Feature


Published: 10 Aug 2021

During the current pandemic, finding a job or an internship is becoming increasingly difficult. Many job seekers or internship applicants have not yet found a place. They have sent applications to many companies.

The Covid-19 pandemic has hit Indonesia's economy. Many companies struggle because they cannot operate normally. Not even a few companies were forced to close their businesses. This makes job opportunities and internship opportunities even more limited.

The increasingly limited opportunities make competition in finding work and internships increasingly fierce. In such conditions, the efforts of job seekers or internships to build a positive impression in the eyes of the company become critical. Moreover, the first contact between job seekers or internships with the company is through a resume or curriculum vitae (CV). So, job seekers or internship applicants need to create an attractive resume or CV. The more attractive the resume or CV, the more excellent the opportunity for job seekers or internship applicants to be called by the company.

On the other hand, with more applications coming in, the company's human resources (HR) have increasingly limited time. So, as an initial stage, the company's HR usually selects based on resumes or CVs sent by applicants. What happens if the resume or CV they send is unattractive or mediocre? The resume or CV immediately goes into the trash. So, an attractive resume or CV can increase the applicant's chances of being accepted for work or internships at a company.

 

Resume or CV, What is the Difference

Before discussing this further, job seekers or internship applicants need to know the difference between a resume and a CV. According to Maria Immaculata Pareira, S.Psi., Managing Partner President of Psychological Consulting, it turns out that there are still many people who do not understand the difference between a CV and a resume. She then explained further. She said, “Resume provides a brief description of a person, and the presentation is adjusted to the position you want to apply for. While a CV provides a more detailed description of a person, it does not refer to the position he is applying for.”

So, what should be sent when applying for a job or looking for an internship? Resume, CV, or both? According to Maria, it depends on the company's request. “If the company does not specifically mention a resume or CV, applicants should send a resume. Why? Because resumes are easier for HR companies to learn," she said.

Resume and CV have similarities in providing an overview for the company's HR about the applicant's self before finally meeting in person physically. Maria said that presenting a good resume will allow the company's HR to imagine a person's characteristics before making a face-to-face meeting. So, in conclusion, a resume is a way to self-brand before meeting a company.

 

Tips for Making an Attractive Resume

 

Maria then shares tips on how to create an attractive resume. Here are tips that applicants can do when making a resume:

 

1. Attractive Design

Why? The number of applications submitted to company can reach thousands. If the resume design is not attractive, no different from other applicants' resumes, then the resume will not be looked at by the company's HR. Currently, many applications provide resume templates for free and can be tailored to the needs of users. In designing a resume, Maria emphasizes, choose a maximum of three colors for the background, text, and highlights. So do not use too many colors. Adjust the color so that the writing is easy to read.

 

2. Choice of Fonts

Resume or job application is formal. So, choose a font that is also formal or often used in official correspondence. In addition, so that the company's HR is interested in reading your resume, choose a font that is easy to read and looks neat.

There are hundreds of font types on computers. Which one should be chosen? The Indonesian Ministry of Manpower, through its Instagram account, shares the types of fonts that are recommended and not recommended for making a CV. Of course, these fonts can also be used in making a resume. The fonts recommended by the Ministry of Manpower are calibri, helvetica, garamond, georgia, and arial. Meanwhile, the not recommended fonts are comic sans, courier, times new romance, mt brush script, and century gothic.

Quoted from Popsugar.com, Bloomberg asked type experts about the fonts that applicants can use. The Helvetica font, according to Brian Hoff, creative director of Brian Hoff Design, " so no-fuss, it doesn't really lean in one direction or another. It feels professional, lighthearted, honest." This is different from times new roman, which, according to Hoff, it's telegraphing that you didn't put any thought into the typeface that you selected. As is known, times new roman is a font type commonly used by Microsoft Word users.

 

3. Social Media Information

Currently, one of the social media that can also be used to support the needs of professionals is Linkedin. This social media makes it easy for users to connect with colleagues or clients. Linkedin users can share information about work, career development, and skill development.

On Linkedin, users can also provide resumes or information about their careers. For that, job seekers or internship applicants need to include Linkedin account on their resumes. Through Linkedin, applicants can present information in daily activities in the professional world that cannot be fully presented on a resume. The inclusion of Linkedin in the resume also helps HR in studying applicants in more depth.

 

4. Reference contact

Many employers ask applicants to include a reference contact. So, before the applicant lists it, make sure you contact them first to ask for their approval. Do not let, the company HR contact the person when they do not know anything, so they do not provide supporting information. Make sure the person knows your skills and experience. For those who are experienced, you can input the contact of your boss, colleague, or friend. As for fresh graduates, you can input the lecturer's contact, supervisor during the internship, and friends in the organization. (Gilang Suryanata, PR team. Photo: Gilang Suryanata).