Full Careers
Resume help ... plus any other tips?
I know it's best to keep a resume to one page if possible, but mine is 2 pages long and I can't seem get it any shorter (was at 3 pages). Also, how many years should you typically go back? I had the same job for the last 5 1/2 years in which I held several different positions as I progressed through my career. Any thoughts on including volunteer and community work in the resume? Also, anyone know of any good websites to post resumes on and search for jobs besides the local papers, Monster, Career Builder or Jobster?
Public Comments
- Since you say you have worked at the same place for over five years, mention tasks performed in each position once. If different positions held had alike task do not mention that again. Also make sure that previous position tasks are in past tense. It is okay to have a resume over a page. Shorten your objective, make sure your objective is strong.
- Definitely enter your volunteer and community work, this will make your resume stand apart from the rest. You may want to go to microsoft.com and download some resume templates, that would be a good way to start and that way get a better idea of different styles/format of resumes available for you to use. It's free to download and I always look there for templates.
- You are allowed to tailor your resume to the specific job you are applying for. So, insure you know what the future employer is asking for, and put that specific experience and training in the resume. For instance, if you go to your state's workforce website, you will find that you have tools available to you that will pretty much make resume building easy. You answer a bunch of questions, input your your entire circle of experience, then download it onto your computer in Adobe format. Then bring up the saved resume, and delete things that have nothing to do with the job you're applying for. Save primary resume, and submit the new one. Be sure that you keep the job on it that gave you all the experience in the first place, then include in your resume the job on which you got the experience. Clue: Use keywords if submitting a resume online. This insures that if an employer does an online search for certain qualifications within, say, Brass Ring, your resume will pop up. Your resume should have an objective statement, relative experience, education and specialized training, and at least three professional references. It should be no longer than two pages, with the bulk of experience on the first page. Remember that the average employer spends a maximum of 30 seconds on a resume. So, do something to make it stand out. Like, a different color paper, or emboldened headlines. Or, your heading might be in cursive rather than print.
- It's more important to keep it to one page than it is to list everything you've ever done, especially when it's things that aren't relevant to the new job (like retail experience for an office job, for example). Combine your different positions with one employer into one entry to save space. Mention only the most important tasks you completed there, especially if they are things you'd like to be doing at the new job you're looking for. Only put specific instances of volunteer and community work if you are going for a paid job in a nonprofit organization (or something similar). Otherwise, simply put "volunteering" in your "Other Interests" or "Hobbies" section. If your resume is still too long, though, this is one section that should definitely be cut! DO NOT get fancy with your resume. Keep the fonts consistent and the same size. Use bold lettering sparingly for headings only. Remember, it should be the words that stand out, not the "cursive font" or "colored paper"! Nothing screams "desperate amatuer" more than things like that. A prospective employer will most likely see your cover letter first, so make sure that is very well written with no typos (just like your resume, it should be edited and proofread by a friend). Most employees won't even make it all the way down a one-page resume. VERY few will ever click to another page. Keep that in mind as you're choosing what's most important!
