Posts Tagged ‘resume’
Question Asked: Is It Okay For My Resume To Be More Than One Page?
The answer to this question depends heavily on who you ask. Nowadays it’s not uncommon to have a resume that’s two, or even three, pages long.
Personally, I feel that a resume should be more short, and to the point. Here I am, here’s what I’ve done, here’s what I can do for your company.
Drawing out every last work experience you had (especially jobs not related to one you’re applying for) can make you seem like you’re unsure about what you want to do, which looks bad to a potential employer.
The majority of resumes I’ve seen, from applicants, stick to one page. Presumably because that’s the “norm”, but I have seen quite a few that were two pages long, and didn’t think twice. Anyone who would exclude your resume from being looked at, simply because it’s more than one page long, probably isn’t someone you want to work for, anyway.
The best advice I can give is to make your resume appropriately represent you, and what you’ve done in your employment history.
Question Asked: How Do I Write a Great Resume?
In order to have a great resume, you have to be a great potential employee. While some people have more impressive work histories, others simply need to “sprurce it up”, when writing their resume.
The most important thing you should keep in mind when writing your resume is this: you’re trying to sell yourself. Think of it like a commercial that you’re airing on TV to sell your product. Only instead of airing on TV, you’re giving it to a human resources person, and instead of selling a product, you’re selling yourself.
A common misconception, in today’s day and age, is that a resume needs to be kept to one page. Many companies now will accept resumes three or four pages long. As long as it’s worth having it that length, it’s not a bad thing. However, if you’re including that you worked at McDonald’s 30 years ago, that’s something you can trim from the resume.
The typical start to a resume is to include a summary, or objective. The “old” way to do this, was to put a short paragraph about who you are, and what you want to do. The preferred way to do this, is to tell the company who you are, and what you can do for them. This is your first impression on a potential employer, and you need to wow them.
Your resume should break down quite simply, as follows:
Contact Information (name, address, phone, e-mail)
Summary
Work Experience
Education
Special Skills
References
How you format that information is entirely up to you.
Personally, I like to include my references on my resume. Many people opt for the “Available upon request” option. While that’s considered to be okay, to me, it seems as though it slows down the process. If your references aren’t included on your resume, the potential employer has to contact you to get them (post interview, usually). If they’re presented when you submit your resume, they can move on them faster.
Your contact information should contain any viable means to contact you (within reason). Generally your name, address, e-mail address, and a contact number are sufficient.
Your summary should contain a bit about yourself, as well as a blurb about what you can do for the company. Usually I try to include a bit about why I’m interested in the position (but not as detailed as in the cover letter.)
Your work experience should detail where you worked, the month/years you worked there (ie; July 2005 - September 2007), your title, and details about what you did there. This should be worded as accomplishments that you achieved, not as tasks that you performed. Ie; “Helped reduce the cost per account acquisition by 77%” - rather than “Used software to acquire accounts.”
Your education should detail where you went to school, what years, and what degree you received (if any).
Special skills often includes things related specifically to the job you’re applying to. For example, if you’re applying to a software programmer job, you wouldn’t include skills regarding fixing a car.
Some companies will tell you to include hobbies on your resume. According to professionals, this is a big no-no. Companies generally don’t care what your hobbies are. And if they’re interested, they’ll ask you during the interview.
Some helpful tips that you may not think of:
- Use a common font, nothing fancy.
- Stick to .doc format. People often frown on .pdf formatted resumes. If you’re using Office 2007, be sure to safe the file as .doc, not the default .docx, as many people may not be able to open the .docx file.
- Just like writing multiple cover letters, you should write multiple resumes tailored to each job you’re applying for.
- You’ll stand out if you FedEx your resume to a potential employer, in lieu of e-mailing it.
- Don’t use fancy colored paper when you print. Stick to white, or cream. People sell “resume paper”, which is a bit thicker, and more impressive.
- Try to stay away from e-mailing potential employers from unprofessional e-mail addresses (ie; hotboy69251@hotmail.com, etc.) First name dot last name @ provider is often acceptable, assuming you don’t have your own domain name. (ie; mike.smith@gmail.com)
- Use spell check. No matter how smart you think you are, you’re bound to make a typing mistake. And after you spell check it, have someone proof read everything for you.
- Check your verb tense, for jobs in your past, be sure to use past tense. For a job you’re still doing, be sure to use present tense.
The most important thing, again, is to remember you’re selling yourself. Read, and re-read your own resume. Are you someone you’d hire, if you were a hiring manager? If not, re-write the resume. If you come across as someone you’d hire yourself, you’re more likely to get an interview.