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As my job hunt progresses, I am starting to get down to my resume. While writing it, I will share with you some details and ‘how to’ guide.

CV versus Resume

There are few slight differences between a European CV and an American resume. Depending on a location of the desired job, you have to know when to use what. Personally, I prefer resumes over CVs because of one simple reason – their length (1 page) allows the applicant to sell him or herself more efficiently. There is less space for irrelevant information, and more space for key messages you want to get across. You can afford to be selective. Actually, you are even required to be selective, if you want to succeed.

There is also a difference between a chronological and functional resume. As entry-level graduates, chances are that we cannot use the functional variant simply because we do not have a sufficient array of experience and soft skills. Thus, we will stick with the chronological resume throughout this series.

Before you start writing

One size fits none. Remember this. If you have just one resume and you send it to all positions you are applying for, chances are that you won’t be invited for an interview. Every job position has got unique attributes that you need to discern from the job ad, and use them as a basis for customization of your resume.  You should send out only resumes that are modified (according to truth!) to fit the position you are applying for

For example, I could be interested in the jobs below. They all fit my skill set.

• Assistant Brand Manager at an FMCG company

• Entry level HR administrator at a consulting firm

• Account executive at a PR agency

Do you honestly think that sending one version of the resume to all of the three firms will do the trick? The truth is that it won’t, because the positions are fundamentally different from another. Companies and their values differ greatly too.

So what to do now? Find the must-have attributes in the job ad for the given position. Then look back in your career / education / training, and try to recall an experience that would prove you possess the must-have quality. No need to write anything down yet, just think about it.

In the next part of the series, we will look at articulating our messages on paper.