Misconception 3: There is a right way to write a resume
If there is anything that makes job searchers crazy, it is all the advice they get. Everyone is an expert when it comes to resumes. Every recruiter, hiring manager, career consultant, teacher, author, and your older brother all believe they have the one magic formula! So here is the third of the Misconceptions About Resumes. No matter what anyone tells you, they have not been handed the “truth”. There is no magic formula - but common sense helps.
Common sense tells us that no matter what you believe or anyone else tells you about resume writing, the person who has the job is always right. You want the job, not to win a contest about the correct way to write a resume. So, if a recruiter or hiring manager wants a one page resume, write a one page resume.
It is also common sense that your resume is a living document. A well-written resume will remain sound for the length of most job searches but is essential that it be adapted for specific jobs, for changes in the market, and for things that you learn as you apply for jobs and interview. The most important place on the resume to make these adjustments is at the top part of page 1. As noted in the posting on the first misconception, the top of page 1 is where the reader is going to look first. With a properly designed positioning at the top of the resume, a few well thought out changes can virtually re-invent you. By creating a new framework for the reader to interpret the resume’s detail, you can shift dramatically how you are viewed and considered.
As far as the resume itself, here are a few guidelines:
-
Use an easily readable point size.
-
Make your name big enough to be picked out of a stack of papers.
-
Leave at least 1 inch margins all the way around.
-
Include your name and page number - contact information optional - on any pages after page 1. If your name is not on the 2nd or subsequent pages and printed pages get separated, for example, at the copier, there is no way for the lost pages to get re-attached correctly.
-
Depending on your audience and work history, your resume may be 1-3 pages. Just make sure that what’s on it adds real value.
-
For hardcopy, good quality white, grey, and ivory make the best professional presentation. Make sure the color is light enough to copy well.
-
No spelling mistakes.
-
Use a positioning summary followed by a simple chronological format. No one will read your resume if they have to work too hard to piece it together. Watch an experienced recruiter. They go to the most recent job and start reading there. If your job information doesn’t start until page two, you have wasted an entire page of prime real estate.
Comments »
Contact
3816 Travis Street
Dallas, TX, 75204
214-526-8690
Click Here to
Send Us an Email
www.YellowBrickPath.com
No comments yet.