Resume/CV/Bio-data
There aren't any strict guidelines for certain writing styles, formats, or contents when it comes to bio-data, CVs, and resumes. Let's look at the general principles first, though.
Why is a CV, Resume, or Bio-data important?
- A CV, resume, and bio-data are examples of professional documents that are crucial for getting a job.
- In order to boost their chances of being hired and being shortlisted for positions, job seekers present these documents while applying for positions.
- Applicants may maximize their professional development by taking into account the work profile and comprehending the differences between the three.
- Thus, our goal is to comprehend the distinctions between a CV, resume, and bio-data.
How do they diverge?
Knowing the distinctions between a CV, resume, and bio-data will help you
design each one specifically for the task at hand and comprehend how to
apply it. Here are a few techniques for separating them:
I.
Details:
Ø A curriculum vitae typically contains more information than a resume.
Ø A candidate’s bio-data is a thorough document that includes a detailed
summary of their life and professional facts.
Ø Resumes serve more as a career summary for applicants.
II. Length:
Ø A CV often covers two pages or more.
Ø Resumes can only be one or two pages long.
Ø Typically, a bio-data is longer than two pages.
III. Content:
v A CV can be customized for a wider audience and contains all of your
qualifications.
v On a resume, only current and relevant certificates are listed.
v Your bio-data can be modified according to the purpose.
Bio-data
ü A Bio-data is the outdated term for Resume or C.V.
ü It is the short form for Biographical Data.
ü Bio-data emphasizes on personal information such as date of birth,
religion, sex, ethnicity, nationality, residency, marital status, and so on
rather than on professional information.
ü Although details of education, work, and other qualifications are included
eventually.
ü Western countries do not commonly use bio-data; instead, South Asian
countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal do.
ü In India, bio-data is used when submitting an application for a government
job or, more frequently, when parents are arranging a marriage and want to
learn more about the prospective spouse.
ü For the purpose of marriage, your bio-data must include all of your
personal information and has no page restriction.
5 Elements to include in a bio-data
1. Objective:
Ø State the rationale for sending the bio-data in this section. Determine
your career and life objectives and how this position addresses them.
Ø Also, include why you ought to be considered for work or what makes you the
perfect fit. For example:
Experienced blog writer (www.abdauliya.blogspot.com) actively looking
to work as a digital marketing strategist.
2. Personal details
•
Basic details like your name, date of birth, gender, address, and email
address are typically included in a bio-data.
•
You can also include data about your hobbies, your strongest feature, and
other pertinent information you believe the employer needs to know about
you.
•
Additionally, you can think about pasting a photo sticker at the top of
your bio-data.
3. Education
Ø Education honors and accolades, voluntary work experience, and
certifications are all included in this section.
Ø If you have been working for
a while, you can include your schooling in chronological order.
Ø If you recently received a college degree, your education section offers
further information in addition to your professional experience.
4. Work experience
Another crucial area of your bio-data is your work history. List your
employment history, including dates worked at each position, in
chronological order. You might also talk about your daily activities and
professional successes. For example:
•
Freelancer specialist | Upwork
•
Created energetically robust working relationships among co-workers as
well as aided the comrades in improving their pedagogy while
mentoring.
5. Skills
When glancing over your bio, recruiters pay close attention to your skills.
Your chances of getting hired can be increased by listing industry-specific
talents. Additionally, you can provide certificates, proficiency with
computer programs relevant to the position, and other hard and soft talents
like:
•
Lecturer of English | Standard Test Specialist | Blogging |
Content.
Curriculum Vitae
Ø Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a Latin word that translates to “course of
life” that might be 2 to 3
pages long and is longer than a resume.
Ø It includes all manner of personal and professional information and
outlines your career growth step by step and enables you to effectively list
your skills to potential employers by summarizing your qualifications,
abilities, affiliations with organizations, and work history are often
listed in chronological order in a curriculum vitae.
Ø You might also include a succinct section describing your unique interests
and hobbies.
Ø Instead of emphasizing specific skills for a given job, a CV
highlights general skills and competence.
Ø In contrast to the bullet points in the resume, a curriculum vitae offers
thorough information about your training, work history, abilities, honors,
fellowships, publications, certificates, and much more.
5 Elements to Include in a CV:
1. Contact information
This is the first section of your CV. It contains important contact details
such as full name, job title, email address, location and phone number.
Ensure to use a professional
email address and updated address in your CV. You can also include relevant
social media profiles like:
Arjun Babu Dauliya
Content and Blog Writer
Balaju-16, Kathmandu
arjundauliya@email.com
+977-9860795313
2. Personal statement
A professional statement or CV objective is the introduction to your CV. A
well-written CV consists of a three or four-sentence summary, highlighting
the work history.
The summary also includes your professional title, job experience, and some
of your key achievements and skills. Here's an example:
I earned a M. Phil. in English Literature & I'd like to apply for the
position of Writer and Lecturer at XYZ.
3. Work experience:
This is a crucial section of your CV that lists your previous positions,
companies, dates, duties, and accomplishments. It is frequently a good
idea to incorporate statistics and data to support your professional
accomplishments. If you are a fresher, you can also mention your
internships like:
Ø Guru Computer | New Baneshwor
Content Writer | Nov. 2019- March 2021
Ø Created content for various social media accounts
Ø Proofread and edited articles written by Asia Publication, Bashumdhara.
Ø Write blog posts on Educational tools
4. Education
The education section of your CV includes your degrees, the name of your
university, and dates. You can also include additional information such as
your GPA, top academic achievements, and courses you took at your
university. The education section can come after your CV objective if you
have just graduated from university and lack relevant work experience
namely:
•
Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
BA in Arts
3.65 GPA
5. Skills
Ø A well-written CV includes relevant skills that arrange in a line with the
job description.
Ø The first step is to identify the skills that you garnered from important
life experiences, education, past jobs and hobbies.
Ø The second is to understand the job requirements and employability
skills.
Ø Additionally, a CV can include volunteer experience, additional training
and courses, professional certifications and associations, awards and
languages. For example:
•
conscientious
•
quick learner
•
proficient in custom CMS
•
teamwork
Resume
Ø Resume is derived from the French word résumé which means
summary. It should be kept 1 to 2 pages long, precisely best if kept in one
page.
Ø A resume portrays an overview of one’s education, experience, and
competencies, which should be tailored according to the targeted
position.
Ø Job candidates often use resumes to summarize their education, skills and
employment when they are looking for a new job, networking or applying for
an internal position.
Ø The contents of a resume are similar to that of a CV except that a CV is
more detailed in nature.
Ø In today’s job market resume is a very, very essential tool that can make a
whole lot of impression with the potential employer.
Ø Most people have an impression that a resume will get them hired but it is
wrong. Employers want to know the potential of a person before they decide
to see them.
Ø A resume is a tool that will get you an interview and potentially the
job.
Salient Features of a Resume
Ø A resume is just an outline of your qualifications and specific skills it
does not require elaboration. Best if kept in bulletins.
Ø A good resume should start with a brief candidate profile, a summary of the
qualifications, trailed by the areas of expertise, and the professional
experience in specific keywords represented in reverse chronological
order.
Ø It focuses on the recent experience and summarizes previous
experiences.
Ø Professional affiliations, computer skills, and qualifications follow after
work experience.
Ø List only relevant certifications and skills related to the targeted
position.
Ø Do not include irrelevant information such as gender, nationality, hobbies,
DOB, or father’s name.
Writing Professional Resume:
1. Choose a resume format:
There are three formats of standard resumes - functional, chronological,
and hybrid (also called combined resumes). For most applicants, a hybrid
resume format is a good choice, since it puts equal emphasis on work
experience and skills. In some instances, a chronological or functional
resume could work better.
2. Add your personal details:
This section is similar to that of a CV. Your personal details include your
name, contact number, professional email address and location. Ensure you
double-check your address and other details so that recruiters can reach out
to you conveniently.
3. Write a resume headline
A resume headline is a concise one-line description of who you are as a
candidate. A well-written headline can draw a recruiter's attention and
encourage them to go through your qualifications. Review the job description
and look for relevant keywords to bolster your chances of getting
shortlisted in the applicant tracking system.
4. Detail your work experience
The work experience section of a resume is similar to that of a CV. List
the jobs in reverse chronological order and include specific and measurable
details wherever possible. Present the information in this section by
emphasizing relevant competencies as per the job for which you are
applying.
5. Add your education and relevant certifications
Just like in a CV, a resume has a section dedicated to educational
qualifications. Your educational background shows that recruiters can rely
on you with job responsibilities, which can lead you to better
opportunities. You can also add skill training courses and certifications to
increase your chances of getting hired.
6. Tailor your resume
It is important to customize your resume for each individual role and job
description. Customized resumes that include relevant keywords from the job
description and align with job requirements often stand out to recruiters.
It also encourages them to take an interest in your background.
What Is A Career Objective?
•
A career objective gives a brief overview of your career skills, experience
and aspirations. It is generally only two or three sentences long. While it
is not a mandatory feature of a resume, you might benefit from including it
in your name and contact details section to catch the attention of the job
recruiter.
•
Most job recruiters are busy dealing with a high volume of resumes. As a
result, they can spend only a few seconds to scan through each and select
the ones that look promising. By placing the career objective at the top,
you can get them to notice it at once. If you make it memorable enough, they
might be more likely to choose you.
How Do You Write A Career Objective?
1. Customize it to the job
When you customize the career objective to the job, you make it more
noticeable. A job recruiter is more likely to read a career objective that
seems relevant to their purpose.
2. Write brief sentences
Job recruiters are busy people and make their resume selection decision
within seconds. So, keep your sentences brief and your career objective easy
to scan through.
3. Include keywords
Note the top keywords in the job advertisement and use them to write your
career objective. Including keywords in the career objective would make your
resume stand out and persuade the recruiter to read further.
4. Include requirements
Each job position requires specific educational qualifications and work
experience. Check what these are for the job you are applying to, and
mention your credentials to show you are a good match.
5. Mention your skills
By mentioning skills that are relevant to the job, you may be able to
convince the recruiter that you are qualified for the position. Some of the
skills that might make your resume noticeable include good communication
ability, solid business wisdom, good team player, critical thinking ability
and strong leadership qualities.
6. Stress your value
The job recruiter might pick your resume if they can see at a glance that
you would be a valuable asset to their company. Mention what you would bring
to the table. Explain how your skills, knowledge and experience are likely
to benefit the company.
7. Mention your work expectations
Including your expectations can help to align your career goal with the
requirements of the job position. You want the recruiter to know that you
are willing to fulfill the company's work expectations and more.
Difference Between A Resume CV & Bio-Data
1.
Resumes are tailored for a particular job, CVs are more from a general
perspective, & Bio-data is mostly used for personal purposes or
sometimes for government positions.
2. Resume emphasizes on particular skills, CV does not round upon one
particular skill or profession, and Bio-data emphasizes on personal details
such as age, sex, nationality, ethnicity, etc.
3. Resume should be strictly kept within a page sometimes two, CV can
exceed more than 3 pages, and the page limit of bio-data depends on the
requirements.
4. Reference(s) should not be included in a resume, Reference(s) can be
added to a CV, and including references can be based on circumstances.
5. A resume should be in reverse chronological order, A CV should be in
chronological order and Bio-data can be in either of the formats.
6. The resume should be concise, CV can be used for internships, to grab
higher positions, or for fellowships, and Bio-data can be used to apply for
government positions or during the marriage.
Advantages of Having a Professional Resume.
Ø Your resume will help you stand out in the crowd.
Ø Your resume will draw the recruiter’s attention, keep them engaged and
interested. So, that you can bag an interview.
Ø Resume acts as the guidelines for your profile.
Ø Strongly describes your skills and accomplishments.
Ø Highlights the right credentials.
Ø Helps employers understand what you are capable of bringing to the
table.
Other ways of writing resume
Key elements of a good resume are:
Ø Identity
Ø Career Objective
Ø Education
Ø Qualifications Summary
Ø Previous Experience
Ø Related Experience
Ø Professional Associations, Membership or Activities( optional )
Ø References.
Chronological
Ø Traditional format, described in chronological order.
Ø Suitable for those who have gained extensive experience related to career
objective.
Ø Not good if experience is spotty or a changing career fields.
Functional
Ø Experience and skills are arranged and described in major skills and
knowledge areas.
Ø Accomplishments &transferable skills should be highlighted.
Advantage:
Arrange your resume such that it supports the goals of the firm and
emphasizes any relevant skills that the organization may have for a
particular position.
Targeted
•
This resume is highly focused.
•
It lists abilities & accomplishments directed to specific job
objectives.
Creative
Ø Most effective for people interested in a career in art, theatre, media or
writing.
Ø Only to be applied when originality and creativity are relevant to the goal
of the job.
Ø Must be extremely well done.
In a nutshell,
•
Bio-date is the traditional format.
•
The CV presents a full history of your academic credentials, so the length
of the document is variable. In contrast, a resume presents a concise
picture of your skills and qualifications for a specific position, so length
tends to be shorter and dictated by years of experience (generally 1-2
pages).
•
CVs are used by individuals seeking fellowships, grants, postdoctoral
positions, and teaching/research positions in postsecondary institutions or
high-level research positions in industry. Graduate school applications
typically request a CV, but in general are looking for a resume that
includes any publications and descriptions of research projects.
•
In many European countries, CV is used to describe all job application
documents, including a resume. In the United States and Canada, CV and
resume are sometimes used interchangeably. If you are not sure which kind of
document to submit, it is best to ask for clarification.
Cover Letters
Cover letters are extremely important. Whenever our resume is sent by mail,
a cover letter should go along with it. It needs to:
v Address someone in authority.
v Tell how we became attached to this particular company.
v Demonstrate that we’ve done some “ homework ” on the company.
v Convey our enthusiasm &commitment(even passion!) for this line of
work.
v Balance professionalism with personal warmth and friendliness.
v Identify at least one thing about us that is unique- Why should you!
v Be appropriate to the field that you are exploring.
v Outline specifically what you are asking & offering.
v Point directly to the next step.
v Remain as brief and focused as possible.