Resume Info
1. While applying for a job, which of these documents would you send across?
a) Curriculum vitae.
b) Bio data.
c) Resume.
The correct answer is: c
While the popular perception is that these three words are used alternatively, there is a subtle difference in their meaning. A resume is necessarily short (a lot of MNCs prefer one-pagers). It skims the surface and is normally used for job applications, b-school admissions, etc.
A curriculum vitae is a short account of one's career and qualifications. It is longer than a resume and is typically used when applying for academic or research positions. It can contain details of awards, memberships, affiliations, projects, dissertations, etc. and may span across several pages.
On the other hand, a bio data is about one or two pages in length and contains an overview of a person's life including personal details, contact details, profession, hobbies, etc. Since it has generic biographical information, it can be used as an introductory document before a speech, a seminar, etc.
2. What font should ideally be used for headings in a resume?
a) Sans serif fonts.
b) Serif fonts.
c) Fancy fonts.
The correct answer is: a
Sans serif fonts (such as Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, etc.) do not have the small features called "serifs" at the end of strokes. They are typically used for headings.
On the other hand, serif fonts (such as Times New Roman, Georgia, Garamond, etc.) are preferred for body texts because serifs help guide the eye along the lines in large blocks of text. Thus reading speed is marginally increased.
Fancy fonts should never be used in a resume, or for that matter, any official document.
3. Ideally, what should be the length of a resume?
a) 2-3 pages.
b) 1-2 pages.
c) 3-4 pages.
The correct answer is: b
Remember that recruiters receive hundreds, even thousands of resumes for their perusal. Hence, readability and brevity is very important. The length of a resume should never be more than 2 pages. Do not get descriptive; preferably use bullet points to highlight your experience and qualifications. .
4. Which of the following is a good example of phrasing the 'Hobbies and interests' section of a resume?
a) Watching TV, listening to music, sleeping.
b) Public speaking, tourism, watching TV programs on nature.
c) Socialising, travelling, singing.
The correct answer is: b
The hobbies and interests section should complement your experience and qualifications. The prospective employers would not be interested in how you spend your time at home. Pastimes such as watching TV, listening to music or sleeping may in fact present a negative picture about you, in that a recruiter may presume you are passive and like to while away your time.
Mentioning vague hobbies such as travelling (a term that encompasses local traveling/commuting as well), socializing (which could mean going out with friends or partying) does not add anything of value.
Mention interests that could be an asset for the prospective employer. It could be a skill that showcases your creativity such as oil painting or poetry, something that indicates your confidence level such as public speaking, or your quest for knowledge and inquisitiveness such as watching documentaries on natural phenomena. .
5. How should the description of your work experience be phrased in your resume?
a) It should list all the activities that you carried out as a part of your work profile (such as coordination with the marketing team, reconciling account statements, scheduling ad releases, etc.).
b) It should talk about the results that your work brought to the employer (such as 10 per cent reduction in the consumption of stationary, reduction of 30 man hours per week due to streamlining of processes, reduction of customer handling time by 60 seconds per call, etc.)
c) It should describe the processes and systems you used as a part of your work (such as accounting using Tally 6.3, making reports in Microsoft Excel, creating PowerPoint presentations, etc.)
The correct answer is: b
Every job entails some amount of coordination, teamwork, logistics, etc. Therefore, mentioning these details does not add value to your resume. What a prospective employer would be interested in would be the difference that you have made in tangible terms. Hence, as far as possible, quantify your work in terms of bringing about increase in productivity, sales or turnover. Operational enhancements that you have caused will project you in a good light.
As far as job-specific systems or processes are concerned, you are anyway bound to be trained on them when you are employed. Hence, it is not necessary to talk about them in your resume (unless you are an IT professional – you need to mention the languages and platforms). Of course, basic knowledge of computers such as Microsoft Office and Internet is expected in every job of late; so mentioning that is superfluous.
6. Which of the following is not required in your resume?
a) Religion that you follow.
b) Local address.
c) Nationality.
The correct answer is: a
A resume is a factual representation of your professional identity. It would not be impacted in anyway by your personal beliefs. Hence, do not mention your religion on your resume. Contact details such as local address is mandatory for prospective employers to get in touch with you. These days, since resumes are uploaded on job portals, which can be accessed by recruiters from all over the world, it is advisable to mention your nationality.
7. If your name is 'Anita Singh', which of the following would be a suitable email ID to be mentioned in your resume?
a) anita_singh@rediffmail.com
b) anita.singh@infosys.com
c) coolannie@rediffmail.com
The correct answer is: a
Create an email ID that sounds formal and preferably includes your complete name. Never use an official ID to correspond for new jobs. It is not professional. At the same time, fancy email IDs are best reserved to correspond with friends or for anonymous chats. .
8. Among the following, which should be a part of your resume?
a) References.
b) Rewards and recognitions.
c) Salary expectations.
The correct answer is: b
Earlier, references used to be commonly included as a part of a resume. However, it is not mandatory any more. You need not even mention that references would be available on request. You can present the references if you are selected and ask for them by your prospective employer.
Never mention salary expectations on your resume. Also, do not mention the salary that you are currently drawing. Of course, you can always mention any rewards (social or official) that you have been given, as it adds a positive dimension to your personality. .
Taken from http://specials.rediff.com/getahead/2007/apr/17resumequiz.htm
a) Curriculum vitae.
b) Bio data.
c) Resume.
The correct answer is: c
While the popular perception is that these three words are used alternatively, there is a subtle difference in their meaning. A resume is necessarily short (a lot of MNCs prefer one-pagers). It skims the surface and is normally used for job applications, b-school admissions, etc.
A curriculum vitae is a short account of one's career and qualifications. It is longer than a resume and is typically used when applying for academic or research positions. It can contain details of awards, memberships, affiliations, projects, dissertations, etc. and may span across several pages.
On the other hand, a bio data is about one or two pages in length and contains an overview of a person's life including personal details, contact details, profession, hobbies, etc. Since it has generic biographical information, it can be used as an introductory document before a speech, a seminar, etc.
2. What font should ideally be used for headings in a resume?
a) Sans serif fonts.
b) Serif fonts.
c) Fancy fonts.
The correct answer is: a
Sans serif fonts (such as Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, etc.) do not have the small features called "serifs" at the end of strokes. They are typically used for headings.
On the other hand, serif fonts (such as Times New Roman, Georgia, Garamond, etc.) are preferred for body texts because serifs help guide the eye along the lines in large blocks of text. Thus reading speed is marginally increased.
Fancy fonts should never be used in a resume, or for that matter, any official document.
3. Ideally, what should be the length of a resume?
a) 2-3 pages.
b) 1-2 pages.
c) 3-4 pages.
The correct answer is: b
Remember that recruiters receive hundreds, even thousands of resumes for their perusal. Hence, readability and brevity is very important. The length of a resume should never be more than 2 pages. Do not get descriptive; preferably use bullet points to highlight your experience and qualifications. .
4. Which of the following is a good example of phrasing the 'Hobbies and interests' section of a resume?
a) Watching TV, listening to music, sleeping.
b) Public speaking, tourism, watching TV programs on nature.
c) Socialising, travelling, singing.
The correct answer is: b
The hobbies and interests section should complement your experience and qualifications. The prospective employers would not be interested in how you spend your time at home. Pastimes such as watching TV, listening to music or sleeping may in fact present a negative picture about you, in that a recruiter may presume you are passive and like to while away your time.
Mentioning vague hobbies such as travelling (a term that encompasses local traveling/commuting as well), socializing (which could mean going out with friends or partying) does not add anything of value.
Mention interests that could be an asset for the prospective employer. It could be a skill that showcases your creativity such as oil painting or poetry, something that indicates your confidence level such as public speaking, or your quest for knowledge and inquisitiveness such as watching documentaries on natural phenomena. .
5. How should the description of your work experience be phrased in your resume?
a) It should list all the activities that you carried out as a part of your work profile (such as coordination with the marketing team, reconciling account statements, scheduling ad releases, etc.).
b) It should talk about the results that your work brought to the employer (such as 10 per cent reduction in the consumption of stationary, reduction of 30 man hours per week due to streamlining of processes, reduction of customer handling time by 60 seconds per call, etc.)
c) It should describe the processes and systems you used as a part of your work (such as accounting using Tally 6.3, making reports in Microsoft Excel, creating PowerPoint presentations, etc.)
The correct answer is: b
Every job entails some amount of coordination, teamwork, logistics, etc. Therefore, mentioning these details does not add value to your resume. What a prospective employer would be interested in would be the difference that you have made in tangible terms. Hence, as far as possible, quantify your work in terms of bringing about increase in productivity, sales or turnover. Operational enhancements that you have caused will project you in a good light.
As far as job-specific systems or processes are concerned, you are anyway bound to be trained on them when you are employed. Hence, it is not necessary to talk about them in your resume (unless you are an IT professional – you need to mention the languages and platforms). Of course, basic knowledge of computers such as Microsoft Office and Internet is expected in every job of late; so mentioning that is superfluous.
6. Which of the following is not required in your resume?
a) Religion that you follow.
b) Local address.
c) Nationality.
The correct answer is: a
A resume is a factual representation of your professional identity. It would not be impacted in anyway by your personal beliefs. Hence, do not mention your religion on your resume. Contact details such as local address is mandatory for prospective employers to get in touch with you. These days, since resumes are uploaded on job portals, which can be accessed by recruiters from all over the world, it is advisable to mention your nationality.
7. If your name is 'Anita Singh', which of the following would be a suitable email ID to be mentioned in your resume?
a) anita_singh@rediffmail.com
b) anita.singh@infosys.com
c) coolannie@rediffmail.com
The correct answer is: a
Create an email ID that sounds formal and preferably includes your complete name. Never use an official ID to correspond for new jobs. It is not professional. At the same time, fancy email IDs are best reserved to correspond with friends or for anonymous chats. .
8. Among the following, which should be a part of your resume?
a) References.
b) Rewards and recognitions.
c) Salary expectations.
The correct answer is: b
Earlier, references used to be commonly included as a part of a resume. However, it is not mandatory any more. You need not even mention that references would be available on request. You can present the references if you are selected and ask for them by your prospective employer.
Never mention salary expectations on your resume. Also, do not mention the salary that you are currently drawing. Of course, you can always mention any rewards (social or official) that you have been given, as it adds a positive dimension to your personality. .
Taken from http://specials.rediff.com/getahead/2007/apr/17resumequiz.htm
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