What's the current expected resume style?

1. 89

   Victoria Lynnposted 12 years ago

   What's the current expected resume style?
   
   I'm needing to update my resume. It's been a while. Are there certain expected ways of formatting it these days? Any websites that shows the best way to present a resume? Does it depend on the type of job applied for. Thanks!

   replyreport
2. 59

   RecruitmentTipsposted 12 years ago

   Hi Victoria,
   
   There are may ways to create a fantastic resume and there are many formats available. When structuring your resume, I would try and stick to the following
   
   - contact details on top
   - Education
   - Work Experience
   - Skills (Technical)
   - NO referees
   
   However, although the above structure will make your resume look good, the BEST tip I can give you is to ensure you "modify", "change" and "CUSTOMIZE" your resume for every job your apply for. This is also true for cover letters.
   
   Here are some more tips:
   http://www.recruitmentfundamentals.com/ … ps-tricks/
   
   Hope this helps!
   
   Regards,
   Andrew.

   replyreport
3. 78

   teaches12345posted 12 years ago

   Resume design has changed with the online process. Some companies have specific formats that require filling in blanks.  I always keep a functional one on hand so that I can tweak it and customize it each time I submit it with an application.  For trends and tips, I check sites like monster for the latest information on resume format and what employers look for in a good profile.

   replyreport
4. 0

   Larry Wallposted 12 years ago

   I took advantage of two free offers to "review my resume" and help me get it in shape. Each expert company gave me conflicting answers on almost every point.
   
   They both agreed that you should not use Word Templates--You should use their templates. I am certain there is no bias in that recommendation.
   
   There are a few things I have found out. Allegedly in large corporations resumes are scan by computer that looks for certain power words. Those resumes get sent to a real person. Personally, I do not want anything to do with a company that would depend on a computer to make that decision.
   
   Next, a company cannot ask your age or date of birth. They can ask when you graduated from high school and college. Since they are fairly smart people, they can probably come close to estimating your age.
   
   One company told me to only list my last 15 years of experience. In the past 35 years I held two jobs, one for 16 and the other for 22. The first job was a natural lead in to the second job.
   
   Finally, please realize that there are few if any listings unique to any of the job boards on the internet. You can find the same job listed in a lot of places. So be careful, you do not want to send your resume three times to the same company.
   
   My advice is if you know someone somewhere who is in a position to hire people or at least see the applications and resumes, get their opinion. If you know someone who recently got a new job ask to see his resume.
   
   When in doubt use the standby:
   
   Name and Contact Info
   Objective or Purpose
   List of skills--can be in two columns
   Your employment history. If you are 25 go back to your college jobs. If you are 60, like me, cover at least the last 20 years.
   Companies today to not want to spend time or money training, so in listing your skills be complete and be sure to mention that you have excellent oral and written communication skills and have extensive multitasking experience.
   Attach a listing of your references if they were requested. Attached them if they were requested. If they are on a separate sheet of paper, they can always throw them away.
   
   Now I have been out of work for 14 months--so you may not like my format. However, remember I am 60 and could start drawing Social Security in two years, plus I cannot relocate. Therefore, you have to decide if the above approach will work for you.

   replyreport
   1. 85

      Laura Schneiderposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I agree with Larry Wall except about listing skills in two columns--most resumes are uploaded to computers whether they're processed by them for keywords or not, and the columns ALWAYS get messy (fonts). Use one long paragraph or column of skills.

      replyreport
5. 85

   Laura Schneiderposted 10 years ago

   Use a resume format that is basic and plain and in single-columns only. Tips I've been given by "experts": 1 page only unless you are over 40, no references unless requested (in which case list them on a separate page). Only list the last 10 years of experience to avoid age prejudice (though Larry Wall is correct they can calculate it from your graduation dates). When listing skills/qualifications, either use one long bulleted list (if you have the vertical room on the page) or one run-on paragraph or a paragraph | something like this | using separators | between items. Never use special characters (even bullets! ** use the asterisk instead **)--use keys that are on your keyboard only to ensure the text will look the same on someone else's computer with their fonts. All resumes must be editable by the person receiving them (I HATE THAT!!!!)--they'll often remove your name (gender) before sending resumes to decision-makers, and they'll often save it as PDF. Many resumes are scanned to PDF upon receipt and emailed around to decision-makers, hence single column only works best because few people can select just one column of info from a PDF file. It's okay to leave out your address and only include your city, state, zip: employers don't send paper responses, they reply by email or phone and from that can request your address if necessary.
   
   As Larry Wall says, though, ask any two "experts" and you'll get two conflicting answers on the same subjects, so use common sense: it's YOUR resume, after all.

   replyreport