I thought a good way to start was to think about some of the questions and subjects I tend to get from job seekers and the one about resumes is probably at the top of the list. It’s most likely the # 1 question I get that comes once I have spent time going over work history, experience and career goals and it goes something like this:
Me: “Do you have any questions for me?”
Job Seeker: “So…what do you think of my resume?”
There are times there are very apparent changes and adjustments to suggest, things that seem pretty standard (use spell check and read closely for typos, consistency of fonts, etc).
Beyond the basics however is where it makes responding to this question a bit more subjective. If you show your resume to 5 different people and asked the same question, you will get 5 varying perspectives and feedback as to what THEY think, but what is more important is what does your target audience (HR or Hiring Manager) think?
I am not a professional resume writer and do not profess to be an expert in this area, but would like to offer some helpful tips and resources that have been effective. Some of these points seem like no-brainer ideas but sometimes it’s all about the basics.
· The goal. Keep in mind the goal with your resume is to obtain an interview, not to get the job. So you want your resume to catch their attention and pique their interest into wanting to know more about you. It’s a fine line to walk between too sparse and so much detail the reader thinks they know all they need to know.
· One page, two pages or more? This comes down to opinion and what do you feel you need to share with a prospective employer. My thoughts on this are I think one or two pages are fine as long as the content is relevant to the position you are applying for. If you get to three or more pages, chances are it won’t be read.
· Keywords are the key. Typically you submit your resume based on reading a job posting or job description, make sure your resume “speaks” to the job description using words and terminology that line up to the posting. With technology and systems companies use in screening resumes if your resume does not contain key words the application is looking for, it will be tossed. Even if an actual person is reading resumes there’s not a lot of time spent reading them. I read somewhere the average time spent reading a resume is about 25 seconds. Again, keep the goal in mind.
· References available on request. Please, please, PLEASE do your references a favor and do not list them on your resume! They are valuable resources to you in your job search and when you send them with your resume you now are giving someone permission to call them even before they talk with you. It is assumed you will provide references to a potential employer at some point in the interview process so by sharing that information when the time is right you can control that part and also let your references know they will be contacted and what you are interviewing for, etc. In fact just go ahead and leave out that old-school “references available upon request” tag line altogether.
· Keep personal information just that…personal. It’s great you are in excellent health, love travel, and showing your Sharpei at local dog shows, but does this have anything to do with how you are an outstanding Accounting Manager or Mechanical Engineer? Listing community involvement and/or volunteering activities can definitely add value but less is more, don’t write things just to fill space on the paper.
I feel I have only scratched the surface on this, so will be adding a part two at some point soon. In the meantime I would like to recommend a really great book to get about resumes, one I have shared with many candidates over the years with great feedback and success. It’s called “Resumes That Knock ‘Em Dead” by Martin Yate. It’s a great resource and reference book that contains many excellent ideas as to what makes a good resume. Check it out!
Also, I am working on figuring out how to make this blog accept comments, if anyone has any ideas on how to make that work, I would love to know. You can find me on LinkedIn to reply or comment.
Until next time…
We are still masters of our fate.
We are still captains of our souls.
Winston Churchill
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