A Better Resume

Have you ever set down to write your resume and wondered, How long should it be? Or maybe, what should be included and/or highlighted? Then again maybe, you wonder, how can it all fit onto on page?

Well recently Monster.com published an article: Tips for Creating a Concise Resume. According to the article you are not alone, if you have had those or similar thoughts.

As millions of workers update their resumes, one of the top concerns is length.

Not long ago, job seekers followed the resume golden rule: No resume should exceed one page. However, today's job seekers are finding that rule no longer applies.

In this time of confusion, the solution is simple: Common sense. If you are just graduating, have fewer than five years of work experience or are contemplating a complete career change, a one-page resume will probably suffice.

Some technical and executive candidates require multiple-page resumes. If you have more than five years of experience and a track record of accomplishments, you will need at least two pages to tell your story.

Not an Autobiography

The first thing to remember, according to the article, is that your resume is not autobiography.

Don't confuse telling your story with creating your autobiography. Employers are inundated with resume submissions and are faced with weeding out the good from the bad. The first step involves quickly skimming through resumes and eliminating candidates who clearly are not qualified. Therefore, your resume needs to pass the skim test. Look at your resume and ask yourself:

Can a hiring manager see my main credentials within 10 to 15 seconds?

Does critical information jump off the page?

Do I effectively sell myself on the top quarter of the first page?

According to another article at Daily Writing Tips,

The ideal length for a resume is a polemic subject. Most employers and recruiting specialists, however, say that it should contain one or two pages at maximum. Just keep in mind that, provided all the necessary information is there, the shorter your resume, the better.
- 44 Resume Writing Tips

The Sales Pitch

Because resumes are quickly skimmed during the first pass, it is crucial your resume gets right to work selling your credentials. Your key selling points need to be prominently displayed at the top of the first page. If an MBA degree is important in your career field, it shouldn't be buried at the end of a four-page resume.

An effective way to showcase your key qualifications is to include a Career Summary statement at the top of the first page. On your Monster resume, use the Objective section to relay your top qualifications. The remainder of the resume should back up the statements made in your summary.
- Tips for Creating a Concise Resume

And that other article (44 Resume Writing Tips) says,

A very common advice to job seekers is to use action verbs. But what are they? Action verbs are basically verbs that will get noticed more easily, and that will clearly communicate what your experience or achievement were. Examples include managed, coached, enforced and planned. Here you can find a complete list of action verbs divided by skill category.

That article also says to update your resume regularly and to avoid listing your hobbies.

Unless you are 100% sure that some of your hobbies will support you candidacy, avoid mentioning them. I know you are proud of your swimming team, but share it with your friends and not with potential employers.

Editor's Eye

The next tip that the Monster.com article mentions is:

Many workers are proud of their careers and feel the information on a resume should reflect everything they've accomplished. However, the resume shouldn't contain every detail. It should only include the information that will help you land an interview.

So be judicious. If your college days are far behind you, does it really matter that you pledged a fraternity or delivered pizza? The editing step will be difficult if you are holding on to your past for emotional reasons. In these cases, show your resume to a colleague or professional resume writer for an objective opinion.

One thing, that I found really interesting, is that the 44 Resume Writing Tips article mentioned to list all of your positions.

If you have worked a long time for the same company (over 10 years) it could be a good idea to list all the different positions and roles that you had during this time separately. You probably had different responsibilities and developed different skills on each role, so the employer will like to know it.

Finally the Monster.com article mentioned these 8 tips.

Eight Tips to Keep Your Resume Concise

1. Avoid Repeating Information: Did you perform the same or similar job tasks for more than one employer? Instead of repeating job duties, focus on your accomplishments in each position.
2. Eliminate Old Experience: Employers are most interested in what you did recently. If you have a long career history, focus on the last 10 to 15 years. If your early career is important to your current goal, briefly mention the experience without including details. For example: Early Career: ABC Company -- City, State -- Assistant Store Manager and Clerk, 1980-1985.
3. Don't Include Irrelevant Information: Avoid listing hobbies and personal information such as date of birth or marital status. Also, eliminate outdated technical or business skills.
4. Cut Down on Job Duties: Many job seekers can trim the fat off their resumes simply by removing long descriptions of job duties or responsibilities. Instead, create a paragraph that briefly highlights the scope of your responsibility and then provide a list of your most impressive accomplishments.
5. Remove "References Available Upon Request": Many job seekers waste the valuable last line of the resume on an obvious statement. Remove it.
6. Use a Telegraphic Writing Style: Eliminate personal pronouns and minimize the use of articles (a, an, the) when preparing your resume.
7. Edit Unnecessary Words: Review your resume for unnecessary phrases such as "responsible for" or "duties include." The reader understands you were responsible for the tasks listed on your resume.
8. Customize Your Resume for Your Job Target: Only include information relevant to your goal. This is particularly important for career changers who need to focus on transferable skills and deemphasize unrelated career accomplishments.

One more tip, that I would like to note is:

If you have been working for 20 years or more, there is no need to have 2 pages of your resume listing all your work experiences, starting with the job at the local coffee shop at the age of 17! Most experts agree that the last 15 years of your career are enough.
- 44 Resume Writing Tips

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