What is a resume?
A resume is a document that represents you in your absence. It is a marketing tool that showcases you in the best possible light.
1. How can I improve my resume?
The quickest way to improve your resume is to add verifiable accomplishments. Don’t just state what you did at your last employer; state what you achieved.
2. Should the Objective be general or specific?
Neither, I strongly recommend against using one. They waste precious space, limit your options within the organization, say nothing and do even less.
3. How long should my resume be?
Read my answer from ASK DAVE.
4. How far back chronologically should I go back?
Keep it under 10-12 years because it is more relevant that way. So many people love to start with their first job out of college (30+ years ago) but I consider that a serious mistake.
5. What is the best thing to put on my resume?
As I said above, ACCOMPLISHMENTS! After every line of the resume I ask the million dollar resume question, “So what”? If less is more on a resume then why waste the reader’s time with filler or pabulum?
6. What is the worst thing to put on my resume?
Personal information such as health and marital status, children, etc, political and ethnic and religious affiliations and the big one…hobbies. Remember my “So What”? question…well so what if you were a member of the Green Party in 1980? Don’t waste the reader’s time.
7. Are there any tricks Recruiters (or resume writers) use to get their resume to stand out?
No. Don’t bother using special/colored paper. Don’t enclose a crisp new dollar bill with your resume. Don’t ever include a picture. Don’t send brochure style or portfolio resumes. It’s overkill and ineffective in any cost-conscious, efficiency minded organization.
8. What about gaps in your employment?
To begin, use only the years (1989 – 1990) when writing your resume, not the months. If your work gap is significant and you desire to be bold, list the work gap on your resume and briefly explain it. Deal with it and do it in a straightforward way or you’ll never get the interview over someone who has an uninterrupted work history.
9. What if you only worked for one employer in your entire career?
Just break out each significant new position/promotion and detail them as if they were jobs with a different employer. Be careful here not to be use redundant information for each position.
10. What if your Job Title doesn’t accurately reflect your responsibilities?
Then change it all together or better yet, place them side-by-side on your resume.
