Resume Best Practices & Standards
1. Resume Design: Selecting the right design template to showcase your accomplishments based on your industry is important. If you’re in a conservative industry (banking, accounting), your template should reflect that and not lean heavily on designer fonts or frivolous designs.
2. Page Length: Recruiters and Hiring Managers prefer resumes to be two pages or less. However, the rule of thumb is: a modern resume is as long – or as short – as it needs to be, provided only relevant information for the new job search is included. Nothing extraneous.
3. Qualification (Opening) Summary versus Objective Statement: Recruiters and Hiring Managers prefer a qualifications summary over an objective statement every time. They want to see what candidates can bring to their organization in terms of performance rather than the candidate stating a position they want.
4. Quantify Accomplishments: A resume must have quantified accomplishments not a reiteration of a job description. Example: Increased productivity 58% within three months of hire by retraining staff on latest accounting software. Providing percentages, dollar figures, and timeframes strengthens achievements.
5. Strong Data Prioritization & Organization: The resume needs to be organized in standard sections. Within each section, the data is presented in reverse-chronological order (the last job or school listed first). The information is prioritized based on value to the Recruiter and Hiring Manager. Information pertinent to the targeted position should be showcased first. For example, if Education is the most important qualification; it’s presented before Work History, rather than last on the document.
6. Non-relevant & Repetitive Data: An effective resume focuses on enhancing your candidacy and avoids repetition and inclusion of non-relevant information. For example, hobbies & interests should only be included if relevant to the job. Personal information (birth dates, marital status etc.) is included in some oversea resumes.
7. Language: Use of business language is critical to the professionalism of a resume. Resumes should avoid the use of personal pronouns (“I’ “my” “we”) and slang at all times.
Recently, a number of job seekers have asked me if it’s okay to drop undesirable jobs from their resumes. The reasons varied, but most had to do with holding short-term positions, leaving jobs on bad terms, getting fired, and changing careers.
In the past, I would have considered that approach. After all, a resume is a marketing piece and should present only the qualifications that would help “sell” the candidate. Now I’m revisiting this issue, and my advice is that you shouldn’t omit positions from your resume just to make your work history look more desirable.
Okay, I shouldn’t use absolutes. Someone asked if a job she held for several days can be dropped. Yes, it can! An extremely short-term job is not significant enough to be listed in your employment history. Also, if you’re only including employment history from the last 10-15 years or so, of course you can omit older jobs. As is the case for most resume strategy decisions, use your judgment.
Here are the top reasons why it’s usually not a good idea to omit jobs from the resume:
1. You will look like a liar when the employer finds out during a background check, and then you’ll have some explaining to do (if a job offer is still a possibility).
2. Although resumes aren’t officially signed, legal documents like applications are, employers are expecting you to provide a thorough, honest work history. The omitted job may go unnoticed for now, but could come back to haunt you after you’re hired. Your job–and reputation–could be in jeopardy.
3. In some cases, listing the job will look better than showing a “gap.” Yes, you were employed (even if for a short time), and that will remove the employer’s concern about what you were doing during that time period.
4. It doesn’t look as bad as you think it looks. I understand that it’s a competitive job market and everyone wants to have a “perfect” work history, but very few people offer such a history. You’re human. You took a job that was a bad fit. You got fired. So what? We tend to magnify our own flaws, even when others wouldn’t notice there’s a problem.
I’m not saying that providing a complete, truthful work history is the easy approach. You could be hit with tough interview questions, but you should do fine if you anticipate the questions and prepare responses before heading into the interview.
The bottom line: You will get a new job, and can proceed with a clear conscience.
1. A document that reflects your personality: Unless you’re in the performing arts or involved in a creative industry, a resume should err on the conservative side — no designer fonts or unusual designs.
2. An exhaustive listing of everything you’ve done: Recruiters and Hiring Managers want recent experience, not all experience. The rule of thumb is to go back 10 years for IT professionals and no more than 15 years for those in other industries. Ideally, a resume should not be longer than 2 pages.
3. A document that tells the recruiter or hiring manager what you want: Recruiters and Hiring Managers are interested in what you can bring to their organizations in terms of performance — increasing profits or reducing costs. What you want (your objective) is secondary.
4. A document that will guarantee an interview or job offer: A resume is the beginning of your job search. It cannot guarantee the end result. No matter how well your accomplishments are detailed and your data presented, if your background doesn’t closely match the requirements of the job, you will not be called in for an interview
5. A one-size-fits-all document: Certainly, there are basic standards for all resumes, such as page length and data prioritization/organization. However, your background is unique and needs to be presented to showcase your skills, not fit a general template designed for everyone.
6. A document that will please your spouse, parents, colleagues, etc.: The only audience that matters is Recruiters and Hiring Managers. Relatives, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances may be well-meaning, but they are not experts in resume writing. They may tell you to add hobbies, when you should not - or include personal data when it’s not required.
7. A document that is perfect in every way: Organization of data and showcasing accomplishments are what matter most in a resume as does language and tone (be professional at all times). Recruiters and Hiring Managers are looking for hard skills that you can bring to their organization, not whether you used the word ‘oversaw’ rather than ‘managed’.
Someone asked me how to write a winning resume, and the question took me by surprise. Usually people ask specific questions, like “How can I avoid looking like a job-hopper?” and “I’m concerned about age discrimination — should I drop my degree date?” (Or the always popular, “Can you review my resume…for free?”)
So after the question was asked, I saw 13 years of resume writing experience flash before my eyes, along with every resume tip I ever offered — it was like a near-death experience.
Where to start? Winning resume strategies vary dramatically depending on the job seeker’s background, career level, goals, even geographic location. It would be impossible to give the recipe for a winning resume and wrap it in a pretty bow. But I like a challenge, so I decided to break it up into a list of do’s and don’ts. So here goes…
Do’s
* Do state your career goal. Your objective should be clear from the very beginning of your resume. You can incorporate your goal into a bold headline, or weave it into your Qualifications Summary. Thinking about using a “one-size-fits-all-jobs” resume? You could be in for a long job search.
* Do include a Qualifications Summary. If you’re diving right in to your work history without a brief introduction, you’re missing the opportunity to spoon-feed your strongest credentials or “value proposition” to the resume reviewer — right at the top of your resume.
* Do include your important skills. Hiring managers are looking for specific skills when filling a job opening. So create a bulleted list of your industry-related skills. Relevant job-related skills (such as “vendor negotiations”) hold more weight than general skills (like “communication skills,” which everyone claims to have).
* Do include accomplishments. Most resumes are heavily focused on job duties, but employers want to see how well you’ve done your job. Include specific examples of the main ways you contributed to your employers, and hiring managers will see the value that you bring to the table. Use quantifiable accomplishments whenever possible.
* Do pick the right length. If you’re a new grad with minimal experience, chances are you need one page. If you are an experienced professional with lots of experience, two pages should do the trick. If you’re a top-level executive with an extensive track record or a techie with many relevant projects, you might need three pages. Professionals who require a longer resume are in academia and need a CV, not a resume. A resume is a brief “snapshot” of your qualifications — you want to have something to discuss in an interview.
* Do create an attractive design. Your resume needs to stand out from the pack of resumes, and a distinctive (yet conservative) design can help your resume get noticed. Make use of your word processing program’s formatting features, like font size, bold, italics, etc. But don’t overdo it –- it’s a careful balancing act to make sure your resume looks nice, and not like a three-ring circus!
* Do give kudos to team accomplishments. Did your department generate $2.5 million last year? Then give credit to the team instead of claiming the accomplishment as your own, unless you want to look like a braggart who likes to steal the limelight.
* Do use a readable font size. I’ve been seeing more and more resumes with teeny tiny fonts — apparently people are trying to squeeze in as much information on a page to avoid starting a new page. Not good. Your font should be easily readable on-screen. It’s better to go to a new page or edit some of the content and use a font that doesn’t make your reader squint (or just delete your resume to avoid a migraine headache). Along the same lines, make sure you have plenty of white space to make your resume reader-friendly.
* Do include related hobbies. The emphasis is on related. If your hobby shows some aspect of your personality that would be desirable or an interesting talking point with the interviewer, include it. Avoid including anything that is kind of “out there” or would reveal something about you that you wouldn’t want your next employer to know.
* Do proofread. Your resume should be error-free. Sending a resume with typos is the equivalent of showing up to a job interview with food stains on your shirt.
* Do keep your resume updated. A resume that’s frequently updated and revised is more effective than one that is out-of-date and neglected. Make a point to update your resume when you have a new accomplishment, and take a good look at the document at least every few months.
Don’ts
* Don’t use a functional format. It’s almost never the right answer, and only raises red flags and doubts about your work history. Plus, if you’re trying to hide dates, a functional resume may do the opposite and draw attention to dates. A “combination” resume (a reverse chronological resume that leads with a Qualifications Summary) works for almost all professionals.
* Don’t be a copycat. Don’t use a resume template (unless you want to blend in with the crowd) and don’t copy your friend’s resume. You can use resume samples to inspire you, but don’t copy!
* Don’t lose sight of your career goal. When writing your work descriptions, always keep your career goal in mind. Highlight the accomplishments that are related to your next career move, and downplay unrelated career information. Remember, you can’t include everything you’ve ever done, so you might as well include the skills and accomplishments that will grab your reader’s attention.
* Don’t overuse bullets. Professional resume writers refer to this type of resume as a “polka-dot resume.” If you bullet everything, no one point stands out and you dilute the impact of the bullets. Instead, strategically use bullets to draw attention to the key points that you want to emphasize.
* Don’t go way back. If your work history spans more than fifteen years, keep in mind that employers are most interested in what you did recently. So dedicate the most space to your recent experience. You can include earlier work history if you want, but consider summing up the highlights in an “Early Career” section.
* Don’t use a funky font. Most resumes are being emailed and opened on computers, so it’s important that your font selection translates properly on the receiver’s end. If not, the receiver’s system will convert to a different font, and there goes all of your perfect formatting.
* Don’t write “References Available Upon Request.” This is not the 80s, folks!
* Don’t include personal information. Marital status, date of birth, salary data, and other personal information shouldn’t be included on most resumes. There are a few exceptions, like resumes going to foreign countries and entertainer resumes in which personal information is relevant to the job. Federal applications also require personal information such as salary history. Other than that, omit personal information.
* Don’t use personal pronouns (“I,” “me,” or “my”). The reader knows you are writing about you. Use an “implied” first-person voice, like “Developed reports…” instead of “I developed reports.”
* Don’t use bad resume lingo. If you’re a “results-proven leader with excellent communication skills looking for a growth-oriented position with a forward-thinking company,” please delete the bad resume lingo right now! This post has more detail on offensive, over-used cliches that should be eliminated from your resume.
* Don’t lie. Whatever you are trying to cover up isn’t as bad as you think it is, and a dishonest approach can get you into all kinds of trouble (even long after you’re hired). And yes, omitting significant jobs is lying. “Honesty is the best policy” — didn’t we learn this lesson in kindergarten?
Hooray! You found your dream job in a recent position announcement. The skills and experience being sought by the employer seem to be a perfect match to your background, qualifications, and career aspirations. There’s only one problem: a bachelor’s degree is listed as one of the “must-have” requirements, and you never finished your degree.
Is it hopeless to apply for a position when you don’t meet the education requirements listed in the job ad?
Not necessarily!
Employers are often willing to overlook the absence of a degree if a candidate has ample experience related to the job in question. So your resume needs to highlight precisely that by showcasing your history of proven performance. It will be especially important for you to include quantifiable examples (using numbers, percentages, dollar amounts, and/or before/after comparisons) of how you have improved operations, profits, team performance, customer service, market share, etc. on your resume.
In addition, even though you didn’t graduate from a university or college, mention college studies that you did complete. This can be an excellent way to add in keywords (such as “BA” or “BS”) to your resume that would otherwise be missing — without being misleading or dishonest. Here’s an example:
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA – Tuscaloosa, AL
Coursework toward a BA in Advertising, 2004 to 2006
Completed half of degree program requirements prior to being recruited by XYZ Company to join their account executive team.
Job seekers without a college degree should also include highlights of any professional development completed to show a commitment to lifelong learning. Here’s an example:
Professional Development: Completed numerous seminars and courses on topics including:
Legal & Regulatory Affairs / Leadership & Supervision / Six Sigma Principles / Performance Management / Finance for Non-Financial Managers / Strategic Business Plans / Balanced Scorecards
So don’t be discouraged if you find a job posting that interests you but you lack the educational requirements. It’s worth a shot to apply for the position, and highlight the value you bring to the table through your experience and proven track record.
Heather Johnson returns to share advice on planning for a career change. When you’re miserable in your current career and know that you’re ready for a change, make sure you’ve done your research and diligent planning. Best wishes, Kim Isaacs
Career Change Tips: The Planning Stage
By Heather Johnson
If you’re contemplating a career change, you know that marketing and re-packaging yourself for a new goal can be daunting. Shifting careers makes looking for a job in your current field seem like a walk in the park. If you’re ready for a major change, consider these tips to make the process is as painless as possible:
* Have a plan. If you’re currently employed, stay in your current job and map out your career change plan. A career change brings about changes in many aspects of your life, including your financial situation and family relationships. Determine what you need to do to make a smooth transition before doing anything else. If you’re unsure about how to approach your career change, seek the advice of a professional career coach or read books on how to shift careers. The more prepared you are, the more successful you will be.
* Do it for the right reasons. Make sure you’re not just reacting to a bad stretch in your current job. Maybe your boss is making you miserable so it seems like an extreme change is in order, but perhaps you would be happy in a new job in your field with a new boss. When you change careers, you will be in a foreign work environment when you first start. Your job satisfaction will infiltrate every aspect of your life, so make sure this is the right move before going full steam ahead.
* Take money out of the equation. Sounds easier said than done, right? Well, if you’re focused on the money, consider what the new career will mean to your quality of life. What kind of people work in this new field? What kind of hours does it demand? What kind of education do you need? Forget the dollar signs for a moment, and consider your future happiness.
* Focus on your own path. Just because your friend made a smooth transition to this field doesn’t mean you can follow suit. It’s natural to compare yourself to others, but just because others have succeeded in a certain career doesn’t translate to your personal success. This is your path and your decision.
* Refine your skills. Take a few courses to freshen your skills before you take the plunge. Practice skills required for your new field as much as possible, even if it means volunteering your services to charities or local businesses. Building your skills will give you renewed confidence, and improve your chances for success.
If you’re trying to select the best format for your resume, most likely a functional resume won’t work. Not convinced? Check out the following article by guest writer Jessie Richardson. Best wishes, Kim Isaacs
Resume Writing Tip: Format is Key to Success
By Jessie Richardson, CPRW
Many of my transitioning military clients are overwhelmed at the thought of capturing their experience in a resume, just like their civilian counterparts. Getting started with writing a resume can be overwhelming, but choosing the right resume format can be the key to getting your resume read. You may have heard that there are several resume styles from which to choose. Although technically that is true, there is really only one style that you should use. So heed this warning before you put that pen to paper - no matter who has “sold” you on a functional format - do not listen!
The two most popular resume formats are functional and reverse chronological. A reverse chronological resume lists employment with the most recent position first. Each entry includes the company, job title, dates, and a job description with an emphasis on accomplishments, and includes an education or certifications section. Functional resumes begin with a professional summary that lists primary functional skills, such as project management, maintenance, reorganization, etc. This is followed by skills and significant achievements for each of the primary functional skills. Next is a tabular summary of employment, followed by education and certifications.
There are three problems with functional resumes. First, they do not provide hiring managers with enough information. As a hiring authority, how am I to know if you have three months or three years of “project management” experience? Second, they come across as suspicious. Functional resumes are popular among people with something to hide, such as habitual “job hoppers” and those with large gaps in their employment history. Third, they tend to be heavy on empty phrases like, “exceptional leadership skills.” To a seasoned resume reviewer, this means nothing. A great resume leads the reader, on his or her own, to come up with the very assertions you would like to make. Aim to show not tell - a hard order to fill with a functional resume.
In summary, readers want the resume in a certain format. List your work experiences in reverse chronological order rather than by function performed. If collateral duties and multiple, simultaneous jobs make your reverse chronological timeline somewhat difficult to follow, add a “collateral duties” or “additional experience” section and keep the focus on experience most relevant to your target. While a functional resume may make you feel better about representing your skills, it will not please the reader and you could suffer the consequences because your resume ended up in the trash.
Is your neighbor working on a home-improvement project just a neighbor working on a home-improvement project, or is there more to the picture? Could saying “hi” and lending your neighbor a hand lead to a great job opportunity? According to my career-coaching colleagues, including Wendy Terwelp, Laura Berman Fortgang, and Anne-Marie Ditta, taking advantage of the slow, breezy nature of summer to build relationships and strengthen your network could be beneficial to your job search.
Sizzling Summer Job Search Tips
by Kim Isaacs, Monster Resume Expert
Are you taking a break from the job search and surrendering to the lazy days of summer? The conventional wisdom is that almost everyone is in vacation mode from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Consequently, many postpone job searching until September. Is this a mistake? Could you be missing opportunities if you take the summer off? We asked the career experts to find out.
Summer Job Searching — Worthwhile or Waste of Time?
“I often hear job seekers say that they want to take the summer off,” says Wendy Terwelp, career coach and president of Mequon, Wisconsin-based career management firm Opportunity Knocks. Terwelp says that by the time the summer ends, job seekers who took the summer off will be competing against even more job seekers who have followed the same strategy. Anne-Marie Ditta, president of First Impression Career Services, agrees. “A fair number of job seekers think that recruiters and hiring managers are unavailable during the summer,” Ditta says. Therefore, many believe it’s a waste of time to job search from June through August.
Debunking the Summer Vacation Myth
“Few people take long vacations anymore, so for the corporate world it’s business as usual in the summer,” says Laura Berman Fortgang, a pioneer in the personal coaching field who has appeared on “Oprah” and “The CBS Early Show” and wrote Now What? 90 Days to a New Life Direction.
“It may take a little longer to get internal consensus on a hire because of staggered vacations, but why waste three months when you can move things forward during that time?” suggests Fortgang, who says that summertime can offer advantages to job seekers. “Sometimes, summer’s quieter pace gives hiring managers a bit more ‘brain space,’ so they are more attentive to employment applications,” she says. Summer can be a prime hiring season for some employers. “Many projects hit the ground running in the fall, and employers want new people in place,” says Fortgang.
Six Summer Job Search Tips
How do you keep your search moving forward in the summer? Our experts offer these tips:
1. Capitalize on Seasonal Events: Summer is a terrific time to network,” says Terwelp. “There are festivals, barbeques, weddings and other gatherings that can be a perfect time to connect.” Fortgang says that using personal and social gatherings to let people know you are looking is an excellent strategy.
2. Don’t Get Discouraged: Summer vacations may make reaching the right people more challenging, but “don’t use this as a reason to back off,” says Fortgang. “Be patient and consistent, leave polite messages and continue due diligence,” she says. Keep in mind that receptionists and other gatekeepers take vacations, too. “You might connect with that otherwise hard-to-reach hiring manager while your competitors are lolling around waiting until September,” says Ditta.
3. Keep a Job Search Schedule: Yes, it’s summer, but don’t be lulled into laziness. “Even if it is just an hour a day, put structure in place to keep you going,” says Fortgang.
4. Build a Network: “Form a group of like-minded job seekers to keep your summer job search on track,” Fortgang suggests. Meet regularly to share information on who’s hiring. A job opportunity not right for you may be perfect for someone in your network, and vice-versa.
5. Take Stock of Your Resume and Skills: Summer is the perfect time to assess and update your resume and skills. “Review your resume and add any new accomplishments or training,” says Terwelp. Also, brush up on any skills that may be lagging. “Take a class or two in the summer. Not only will you be improving your skills, but you can network with your classmates.”
6. Get Outside: Warm weather is the prime time for outdoor home improvement projects, and by helping your neighbors you can help your career at the same time. Walk around your neighborhood and offer to give someone a hand. While you’re helping that neighbor, you can share that you’re job hunting and tap into someone else’s network. “This can lead to more connections, informational interviews and maybe even a new job,” says Terwelp.