Do's

• Arrive 10 minutes early
• Be sure to give a firm handshake, smile, maintain eye contact and have positive body language
• Listen carefully to questions and if you don’t understand a question, politely ask for clarification
• You can’t know everything. So, if you don’t know the answer, say no. Don’t try to give wrong answer or mislead the interviewer
• Be honest about your background and experience

Dont's

• Indulge in negative talks about your previous employer
• Make vague statements - be concise and specific
• Be too informal
• Speak for too long - more than two minutes is normally too much
• Act as though they need you and you don’t

Writing an effective and creative resume that gets results can be a daunting task. But if a few of the simple things are taken care of, your chances of being shortlisted for the interview enhance significantly.

Here are a few of the tips that will be immensely beneficial for any candidate, irrespective of the industry or organization to are applying to. These are some basic things that make a lasting impression

• Determine your job search objective prior to writing the resume and structure the content of your resume around that objective only. If you write your resume without having a clear objective in mind, it will come across as unfocussed to those who read it.
• You don’t need to go into detail about every accomplishment. Strive to be clear and concise. The purpose of your resume is to generate enough interest in you, to have an employer contact you for an interview.
• The language should be simple, the flow of language lucid and grammar absolutely correct. The format must be chosen carefully and consistency should be maintained through out. Use a font size no smaller than 10 point
• To improve the presentation and comprehension, use bulleted sentences. Resumes are read quickly (a resume gets an attention of 30 sec on an average) This bulleted sentence format makes it easier for someone to quickly scan your resume and still absorb it.
• To add life to your resume, use begin with action words like prepared, developed, monitored, and presented.
• Take the time to determine which bullets most strongly support your job search objective. Put those strong points first where they are more apt to be read.
• Use the key words listed in the ad (where the vacancy is advertised) and match them with the contents in your resume, highlight your suitability for the job profile.
• Use some technical jargon, specific to your industry. If there are terms that show your competence in a particular field, use them in your resume.
• Accent the positive and leave off negatives and irrelevant points. Lead with your strengths. Focus on the duties that support your objective.
• Rather than going into depth in one area, use your resume to highlight your breadth of knowledge.
• If you have reported to someone important such as a vice president or department manager, say so in your resume. Having reported to someone important causes the reader to infer that you are important.
• Limit the length of your resume to 1-2 pages. Help the reader to scan your resume efficiently and effectively.
• Since you are so close to your situation, it can be difficult for you to hit all your high points and clearly convey all your accomplishments. Have someone review your job search objective, your resume, and listings of positions that interest you.

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