Tips for Writing an Effective Resume

Posted on by Karthic Vaidyanathan

Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to work with fresh candidates out of school, friends, relatives and new immigrants on their resumes. Some of the common phrases that I have heard from them are “This is an Indian model Resume“, “Oh! my friend in marketing shared this format“, and “my job agency prepared this resume“. What puzzled me was that most of these resumes despite being typically long did not give a sense of who one was really. In this blog, I am trying to sum up, what I have learnt so far in my professional journey and the inputs that I have received from my peer groups to help others in the search for their dream job.

Be the STAR

Most resumes that I have come across reads

Partnered with engineers, data scientists, designers, customer agents, biz dev teams to define product specs and launch new features

The above statement is one of your responsibility as a product manager. Instead, review the sentence below

Collaborated with a cross-functional team consisting of engineers, designers and biz dev team to launch new features to increase the user registration conversion by 30%.

The statement above is constructed using the STAR expands to Situation, Task, Action, and Result. This is usually suggested for interviews but I have found the method helpful in constructing my resume.

Situation: Describe the situation that you were trying to solve.

Task: What was the problem you are trying to solve or the goal you are trying to achieve?

Action: What was the action that you performed or were you asked to perform? I would prefer it to be about that task you and your team perform with more focus on your part.

Result: What did your action result in? Show something qualitative or quantitative to show that you learnt something or helped achieve a significant goal for the team or the company.

Recruiter Speaks: “Be Result Oriented as opposed to Task Oriented.”

  • Recruiters or Hiring Managers to shortlist for a Marketing Manager role, already have an idea about the roles and responsibilities of candidates for the Marketing Manager role. What they want to see is what difference the candidate made in their previous role! The best way to do that is through results(KPIs, Numbers, ROI etc.).
  • Include a summary of the What, How, Outcome and Underlying theme in each statement
– Chetan Choudhary

Consistent Formatting

Whether you use a functional format, chronological format or a combination of both, make sure that you are consistent in the style, language and timelines across your resumes. Some parts of the resume cannot be in ascending order of timelines while others in descending order. I would prefer the latest relevant work experience first over the others and go backwards. Regarding the length of the resume, I would prefer to stick it to 1 or a maximum of 2 pages. Use professional font and font size between 10 and 12 and make it aesthetically pleasing.

Use Good Action Verbs

Strong action verbs help you describe your skills and accomplishments. It helps you to express what you have done or accomplished and as stated it enables you to create impactful sentences that make it easier for recruiters to understand what makes you stand out. Some examples of action verbs are listed below.

For example, compare the 2 sentences below

Understood strategic and competitive position in the market to develop a product strategy and roadmap.

Spearheaded product strategy and developed long-term product roadmap through detailed analysis of the competitive landscape in the market to improve customer acquisition by X%.

The first one simply states what you did, but the second one highlights how you achieved something using your skills rather than the achievement. What makes it stand out is the action word which adds punch to your resume.

Recruiter Speaks: Include 3-5 key action items per experience

  • Wordy resumes are not always the best resumes
  • As far as possible, avoid action verbs like managed, worked with, coordinated, and assisted. Instead use action verbs like achieved, spearheaded, led, accomplished, enhanced etc.
– Chetan Choudhary

Include Skillset

Dedicate a section on your resume to include a bullet list of your unique skill set. The list should be a combination of both hard skills (ex: Design, Accounting, Risk Management) and soft skills(ex: Adaptability, problem-solving, communication). This helps you showcase to the hiring manager that you are well-rounded. If you are switching careers, highlight those transferable skills you possess to execute your role.

Win over the ATS

ATS or Applicant tracking system is designed to help recruiters screen applicants suited to the role from a pool of many aspirants. But not applications are scanned by the ATS, there is a real human who is reading your resume in the first cut. Recruiters/hiring managers scan your resumes to understand your skill set and select 5-10 resumes for screening for a job.

Recruiter Speaks: Win over ATS with key words and customized resume for each application

  • Highlight your key skills matching the role you have applied for. This helps catch the recruiter’s attention in the initial 10 seconds.
  • Highlight KPIs: Include numbers, percentages, process improvements in days/percentages, dollar value, and market share wherever applicable. This is a key differentiator.
  • Optimizing tools suggested: Jobscan.co, resumeworded.com, ChatGPT(Use this one carefully and optimize your resume manually)
– Chetan Choudhary

Other Considerations:

  • Customize the resume for each unique role that you apply for. Do not apply with a general resume for all jobs.
  • Write a cover letter which adds a personal touch on why you suit the role.
  • Certifications from credible institution that is relevant to the position and the experience adds a lot of value.
  • Add links to your linkedin profile, blogs, portfolios, publications. Make sure that these are clickable.
  • Do not add Date of Birth, Complete Address, Head shot(unless required), additional email address and phone numbers.
  • Write an introduction and a share why you fit this role to the recruiter for them to get some context.
  • Maintain a database of all the resume along with your master resume to help you prepare for the interview.

To review your resume feel free to reach out on instagram @vyasonkeys or via comments here.

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Random Conversation: Why is my petrol price rising?

Posted on by Karthic Vaidyanathan

As a product manager, I have always been curious about learning from others and I take every conversation as an opportunity to learn. One such conversation left me with a lot to ponder about. It was a casual conversation with an autorickshaw-driver, that made me feel that a commoner is open to listening to others and using opportunities to learn from others as well.

Click here if you prefer to listen rather than read.

What started as a casual conversation about Uber and why auto drivers think that it failed them went to different tangents including politics. Though this part of discussing politics makes my family shrug urging me to avoid it, I strongly believe that there is no taboo associated with discussing politics and we certainly should be doing so, as it affects our everyday lives. The concerns exhibited by drivers contributed to my earlier article about Uber. The topic then took a tangent when we were discussing ideas about how their problems could be solved and that’s when he mentioned the Government being a part of the problem and how they have handled various issues including the constant price rise of gas(petrol).

When I mentioned to him that the war in Ukraine is also one of the variables behind the rise of Petroleum prices, he was shocked. To him, it did not make any sense, he could not understand how a war happening in a different country affects the rates of petrol in India. I wanted him to assume that there are 100 taxis run by 5 different associations owning 20 each that supply taxis to bring employees to work. One association is banned by the committee of taxi owners for some malpractice. Now the total number of taxis that can run in the market is reduced to 80. But the total number of customers remains the same. Because of the demand for taxis, companies will want to bring their employees happy and bring them to work, so would engage in a price war. This pushes the cost for the companies up and the taxis will be given to those companies that bid a higher price.

Similarly, India is predominantly dependent on other countries for Oil and Gas with OPEC countries being the major contributor. Though, India was buying not more than 2% of its oil. Russia the 3rd largest producer was sanctioned by many countries like USA, and Canada for invading Ukraine. This caused the countries dependent on Russia for oil to look for alternate sources thus causing a price war for crude oil. This is a classic Supply Vs Demand issue. This indeed was an Ah-Ahh moment for the driver. Besides, this there is so also the factor of low crude oil production from OPEC nations contributing to this price rise. But that is a topic for another day.

Photo by Engin Akyurt on Pexels.com

He was genuinely shocked when I told him that in Canada and the USA in 2022, the price of petrol rise by more than 100% compared to the prices in 2021. The price of 1 Litre of petrol in Canada was 0.95 cents in some locations in 2021 and it was selling for $2+ in June 2022 in the same location. The situation in India is not as gloomy as it is projected always. As I alighted from his auto, he thanked me and wondered how much information is not being shared or discussed in mainstream media.

Unfortunately, that’s where the bias of the media comes into play and such critical information which will help a lot of people is left unattended by the media in Tamil Nadu. All the debate in the media was just blaming the government and not even one tried to explain the reality. I believe each and everyone should invest some time to educate others about some basic functioning of the world to help them make better decisions and not let be fooled by politicians/media houses that want to create a mass mentality in understanding issues seldom analyzing them. Even schools and colleges should have a mandatory course in basic economics which would help students understand the functioning of the real world.

I am Bhaarath. 75 years young!!!

Posted on by Karthic Vaidyanathan

A rather surprising sales pitch from a street vendor triggered me to write a long pending article. I am proud of how India has evolved to be a global force despite facing many hurdles through its resilience and grit. Aug 15,2022, India celebrated its 75th Independence day. It is indeed a great moment to celebrate for all Indians. The country has gone through a lot in the last century. India was colonized and plundered until 1947. Wealth was sucked out the nation and was left to bleed in 1947 thanks to the ill-timed partition. The nation had to focus on rebuilding its base. Imagine bringing together 500+ princely states, Sardar Vallabhai Patel should have been burnt out at the end of the negotiations.

Photo by Lucky Trips on Pexels.com

Let us go through a bit of geography or history lessons. India is a country that is 1/3 of the size of the United States of America yet is 750 million more in population. Supposedly, The population of the state of Orissa is more than the population of Canada and the state of Uttar Pradesh is more populous than Brazil. India has 20+languages and do not be surprised if you cross a state border the language changes; if you cross a district border the dialect changes. People complain that India hardly brings home medals from international events. But keep in mind, the infrastructure spending on housing and industries needed to be given more priority compared to other areas for the welfare of the nation. India has also gone through a lot of invasions and there were more than 500 princely states in India when the British granted India independence. The day of Independence which should have been celebrated was rather welcomed with bloodshed caused by the bitter partition in which around 500,000(5 lakhs) lives were lost.

Moving on, 2008/2009 was a proud moment for all the Indians when AR Rahman and Rasool Pookutty won Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire. Little did I know then about the impact that movies had on certain people. A colleague visiting India from the USA was surprised to see tall buildings and a booming industrial sector in India and it was nothing like what people in the West had imagined after watching the movie. In the United States and in Canada, there have been times when people get surprised when my wife or I spoke fluent English. To this extent, media and movies have played a role in stereotyping India and Indians. Movies, media and social media have painted India as a struggling country. Believe me, tour India with an open mind, you will find people welcoming you with open arms and places that will pleasantly surprise you with kind architectural splendor that was built ages ago and the quality of workforce in India.

Picture Credit: https://publications.banque-france.fr/en/india-global-forefront-digital-payments, Times of India

The 3 pictures in the slideshow above show the present and the future of India. India has taken to digital payments like how a fish would take to the water. Whenever I want to avoid buying from someone, all I used to tell them was “Change illa ma. (I do not have cash/coins on me)” but a small street vendor pleasantly surprised me when she said, “Google Pay(GPay) irukku Sir!! (I got google pay)”. Such is the penetration of digital payments in India that small vendors and business owners have adopted for the growth of their businesses. Corporate heads across the globe are looking at India as a key player in their strategy and advancement. India recently jumped ahead of the UK in the global GDP ranking. It is an humongous achievement considering that this India was once a colony of the UK and as per a report British drained India of 45 trillion. India has steadily moved up the ladder from being 10th in 2014 to 5th in 2022 is no mean achievement.

Like every other country, India has its own share of problems. India needs to improve the ease of doing business, make it easier for small businesses to thrive, increase the products made under the “Make in India” program, urbanize the rural population, increase expenditure in building infrastructure and improve the skill levels of people to make them more employable. With a stable government that focuses more on these rather than focusing on appeasing the voters, I am sure India will become a bigger force to reckon with by 2050. Also, India has a young population, with close to 50% of the country’s 1.3 billion population below the age of 35. This gives India a huge advantage over countries that have an aging population and fewer working-age workers. For all those naysayers, wait for the magic to unfold in front of your eyes.

Jai Hind!!!!

India is indeed dependent: https://vyasonkeys.com/2013/08/15/india-is-dependent/

Money or Customer Service: Why Uber/Ola Drivers Cancel Your Rides

Posted on by Karthic Vaidyanathan

“Ola!” and “Uber” do not mean Hello and Outstanding anymore in Indian vocabulary. These words have become synonymous with ride-hailing services or app taxis. For audiences outside of India, Ola is much similar to Lyft and competes with Uber (and many others) in the ride-hailing service space. Besides cab rides, these companies have also turned their attention to offering 2-wheeler rides to delivery services similar to dabbawala. You can also avail tuk-tuk or auto rickshaw as it is locally called using these services.

Unlike in the Americas(at least most of the USA and Canada), ride-hailing services in India cannot employ everyone who owns a car. It is highly regulated in India and requires you to have a commercial license to operate with Uber and Ola. The cars should be registered with RTO otherwise known as the Regional transport office and in some cases the state government to be a part of the ride-hailing ecosystem. Tuk-Tuk locally referred to as auto, is a very popular option among riders.

Innovation is taking two things that exist and putting them together in a new way.

In 2017, my mom who was never comfortable with e-commerce or apps in general was at ease in using Ola and Uber. This was the inspiration to write this blog. Switch to 2022, booking a cab/auto on uber and ola was a nightmare. The rides were regularly cancelled for varying reasons. Some scenarios that I encountered were

  1. Drivers would call ask for the destination and cancel.
  2. Drivers would not answer the call of the riders
  3. Drivers demanded more money than what was shown in the app.
  4. Drivers sometimes had a callous attitude towards the customers.

The customer or the product manager in me wanted to get to know a little bit more and understand why the rides were cancelled. The ride cancellations did not burn my pockets but also resulted in losing valuable time that I could have enjoyed. I would have probably taken close to 50+ rides during my 3-week stay and used this as an opportunity to understand the problem of the drivers (Not a great sample size given India’s population but still significant in my view). The Ola/ Uber drivers were pretty vocal in showing their displeasure with the services.

  1. Too high a commission: Uber and Ola charge the drivers a commission based on the type of car and the rides. The drivers in India claimed that the charges of 30% commission are unfair. Some drivers were honest enough to share the amount they received for the ride and their claims were not incorrect. Transparency in how the commissions are charged could help the drivers understand it better.
  2. No Incentives: Each company goes through different phases of development in their journey. During their acquisition phase, Ola and Uber showered their customers and drivers with various incentives. I remember there was a time in which drivers received INR 1000 for 5 or so rides. These days the drivers complain that they do not receive any such good incentive that motivates them to ride.
  3. Not fairly compensated: Some drivers would cancel my ride saying that the fare for the ride is too low. I would then negotiate with the rider and tell him/her that i would pay a part extra in cash. Even then some rides were cancelled. Some of friends took it to the other extreme, they would ask the driver the to cancel the ride but would still request the driver to pick up them and pay them in cash. The drivers also complained that the inflation and the volatile gasoline rates are not taken into consideration. Ever fluctuating price of petrol is also another major concern.
  4. Delay in settlement: One puzzling question that most drivers asked me was “Are you paying me by cash or Ola/Uber money?”. The moment we mention wallet money, there is a frown amongst the drivers. The drivers will either request me to pay by cash or cancel without any notice. The issue that the drivers had with the ola money or uber money was the turnaround time was sometimes 2+weeks which for a daily wager is a bummer. Most drivers need to spend a part of their daily earnings on petrol(gas).

Uber and Ola have been pioneers in ride-hailing services and have been a step ahead in innovations and acquisitions. But this trend according to me is a serious concern and a product gap that the services need to address sooner. So how do you think they can arrest this decline? Feel free to drop in your comments and in 2 weeks let us discuss some solutions in my next blog.

Taking the Nature’s own course

Posted on by Karthic Vaidyanathan

We planned for a trekking experience but we rather had a tracking one. This blog should have come long back but better late than never. The interest is rekindled and I am here to post on the interesting experience while on a trip.

How does it feel, when your blind date happens to your EX who you recently dumped? That is how exactly I felt when we were trekking to the amazing Dudhsagar Falls. What I expected and what it turned out to be absolutely different. I hated that experience and was kind of pissed to say the least. But thinking of that now makes me laugh and enjoy every bit of that experience. I would even consider consider that as one of my best outings till date.

It all started with a short halt at Mangalore where we roamed around few temples and beaches and dinner at a restaurant where the waiter cannot wait to take our orders(pun intended). Amazing wait in the railway station till midnight or even past it to board the train to Madgoan. Then came the most adventurous part of the trip.

Got down from the train in just 4 hours to come to know that you have another 3 hours for the next train to Goa/Dudhsagar. Having boarded the train with an open ticket in a reserved compartment, we were being hunted by the officials and we had to resort to every possible antic to ensure that the officials do not throw us out of the train and finally, we got to Castle Rock station where we had our breakfast in the leaky cordon.

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We set off our journey into woods through a village which a friend of mine boasted he knew well of. But the bad luck continued to trail us, we ever informed that we need to get permission from the forest ranger who is like miles away and it was vacation day. Then came the horrendous train journey back to Dudhsagar station. Once again, we had to take the dangerous walk along the tracks.

It was a stunning sight to see the water flow down from such height. But the main part of our adventure started here. We searched and inquired our way to reach the top. But our friend Bad luck wins again. We missed a downhill path in between a double tunnel and went 2 or 3 miles further only to get lost and lose all the hopes of seeing the majestic falls in full view. We still had the best solution on hand. Walk in tow as friends with fun talk and not knowing where this one is going to end. Just like our childhood school days, we put the mobile phones in our bags and decided to talk the way humans did pre-technology. Walking in the woods and seeing awesome creatures on our way through including Peacocks, Monkeys, and snakes that looked like sticks.

Finally, we labored through to a station and somehow found our ways back to the Margoa station. Slept on the platform with unknown bugs and people lying around us, rather I was awake the most part of the night. This was an experience on its own. All these happening just 2 months before my marriage was even more terrifying. But thinking of it now, the trip gave the friends to catch on the school day banters and got everyone close. I am sure none of my friends would ever forget that trip and we will once again plan our Goa trip.

India is Dependent!!!!!!!!!!

Posted on by Karthic Vaidyanathan

Disclaimer: It has been more than 6 months since i put anything on this page. So please pardon me for any errors in the following post.

Here is Karthic reporting from the so-called Garden city of India, Bengaluru. Is it still a garden city? I am not here to answer that, though there are hardly any good gardens now. Writing this post on the eve of the 67th Independence Day is more apt I believe. My Facebook page has already started to flood with emotional, patriotic and happy words about our Independence day. Also, not to forget those posts that are so sarcastic and questions what has India achieved in all these years to be celebrated. These skeptics do not understand the struggle that the nation is going through to make things better for it’s citizens.

What was the significance of this day 67 years ago? Why did the wisest, selfless, and brave men and women sacrifice their lives for us? Freeing us from the clutches of the British wasn’t their only vision. They wanted India to be self-reliant and self-sustained. They envisioned India could do better if they are independent.

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What is the real meaning of INDEPENDENCE? Not being dependent on “OTHERS”, we should be self-reliant and self-contained. The ability to manage our day-to-day affairs by ourselves without the intervention of others. Many who lost their souls for a brighter future for children of Mother India believed so. They felt that future generations in India should not be oppressed and suppressed as they once were. But are we doing enough to justify their sacrifice? We are trying but not hard enough. The truth might be a bitter pill to swallow. Many citizens(or even NRIs to great extent) only complain about the system in India and how broken we are. What have we done to fix the broken system? Nothing. I would say that the young brigades upon whom the leaders put their trust have not taken responsibility.

India is still dependent folks, on each and every one of us. It is high time we clean up society in whichever way possible. You do not have to be a politician or a rich man to do good things(I am not sure if they even do those though!!!!). Let us do simple and easy things that can make a huge impact. Here are a few tips for guys who think we can make a change only by being either of the two.

  • Remove Illiteracy: Teach a child or contribute to their education.
  • Keep the country clean: Do not litter in public
  • Keep the environment clean: Plant atleast one tree an year
  • Spread love: Visit an old age home on a special occasion.
  • Go Local: Shop from small vendors even if it is 5 or 10 rupees more than the corporates.
  • Share Knowledge: Dare to discuss and be open to constructive feedback and seek constant improvements.                                                              

Jai Hind!!! I am sure this country will rise and become a force to reckon with. Make sure you are a part of this historic moment by doing something for our beloved Mother India.

2 Minutes

Posted on by Karthic Vaidyanathan

“Instant” is the most popular word now. Instant masala, instant mix, instant noodles and now the recent addition to that list is instant friendship. Define Friendship? Each person would define friendship in their own way. My way of looking at friendship is “A relationship which is above all the other relationships in life and where there are no expectations besides lending ears and soft words to soothe the pain and enjoy the achievements”. According to me, the term friend has almost lost its meaning in the present world. People think friendship is all about enjoying and having fun with each other. But is that all about friendship? There is much more to it.  You can share things with a friend that I dare you can’t or won’t share with your better half and parents.

I am writing this out of extreme disappointment that people say they are too busy to make 2 minutes for a friend? More than that friendship today has been more of a use-and-throw stuff. Be with that friend till you can get some help from them and then chuck him out.

Ha, but I must confess that I am blessed with at least a few angels around me who are not so. People, please start respecting others’ feelings too. Stand by those who stood by you in troubled times. Even if you are busy, connect with them once in a while and say Hi. If a friend reaches out to you after years do not show face to them, still welcome them with a pleasant smile and open arms.

Care and Affection

Posted on by Karthic Vaidyanathan

I decided to blog on this issue after seeing so many friends of mine behave in a similar way. People get close to someone, be it a girl or a boy, for different reasons. They get close to them due to certain features like speaking frankly, being bubbly, always smiling, being very cheerful, and bringing charm to the people around them. But once they become close, their attitude towards the other person changes. In the name of POSSESSIVENESS want them to stop doing it to others. Why do people stop their friends from doing what they liked in them?? Is this real love, care and affection?? why do they kill the kid inside the person in the name of possessiveness?

An art of life

Posted on by Karthic Vaidyanathan

Just if u find time go out and note the following people. People traveling in company buses, Student traveling by college or school bus, or else even in train. One thing thats so common in these people is that once they get in to the bus or train they fall asleep. I was not sure how comfortable sleep would be. Whenever i ask people they say they experience a good comfortable sleep. I have tried it a lot of times but i could not do that. Hats off to people who are professional at it. How are they managing to do that??? Don’t people feel insecure when i sleep when they travel??? I must learn this art of life very soon as i don’t know what to do in the 2 hours of my travel back from office and 1 and half hours when i travel in the morning to the office with all my colleague in deep sleep  :(…… Hope i get a company to speak or learn to sleep…….