The Resume Headache and How To Get Rid of It
Let’s be honest – nobody loves writing their own resume. It’s frustrating to string together all of those life “episodes” in a way that makes sense for the direction in which we are now heading. Then there are those questions we ask ourselves that distract us from the whole point of the resume, like: “How much personal information should I include? How can I make mine stand out from other resumes? Should I include a photo?” It is so easy to get tangled up in the details of your entire life that you forget that, while the resume is a factual document, it is also a marketing piece.
My experience in working with job-seekers has revealed a number of interesting observations. The first is that people seem to dislike editing their life. They fear leaving something out that could enhance their candidacy. The problem here is that too much information could cause the hiring agent to toss that resume in favor of candidates that have less complicated resumes.
The second observation I’ve made is that people aren’t clear on the impact of a well-written objective. The objective on a resume tells the hiring agent exactly what you want. If your objective is specific, and fits well with the company, it could be the deciding factor between you and a similar candidate, particularly if that candidate didn’t include an objective. Remember, an objective on a resume is not set in stone. It can be tweaked to fit the particular opportunity for which you are submitting your resume.
The rules of thumb for a basic resume aren’t really as challenging as some would think. Unless you are in a technical field or seeking an executive position, your resume shouldn’t be more than one page. It should include your objective at the top, your education, and your last ten years of work history in chronological order with the most recent first – working backwards. Depending on the space available, you can add a “Special Skills” Section. Though some prefer to indicate that references are “available upon request,” I advise adding the names, titles and phone numbers of two references at the bottom. It just makes it easier on the hiring agent.
This is the standard format that I use, and while there are other details involved, the challenge of writing a good resume is more about preparation than putting computer ink to paper.