A resume is defined as a written document that shows the work experience, skill and educational background of the person concerns. People need a resume when looking for work that helps them move further to reach the objectives of their careers-these aims are synchronized with their careers and serves as another step in climbing up the ladder of success.
In fact the importance of a resume is such that, the human resources department of any organization will eventually use this document as a means of assessing the individual concerned-this is because it serves as a snapshot of the person’s tangible competencies and skills. If properly written the Human Resources Department faces an easy task of placing the individual in the right job therefore fully utilizing his skill and expertise and allowing him to realize his potential. If the Human Resource department is not successful in identifying the quality and quantity of people to be recruited into the organization- there will a time when all qualified people will retire leaving behind under qualified personnel.
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The main objective of a resume is to promote the individual – you could say that it is a form of advertising – the resume is basically the first meeting you have with your potential employer as first impressions are lasting ones. Resumes share information with the employer, with you and serves the initial purpose of landing that interview – the potential employer uses the resume as a means to understand your potential and possible skills but the details on this resume needs to shout out to the employer that you are the person they want on their team so that even if you are not suited for the job the employer would be inclined to start a job for you. Resumes tell you thing about yourself, many people are have not yet decided about what they want to do for a living and often underestimate their worth to the organization-while listing your skills on a resume you need to think about job responsibilities therefore helping you to realize that you do know a lot and gain confidence about you potential. Last but not least, we have the interview-this is after all, the whole point of a resume. The resume serves as a first interview which, after being read by the employer, will determine whether you would get the call for the interview. When wording the resume, one normally highlights the good factors, this does not mean that we must provide incorrect information-as we want to makes an impression that lasts and that it is a profound and positive one. Yes along with an impressive resume you must possess additional skills such as people skills, work ethic etc. which alongside educational qualifications will help turn you into a terrific worker-this is usually given in the cover letter. If someone told you about the job, you should use his name and hope that he gives your employer a good impression of you!
Resumes aren’t dead yet-but with the advent of internet services and technology, they now have taken on various forms. If the resume was dead we would have no methods to assess the individual. When applying for a job, one has to submit a resume, irrespective of whether the person applies for the post from inside or outside the organization, or through recruitment agencies such as Monster.com, careerbuilder.com, etc. these websites also advertise jobs that that do not really require a resume, you simply have to call the prospective employer which serves as a form of interview, or the employer may ask for articles, if the respective post is related to journalism, creative writing. In all cases of possible employment you have to give the employer some means of assessment that will enhance your chances of getting the job.
Youtube, Skype and some websites enable jobseekers to record and send videos where they talk of their skills and why they would be suited for the job. These are known as video resumes. A video resume is another way for jobseekers to display their skills, expertise and knowledge through video therefore eliminating the need for paperwork. The videos can be prerecorded and then sent to the prospective employer or they can be online and live through the use of video chat, webcams and Skype. Just like a written resume, while preparing video resumes, they are a few do’s and don’ts that you have to follow-for example, you have to dress appropriately keeping in mind your target audience as well as be properly groomed as you will be seen and presentation is everything as it helps in creating a good first impression. You must stick to the point and speak about your work experience, past accomplishments, and qualifications with some amount of enthusiasm, all of which should be under a maximum of three to four minutes. Now depending on the job you are applying for the video resume is split into two categories-the professional video resume and the entertaining video resume. The entertaining video resume is useful for when you are looking for work in a creative stream such as journalism, news and television anchoring-aside from details about yourself, the employer assesses how well you can capture an audience. The professional video resume is when you want to take up a career in law, medicine, accounting, etc- here the employer only assesses your qualifications and how you will benefit the organization. If using a video resume you also have to ensure you that you use proper equipment so as to create a video with high quality and sound.
Recruitment websites take resumes and post them on the websites so that prospective employers can view the resumes and determine whether the candidate is suitable-the difference is that you don’t have to take your resume and run from one interview to another, the person can send an email with his resume, and at the same time organizations post advertisements looking for suitable candidates for vacancies in their organizations. Online and telephone interviews can also be used for this purpose-this is done downloading an interview questionnaire which is provided by the organization and the candidate ahs to fill this out and send it back to the organization who will assess it.
Some people advertise or showcase their talent, skill and expertise on websites created by them or may utilize their social networking accounts by uploading videos, photographs, samples of artwork, if you’re a singer, comedian or actor, you can showcase you work on the internet by using a website, accounts on Facebook, MySpace – normally people with creative skills use this medium for getting their work out therefore serving the purpose of a resume.
The resume isn’t quite dead yet, but with emerging technology it has taken on different forms-we cannot do without a resume as it is the first contact we have with a prospective employee, the first moment of truth, helping us to sum up what the individual is like before we meet him.
