Do’s and Don’ts of making your profile more effective.

Here are some of the most popular Always, Do’s and Don’ts of making your profile more effective. We have compiled these recommendations from some of the leading talent professionals for your reference.
First and foremost - Apply responsibly! Posting your profile against all advertised positions does not guarantee a faster placement. On the contrary it leaves a negative impression on the recruiter who may not even consider you for the next position that matches your profile. Please read the job ad and requirements carefully before submitting your profile!
Always!:
• Put your name, phone number and email address in a header....just in case the pages come apart. No more information is needed in today’s digital age.
• List professional qualifications at the top. Don’t make the reader search for your qualifications. Be very clear if you are fully qualified in this area or working your way through. As a professional it’s your career history that should take precedence over qualifications, education and personal information.
• Chronology – recent experience first. Always begin with your current experience first followed by previous work experience.
• KIS – keep it simple! HR managers and recruiters do not have time go over complicated profile layouts. You will get better and longer lasting attention if you profile is laid out in the simplest formats without any fancy graphics or pictures. Try using the same fonts throughout the profile and the same font color.
• Make bullet points consistent and plain. Squares, circles or dots. Nothing fancy.
• Quality NOT quantity – stick to the point, there will be plenty of opportunity to go into the details during the face to face interview.
• Achievements will make or break a resume. This is THE way to set yourself apart from your competition. Quantify if possible with numbers. The human eye is drawn to numbers (as well as acronyms that it understands such as ‘MBA’, so it increases the time the reader spends on your CV. It’s also more specific and paints a picture.
o Difference between responsibility and achievement:
 Achievements are:
 The end result of a project
 A demonstration of your going ‘above and beyond’
 An accolade or award
 Typically quantifiable
 Achievements are NOT:
 A process procedure
 Part of your job description
 Expected as a routine part of your daily work
• Have an overall heading for jobs with multiple positions and list very first start date and last end date. Then break the positions down below. This makes the reader recognise continuity of employment. Listing each position separately makes it look to the hurried reader as if you’ve had multiple jobs instead of multiple promotions.
• Keep your resume to 4 pages or less, 2 if you have less than 5 years’ work experience.
• Remember, the only reason for a resume is to generate an interview.
• Remember that THE BEST of resumes are typically only read for 15 seconds. Use your 15 seconds of fame wisely!
Do's!:
• List education at top if something to be proud of.
• Put a summary of what the company does including its size, products or services and potentially competitors.
• Spend more time on achievements then responsibilities. There is not a lot of difference between what one Sales Manager or Marketing Manager does and another in a similar function or industry. It is their achievements that set them apart. The reader always asks, “What can this candidate do for me?” And (s)he bases the answer on what your resume demonstrates you’ve done for others.
• Be brief in describing your responsibilities.
• List interests or community involvement which shows you are a multi-dimensional person.
• Make the format very easy to read with lots of white space and bullet points.
• Be concise and articulate. Be specific, sell yourself!!!!!
Dont’s!:
• List education at top if NOT something to be proud of.
• Let this read like a job description. Let your achievements tell the story.
• Break up sections (and certainly not sentences) between pages. It’s much easier for a reader to follow if one job section flows on same page.
• Include an objective. That’s for your cover letter. If anything, write a killer value statement (30 second elevator pitch) that tells the reader what you can bring to the table and how you can solve their problem.
• Use different colors; any color is fine as long as it’s black.
• Use summaries (i.e. transferable skills, employment summaries (with the exception above)). They will not be read, are rarely well written and can detract immeasurably from the resume.
• Put your picture on your profile/cv/resume.
• Use logos, they tend to clutter and look unprofessional.