Top 5 Challenges Freshers Face with Resume Creation

Resume Writing Challenges - Have you recently begun job hunting? Do you face the dilemma of how to build a resume or which is the best resume format that should be followed? Is it that you have things to write on your resume but lack the resume writing skills or is it more like you are still getting things accumulated to be written following the best resume format that exists?

If either of these befits you then what follows might be of great assistance to you in reaching the best resume format that you have been looking for.

As a fresher or a newbie, our minds are filled with questions and anxieties. Be it any field or even life for that matter, the fear of the unknown and unexplored always baffles our minds.

The same is the case when we sit to write our very first resume. What to write in the resume, how to go about it, which format to follow, what skills to include and many such questions keep us so occupied that we fear sitting and writing that resume down.

I remember writing all sorts of trivial things in my first resume and sending it out to a company without consulting any person with knowledge of the subject. How embarrassed and stupid it felt when I later figured out my mistakes is indescribable!

Well, I suppose what fate I had with that job is evident but in order to not follow suit and ensure yourself a job in the very first attempt, you must ensure that you have the best resume in hand obtained by following the best resume format.

In earlier days creating and sending out resumes weren’t much of a big deal but in today’s world of cutthroat competition, people get rejected even before they are actually called for an interview where they might have fellow applicants. Their applications get rejected right in the initial round where they are unable to meet the standards set by fellow applicants.

Statistics show that for any particular job, the hiring authorities receive about 250 applications on an average of which only 4-6 get shortlisted and from among those just one person gets the job! With such scary figures, it is truly unwise to even consider taking a chance with one’s resume.

It doesn’t matter if you are just out of school or college; the very fact that you out there trying to get a job brings you the responsibility of creating a good resume.

Let us go about this problem from the grass root level by addressing the challenges a fresher or any person for that matter, faces in reaching the best resume format (in order of their appearance):

1.) What is the best resume format that we are talking about comprised of?

There exist ample of resume templates and formats, choosing the aptest one out of which is a task that involves a bit of brainstorming and self-analysis. The best resume format is inclusive of the following:

Chronological resume format Functional resume format Combination resume format

But how do we make out which of these is suitable for our job history or our background? Undoubtedly, the goal is to create a perfect resume but finding the proper resume format is vital.

The Chronological resume format is perhaps the most common and widely used format. It basically lists every job you’ve had, starting with the most recent. This format can be considered by recent graduates with experience in the field through paid jobs and internships, mid-career professional with an extensive employment history, people with a work history that shows progress and forward movement along a relatively narrow career path, individuals with nationally/internationally recognized companies, military members looking to shift to civilian positions with similar job functions and responsibilities.

However, this won’t help you attain the best resume samples if you are an individual who frequently changes jobs, happen to have gaps in your employment history, is changing career paths, happens to be over-qualified for the job or is a new graduate with no relevant experience.

While the chronological format is widely used, the Functional resume format is gaining popularity in the past decade. Those wishing to focus more on skills rather than work history can use this method. The clarity derived from functional resumes is preferred by hiring authorities as well.

This format is beneficial for those individuals who have significant gaps in their work history, those needing to emphasize skills over job titles or companies worked for, job seekers who frequently change jobs, persons who are re-entering the workforce, people seeking to shift to a new career, etc,. The key to creating a functional resume is focusing on one’s responsibilities, skills, experience, and achievements.

If a person feels like he is comfortable with neither the chronological nor the functional formats; then he/she should consider the Combination resume format. It is more suitable for employees with top-notch skills that are a key part of the position sought, those applying for technical, scientific, or IT positions that require specific skill set or individuals looking to change industries and who need to push their universal skills over previous employers. However, it is not the best resume format for students or recent graduates who lack significant or relevant skills.

But one must choose the resume format in line with one’s background and also the job applied for in order to have one’s resume listed with the ones following the best resume format.

2.) Having a cover letter

One golden rule to winning a job is always attaching a cover letter to your resume. While some consider it too tedious a task to involve in after indulging so much into resume writing, others aren’t aware of its importance or format of writing. Hence, many people tend to skip this vital part.

This is perhaps one of the most common resume tips one can find on writing a professional resume. The best resume format always and mandatorily consists of a cover letter. Fix it in your mind that resume and cover letter walk together on the path towards job-winning.

3.) The dilemma of what to write

Freshers tend to be totally clueless about what to include in their resumes. Being engaged in school and college assignments and projects all their lives, the professional atmosphere, its mannerisms, and rules tend to all go over their heads when they step into the corporate or professional world initially.

To write a resume in the best resume format one must go through resume examples and resume guides such as this. There are also several online resume makers and resume reviewing sites that can help you improve and even create your first resumes.

We at CV Owl provide this much needed assistance for free to freshers and everyone else trying to create a decent resume that ensures that one faces minimal rejection while job-hunting. Our experts take utmost effort to find the best resume format for you that befits your skills and qualifications which helps a lot in the long run.

4.) Cannot recollect your previous work record

Well this to me is a pretty petty challenge because I would always keep a track of what activities I indulge in. However, those individuals who are not in the habit of recording their activities in life will definitely be faced with this problem.

Looking silly on the surface, the problem of not recalling what and where you were associated with and for how long can be can be quite serious when you sit to jot down your work experiences.

The best resume format gives a precise record of the various activities you have been associated with over a span of the last 5-10 years.

Hence, I can only advice you to be specific and particular in recording your experiences for future references. Only this can help you attain the best resume format.

When you have a long work history it is only normal to omit valuable work experience from your resume. Apart from this, many people also undertake various tasks outside of their intended job responsibility. A failure to highlight instances where you exceeded expectations can seriously handicap true interview landing potential of your resume.

5.) How to write a resume in line with current times highlighting the skills I have?

No matter how skilled you are and what qualifications you hold, if that doesn’t reflect in your resume then certainly you have failed in achieving the best resume format. I don’t intend to dishearten you but it is vital that while resume writing, you give stress on highlighting your technical skills. You may seek the help of the internet and our site to find lines befitting your qualifications that you can directly include in your resume.

The best resume format is also one that is in line with the needs of the market and the employers. The best resume format demands that you keep updating it from time to time. Resume writing is not as easy as it seems on the surface but it also isn’t as difficult as first-time resume writers assume it to be.

With proper guidance, one can swiftly create a resume that has followed all the criteria of the best resume format which shall convince employers in a jiffy.

In your pursuit of reaching the best resume format, you may consult with our experts at CV Owl who are always glad and available to help you.

We hope this piece on the challenges a fresher faces when at resume making and on how to use the best resume format for your resume has been of some help to you.

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