vital importance of a properly developed resume cannot therefore be taken for granted.

Ms. Antiojo cautions in this article what every job applicant should avoid doing when preparing a resume:  

·         Don’t ever misrepresent important information such as education, name of employers, personal details, and position with your current and previous employer(s) and training(s).

·         Don’t include your photo, unless needed; if required by the prospective employer, photo must appear business-like.

·         Don’t include mobile and landline numbers, email address that you are not personally using.  Contact details should always be updated.

·         Don’t include salary information (said information is highly confidential).

·         Don’t oversize or over-minimize font styles. It must be readable e.g. Arial, Times New Roman, 12.

·         Don't go beyond three pages with your resume -- even if you are an executive level job-seeker.

·         Don't use weak verbs.  Use concrete action verbs consistently.

·         Don’t misspell words.  Proof-read and be very careful with your grammar.

·         Don’t be disorganized.  Arrange your resume details in chronological order.

·         Don't give the job description of your role in detail.  Interviewers usually ask the details during the interview.  Instead, highlight accomplishments and milestones.

·         Don't emphasize older experience on your resume.  List them in simple fashion (title, employer, location) with dates of employment.

·          Don’t include unnecessary skills, activities, trainings not related to the position that you are applying for.  Why describe how great your clerical skills are if you are applying for a managerial job?

·         Don't include any information that could be perceived as controversial such as religion, church affiliations, or political affiliations.

·         Don't include interest, hobbies or other irrelevant information on a resume, e.g., weight, information about your parents and siblings. 

·         Don't list references on your resume.  Provide them only when they are specifically requested.

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