To all of you who believe that a resume should spell out everything you have ever done professionally and should be lengthy and beefy - WRONG! You are mistaken and this mistake, can be very costly.
The key to creating a working professional resume is to remember these 3 simple words:
- Simple
- Concise
- Detailed
One-Page resumes signify that you know the rules of the game and you're able to define your professional experience in a short, concise manner. Attention spans are short and it is very critical to engage and spark the interest of your reader. Your resume needs to be an attention grabber and highlight the major points early on. Every word in your resume should have meaning - leave out space fillers, fluffiness, extra words with no point, and information that is not relevant to the position you are applying for. You want to intrigue your reader, not give away all the details. The point of a resume is to provide short and detailed bullet points that showcase your intention, experience, talents, and skills. It is not the goal of a resume to tell your life story - it is rather a snapshot of who you are and what you're seeking.
Despite the experience level, industry, or job you're seeking, ALL resumes should include the following:
*Note - You can word these categories differently; however, be sure to include the information below. Information listed below is in no particular order.
- Profile Statement - a brief 2-3 sentence personal description that states your objective, skill set, work ethic, and strengths
- Educational Background - school, date of graduation, state, city, degree, honors, affiliations
- Professional Experience - you can list all of your experience under the caption "Professional Experience" or categorize/label your experience (i.e. Work Experience, Non-Profit, Beauty, Nursing, etc.) - by doing this, you are highlighting a portion of your experience that you want to stand out. This is particularly important if you have a variety of professional experiences and/or seeking to switch industries and need to separate your job experience.
- Skills - typing speed, office programs that you are proficient in, languages, special talents
- Professional Affiliations - organizations, volunteer work, etc.
Of course, every resume is going to be jazzed up with varying fonts, font sizes, and layout - despite the different stylistics used, all resumes should include the most relevant information that will draw in the employer.
Other Details to Note: (information that the books don't teach you!)
- Always put the most important facts first (bullet points should read most important to least important) - remember, attention grabbers go at the top
- Use the same tense throughout each bullet (if its past tense, stick to it) - don't change tenses within the same job description
- Pay attention to detail (be consistent) - each line should look uniform and neat
- Be creative - find a way to make your resume stand out (in a stack of 50 resumes, how will yours make a difference?)
- Use strong language - each word listed should have value (this will help with conciseness)
- Be clear and direct - resumes are not the time to be fluffy (describe each experience in detail, using an elevated vocabulary that accurately depicts your experience)
- Write for dummies (your resume should be clear to anyone reading it, even if they are not familiar with your work experience or industry). Do not use terms that are not for general use or acronyms that are not for the common reader.
- Provide examples - it's always a good idea to illustrate your job description, it brings life to your experience and showcases specific examples of your work
- Include details - list information that adds credibility and growth (i.e. promotion, award, certificate, leader of round table discussion, etc.)
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