Write to impress - Hook potential employers with a well written resume

This post came out from The Straits Times (9 July 2012)
Title - Write to impress

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Choose from four formats
2. Four important elements

On Choose from four formats

• Education oriented - This format is generally suitable for new entrants with little or no work experience. The primary focus is on educational qualifications, academic achievements and key skills. Skills can include internships, volunteer work and other campus experiences relevant to the applied position. Any employment history is briefly summarised or avoided.
• Experience oriented - This is an appropriate format for people with many years of working experience but who lack education qualifications or training. As experience is the major focus, facts on the person's employment history are listed in reverse chronological order.
• Expertise centred - This format is only suitable for professionally qualified individuals with specialist qualifications, extensive training, experience and achievements in a specific field or industry. Prominence is given in the document to work experience supported by summaries of key competency areas, expertise and career accomplishments.
• Integrated - This is appropriate for young graduates with the necessary educational qualifications and a few years of relevant working experience. The emphasis is on the candidates's educational level and skills - and hence, his potential to achieve - while his employment history and relevant experience underscore his suitability for the position.

On Four important elements

• Suitable length - A resume is essentially a summary of what is covered in slightly more detail in a CV. Generally, a resume is about two pages long and a CV about five pages. Employers usually evaluate and judge a job application within five minutes when there are many applicants. Within the time frame, the document should be able to attract the employer's attention to salient information about the applicant.
• Professional image - The first impression of the jobseeker comes from his job application. As such, it should be neat, consistently well organised and readable. Sentences should be short and clear with consistency in headings and fonts. 
• Relevant content - The CV or resume has to be clearly structured to help the potential employer find important information easily. Generally, strengths should be highlighted and weaknesses given less emphasis. Avoid sending a single standard document for all job applications. Each document should be tailored to emphasise only competencies and experiences directly relevant to the job position applied for.
• Error free - Sufficient thought and time must be invested to carefully write, edit and proofread the job application. There should never be any factual, typographical, spelling, grammar or punctuation errors in the final document. Even a small error can dent a professional image and cost the jobseeker the opportunity for a job interview. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big