• One Page

• Try to be specific and avoid vague points

• Use bullet points instead of paragraphs
• There should be no full stops
• Margins should at a maximum be 0.25”
• White space optimization is very important – Change the font size of the white spaces between lines, use the horizontal
as well as the vertical white spaces effectively to pack in text
• Start bullet points with Action verbs
• Clearly state work experience; Usually it is difficult for the recruiter to estimate the experience from the dates which
are written
• Highlight courses in case you want to apply to a specific domain for ex: finance, marketing etc.
• Present tense when describing present jobs/experiences and past tense for past
• Cleverly use bolds to highlight what you want the recruiter to focus on
• Always exhibit consistency of a select set of strengths
• Make a list of things that you have done in life (including
things done at high school etc.). Then shortlist the points
that you want to tell to the recruiter
• Even if you have a draft of resume, still you should start
from scratch and make a laundry list of all the activities
and achievements.
• Prioritize and retain only the points that have the
greatest impact. Those points should cover the
work experience, academics, extra-curricular and
co-curricular.
• Highlight the impact of things you have done
• The resume should reflect the strength of the person. If
the person is strong in extra-curricular, then the resume
should give more space to that.
• Review, review and again review
• The bullet points in the resume should tackle the
following three points:
• The resume point should highlight the complexity of the
situation
• What did you actually do (your contribution)
• Does the point highlight the impact (contribution v/s complexity)
• Co-currilcular & Extra-curricular portion of the resume
is important as a story can be built around it. They help
differentiate.
• For extra-curriculars, use a role-based approach. Explain
what you did more than talking about the post you held
• If you are applying in the same industry then you can
use jargon/technical words. Otherwise shelve all
jargon and technical words.
• If there is something that you have designed but not
implemented use the word “potential”
 Action Verbs
ADMINISTRATIVE/ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYTICAL/FINANCIAL
approved Inspected targeted administered monitored Satisfied
arranged Integrated updated allocated multiplied Scrutinized
catalogued Monitored validated analyzed planned Secured
classified Operated appraised procured Settled
collaborated Organized audited projected Staffed
collected Prepared balanced provided Strengthened
compiled Prioritized budgeted purchased Submitted
consolidated Processed calculated raised Substantiated
distributed Purchased controlled rated Suggested
enlisted Recorded developed reconciled Supplemented
executed Reorganized estimated refined Sustained
expedited Retrieved financed reformed Tailored
extracted Revised forecasted regarded Transferred
generated Scheduled managed researched
identified Screened marketed reserved
implemented Streamlined minimized revived
 Action Verbs
COMMUNICATION CREATIVE
addressed Interviewed reported composed introduced Stimulated
arranged Lectured translated conceived invented Strategized
authored Marketed conducted marketed Transformed
communicated Mediated created modernized
composed Moderated designed originated
contacted Motivated developed performed
convinced Negotiated directed pioneered
corresponded Networked drafted planned
developed Persuaded established redesigned
directed Presented executed remodeled
drafted Promoted fashioned renovated
edited Publicized founded replaced
formulated Published illustrated revitalized
influenced Reconciled improvised shaped
informed Recruited instituted sketched
interpreted Referred integrated started
 Action Verbs
MANAGEMENT/LEADERSHIP QUANTITATIVE/RESEARCH
administered Cultivated planned acquired examined Judged
analyzed Delegated prioritized amplified extracted Justified
centralized Determined produced analyzed formulated Lead
certified Developed proposed approximated guaranteed Linked
chaired Employed recommended ascertained identified Minimized
changed Evaluated recruited authorized indexed Modified
commissioned Executed regulated boosted inferred Organized
committed Formulated reviewed calculated innovated Processed
concluded Founded revitalized charted inspected Reviewed
condensed Fulfilled scheduled collected instituted Researched
confirmed Headed supervised compared interested Studied
consented Hired conducted interpreted Summarized
contracted Managed diagnosed interviewed Surveyed
consolidated Maintained designed investigated Tested
consulted Organized determined involved
correlated Oversaw evaluated issued
TEACHING/COUNSELING/HELPING TECHNICAL
Adapted developed Integrated activated devised
Advised directed investigated assembled dispersed
Applied elaborated modified built displayed
Appraised elicited motivated calculated elevated
Assessed enabled observed computed endorsed
Assigned evaluated organized constructed enforced
Categorized Explained postulated converted engineered
Clarified facilitated praised customized enhanced
Coached guided reinforced debugged enriched
communicated identified rewarded deciphered excelled
Cooperated implemented Simplified dedicated exercised
Coordinated incorporated structured deliberated exhibited
Corrected Indicated synthesized delivered fabricated
Defined Initiated taught designed familiarized
Demonstrated instructed trained detected finalized
Designated interacted tutored devaluated formed