JANUARY 13 — Resumes. CVs. Some people think the two are the same, but they’re not. They’re not actually that hard to write, but they’re very easy to botch.

A resume is a concise summary of what you will bring to the job you’re applying for. A curriculum vitae or CV is a more detailed document, that is usually more common for those applying for research or academic positions.

First, you have to determine: do you need a resume or a CV? If your academic qualifications are the most important requirement, then a CV. If not, then a resume is for you. CVs are also required by recruitment firms, headhunters or overseas placement firms.

The Australian government has a couple of good resume templates you can download. There are some tweaks I would make to the template, which I’ll get to later.

My experience with Singapore job search firms: they want every detail, up to where you went to primary school and every type of paper qualification you have, even if it is just your primary school leaving cert. Malaysian recruiting agencies on the other hand a lot less demanding.

Here is the reality: many resumes are tossed as part of the hiring process.

For resumes, here are a few tips:

1. Keep it short

Assuming you’re vying for a job with hundreds of applicants, try and aim for one page, two pages maximum. Over long and you risk seeing your resume go straight to the bin.

“But Erna, shouldn’t employers look and read all the resumes to be fair? Even if they’re long?”

I’m sorry but that is not how the real world works. Most hiring personnel will skim through your resume, look for relevant keywords. If they can quickly ascertain whether you are qualified at a quick glance, you’ll have a higher chance. They are not duty-bound to read every single resume.

2. Stick to the basics

You should have the following in your resume:

Your name and contact information including a contact number and email.

Your educational background.

Relevant work experience.

Your career objective summarised in one sentence.

Nice to have but won’t hurt your resume if you don’t have them: awards, professional certification.

3. Don’t bother with a photograph

Unless you photograph really well and/or a photograph is requested, don’t send out a photo with your application. It will be a waste of money.

4. Don’t list down your referees if they’re not requested

Just write under referees on your resume: references provided upon request.

Why does this matter? This is about information privacy, something that matters more in this day and age. Unless they’re specifically asked for, don’t share your referees’ personal information unnecessarily.

5. Don’t include your IC number either

Malaysians are far too blasé about their identity card numbers. They can, for one, reveal your birth date, something identity thieves are too keen to exploit. There are plenty of people who use their own birthdays as passwords which might sound silly to you but considering how many people also still use passwords like “123” or “password”, it’s best to stay safe than sorry

6. Use simple, clear language

Save your self-praise for your interview. Leave your thesaurus on the shelf and just state simply your qualifications. No one is impressed by verbose language or an overblown vocabulary.

7. Focus on achievements, not duties

If you’re a fresh grad, well, tough luck (though you could include university association or volunteer experience). If you’re an experienced worker, frame your work experience in achievements. Nobody wants to hear “filed documents.” Write instead “reorganised filing system to increase efficiency by x per cent.”

8. No fancy stuff please

I saw a resume for a banking job where the applicant decided to write his name in a stylised colour logo. It wasn’t even a nice logo. No graphics, no glitter, no cute clip art. Just simple readable font like Arial or Times New Roman (it looks better on a page).

9. Answer the question

Employers want your resume to answer the following:

1. Are you qualified?

2. What can you do for them?

3. Could you be the right fit?

4. Why should we hire you?

To be fair though, if you do get the interview, it will be mostly about answering in greater detail question no. 4.

Should you have more resume questions, feel free to email me at erna@themalaymailonline.com and I’ll do my best to answer them in future columns. Best of luck with your job applications!

*This is the personal opinion of the columnist.