Why Building the Right Resume Matters The document is the first touch point with a recruiter and needs special attention
By Agamoni Ghosh •
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As opportunities of face-to-face interactions shrink in the tech-driven job market, resumes have become more important than ever. While they may not be the final barometer for judging a recruit, they help build the first step to cracking any job opportunity.
More than often candidates with the best of qualifications and skill set fail to make an impact owing to a resume that is not drafted in the right manner. Reeti Roy, Founder of Aglet Ink, a company that deals specifically in crafting resumes and cover letters for their clients, believes a resume is the first touch point with a recruiter and needs special attention.
The Details
"While seemingly innocuous, details on a resume are of paramount importance," said Roy, who has worked with clients spanning across India, UK, Germany, Canada, China and Italy and ranging from beginners to senior management professionals. "As the resume and cover letter are usually the first point of contact, it could be a "make or break' situation for the thousands of prospective job hunters," she added.
The Challenge
Engaging the recruiter is a daunting task as it not only requires due diligence, but a fair understanding of the keywords mentioned for the position of interest. While many candidates have exceptional backgrounds and may be perfectly suited for a post, it becomes difficult for them to infuse those keywords throughout this summarized document and that's where help is needed the most.
"Every word counts. How you present yourself matters," said Roy, who started her venture after realizing how people were unable to present themselves well on paper.
Effective Editing
Perfect resumes do not exist, but near-perfect ones do. This is where the need for polishing a resume comes in and the effective editing is the core to drafting a high-level summary of the candidate.
"Writing everything one has have ever done in their lives on their resume is a key mistake. Rather, resumes need to be carefully crafted to suit the specific needs of the industry you are applying to," says Roy.
Dealing with Accomplished Resumes
Senior management professionals climbed the professional ladder for a reason — they are great at their jobs. But getting such people to effectively edit out parts of their resume that is not relevant was initially challenging for Roy as they would need some amount of convincing.
"They were initially skeptical, of course. But that's where my own credentials came into play. Having been a LAMP fellow and worked for Harvard, Columbia, UNICEF somewhat convinced them that I was in a position to give a fresh look to their resume (point out inconsistencies, grammatical errors and fact check) while maintaining the vision they believe in," said Roy.
