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The Economic Times
Title : Resumes Get a New-Age Makeover
Author : Anumeha Chaturvedi & Shreya Roy
Location :
New Delhi | Bangalore
Article Date : 08/15/2014
FINE LINE: CVs get shorter; include video capsules and embedded web links, but too much jargon
doesn't work
Mohit Saini, an IT professional in a leading multinational bank, is in the last stages of salary negotiations with a
potential employer. He made the cut in the interview and credits it to his 60-second 'video resume'.
All he did in the video was highlight his skills and make a case for why he was fit for the job.
During my MBA I learnt how to prepare an elevator pitch and this was similar.
Times are changing and there's a paradigm shift in what employers are seeking, says Saini.
In times of an upswing in the job market and social media blitzkrieg, the traditional curriculum vitae or CV is
undergoing a radical shift. In a bid to stand out, CVs are getting more digital, shorter and crisper, with interactive
video capsules, embedded web links in the word document, high-profile names as references, and an emphasis
on soft skills. Some are even ditching the traditional word document format for power point presentations.
The concept of interactive video CVs, prevalent in the West, is picking up in India. Candidates are assessed
and their profiles are shortlisted basis the synopsis presented through such mediums, says Ashok Ramchandran,
director HR at Vodafone India.
Saini built his video resume through Jobma, a multimedia job search site for executives and employers, which
invites candidates to build a video resume to tell their story and be in control of their first impression. Job seekers
can create a 60-second video for free, and there is also an option to upgrade to a premium membership for $5
per month, which allows them to build three videos. Jobma also has a career advice blog, with posts on
auditioning for a video resume, and why video CVs are essential. Employers aren't just reading resumes
anymore, says Mandeep Sodhi, founder and CEO, Jobma, which has around 20,000 registered members.
The resume is also getting shorter. The tal ent market is very aggressive again, says Preethi Madappa, director
of HR, Intel South Asia. On account of competition, a resume has evolved from being a three to four page
document to a single page document high lighting what a candidate is good at. Job seekers increasingly provide
a succinct career summary , rather than an objective or mission statement, says Sarab Preet Singh, head,
recruitment, for learning and talent at Citi. Personal details, such as marital status and addresses are also absent
from most resumes, he adds.
With candidates becoming more creative, we have also started seeing powerpoint versions of resumes, says
Ma dappa, which is attested by Dinu Nanjappa, head of early talent and University hiring at SAP for the Asia
Pacific region and Japan.
Candidates now attempt to showcase wellknown and high profile names as references, adds Nanjappa.
Highlighting interpersonal soft skills is also gaining greater importance. Soft skills have always been important for
a global organisation like ours. But, we have observed that prospective employees also understand the
importance of this skill set now, says Samik Basu, chief human resources officer, Pepsico India. Ramchandran
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has been getting CVs emphasising emotional quotient, conflict management skills, coaching and mentoring
abilities, and influencing and decision-making skills.
Embedding web links of other social media platforms or blog posts where their work has been highlighted is also
happening increasingly .
The look and feel is more digital. Whatever candidates put on portals like LinkedIn, is also being put here, says
Krish Shankar, head of human resources for South Asia at Philips.
All these add-ons can make a positive impression in the minds of employers. As an employer, gaining visibility
of the person's interests and professional conversations is a highly effective way of determining his or her fit within
the organization, says Ravi Shankar, chief people officer, Mindtree. A person's thought-posts, links to work
portfolios, direct client testimonials and references such as those on LinkedIn add credibility provide a more
authentic and deeper understanding of the person, he adds.
At new age companies and start-ups like Taxiforsure and Jabong, job seekers are highlighting flexibility, result
orientation and influencing skills.
Candidates are getting more creative in their approach to drafting resumes. They are also attaching additional
details like whitepapers, says Ashu Malhotra senior VP , HR at Jabong.
If all this works in favour of a candidate, here's what does not: excessive repetition of achievements and over use
of certain words.
At Philips, recruiters look out for overused words like `strategy' to ensure candidates are not just seeking
attention.
Still, there can't be a one-size-fits-all approach, says Kunal Sen, senior VP at TeamLease. We do a get a few
creatively rich CVs, but recruiting systems haven't evolved that much yet, and they can't easily pass through an
application tracking system, he adds.
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