Saving the Best for the Last? - Decision Tree

Institutionalized by long years of academic influences, we have learnt to formulate stories in a way that the best part is always saved for the last. Remember the essays you wrote, or that school debate?

This style of story writing, unfortunately, also reflects in the way we write our resumes!

Job seekers, especially senior executives eying high responsibility roles, need to write direct stories instead of resumes that ‘build on’. This suggestion finds its root in the sad fact that recruiters barely have time to sit tight while your resume ‘builds on’ or ‘leads to’ all the great achievements under your belt.

Reiterating the fact that an average recruiter spends less than 30 seconds on a resume, the last thing you want is to create confusion. While you really are eager to tell your extraordinary story, you must be careful not to befuddle the reader with a loud write up in your ‘Professional Synopsis’, or dazzle her with a medley of your certifications / skills – MDP-  IIMA, Python, C++, Agile, MSQL, etc. (sounds familiar?).

So, what’s the ideal way of telling your story?

Human gaze is trained to focus on about half of the page at one time. This means that the recruiter reading your resume would focus on the first half of the first page. And this is where s/he decides to read further, or dump the resume in a pile of unsuccessful resumes. The first half page is the ultimate opportunity area for all well crafted resumes!

What should you write in the first half page of your resume?

The first half page of your resume should give an ample idea to the reader about you. By merely glancing at the first half page of the resume, they should realize where you come from, what you bring to the table, and how / where you are professionally engaged at the moment.

Well said, but what to write in the first half page of the resume to capture the recruiters’ interest?

The trick is to sit back, take a deep breath, and try to put yourself in the recruiters’ shoes.

Eureka!

Now you precisely know that the recruiter, in all probabilities, is referring to a document titled ‘Job Description’ of the role you are applying for.

Decision Tree Consulting always advises its clients to mould their resumes to map it with the requirements of the JD of the target role. The first half page of the resume should ideally include a crisp, yet all inclusive Summary covering exposure to various sectors / industries, any key qualification specifically required for the role sought, between three to five best career achievements (preferably in bullets)  – in harmony with the role sought – and a mention of the present organization and role.

From the second half onwards (and ideally up to two pages), professional engagements and achievements can be listed either in a skill-based or reverse chronological order – concluded by essentials such as educational details, skills, interests etc.

By focusing more on the first half page of the resume, job seekers can truly enhance their chances of securing a job interview for their target role – the first and most important step in bagging a fine new job!