CVs and Resumes

Most employers look at either, the CV or the resume, but the question is, how well does it highlight accomplishments and promote the individual? Either way, a resume or a CV is the first thing a hiring manager or a recruiter sees, and they will typically spend no more than 10 seconds looking at it if they don't see exactly what they are looking for right off the bat.

The main difference between a resume and a CV is the resume is supposed to be geared toward particular positions and job descriptions, roles and responsibilities, as well as educational background. A CV is more geared toward particular areas of interest, educational background, degrees received, additional courses taken, and awards received, as well as a list of jobs one has had. The key to both of these is to be to the point. CV's should never be more than a page long, and resumes, while the norm is one page, can sometimes run over. In your job descriptions, employers do not want to have to figure out what you did at any job you've had, so be direct, give a good description of your roles and responsibilities and move on. Same thing with CV's.

Resumes should not only get your point across that you are someone an employer should consider you, but they do also have to look nice. It's better that the resumes have a brief 3 or 4 line statement (Executive or Professional Summary) at the top that states what you are looking for in a company, type of job, and why. For example:

A dedicated software engineer with 7 years of experience designing and developing cutting edge software applications seeking new challenges with a growing company which will allow me to utilize my current skills and help me learn and develop new ones.

It doesn't have to be much, but it helps the reader understand very quickly who you are, what you do, and what you are looking for. For people with more than one year of experience, Professional experience should come next on the resume. List jobs in chronological order from the most recent, back. Give a brief but pointed description of what your roles and responsibilities are/were, technologies used.

Next should come the certification classes, and any certifications you have. Following that, is your educational background. If you have more than a few years of experience, you do not need to list your GPA since it is usually irrelevant after you graduate and get real jobs. If an employer is interested in that, he will ask for it. And finally list any additional skills that are not evident in your job descriptions.

Now I'll leave you with a title 10 ways your resume irks hiring managers

1. Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.
2. Opening objectives.
3. Personal attributes.
4. Interests and hobbies.
5. Details of every task you've ever performed in every job you've ever had.
6. Excessive bragging.
7. Outdated information.
8. False information.
9. Unexplained gaps in work history.
10. A lack of professionalism.

References:
http://forums.topcoder.com/?module=Thread&threadID=505191&start=0&mc=11
http://jobs.aol.com/article/_a/10-ways-your-resume-irks-hiring-managers/20070809123709990001?ncid=AOLCOMMjobs