Unless you are now prepared to invest enough time to research, write, edit and then do the final copy of a resume that will make an excellent impression on the reader, all this work will have been in vain. Your resume is unlikely to be noticed or even glanced at, let alone read. One draft won't do it!
You will want to tailor your resume to what the reader wants to read not necessarily what you want to say about yourself.
Too many people fail to put themselves in the reader's shoes! They see the resume as an opportunity to report everything about their history, because it makes them feel good to talk about all the things they've done.
The reader is looking for a capsule impression of you in a quick read through of your resume. If you bury the essentials in a sea of words, the reader will never find them.
The Eye Strain Approach
Here is an example of bad resume writing:
September 1989 June 1990 SAFETY REPRESENTATIVE
Responsibilities: Coordinate and administer the safety, accident prevention, housekeeping, sanitation, and other related programs as assigned. Investigate accidents and supervise the preparation of accident reports and statistical summaries; review claims for worker's compensation. Check buildings, facilities, fire prevention systems, storage of dangerous fluids and gases, material handling equipment, etc. to ensure compliance with mandatory regulations and insurance requirements. Establish, coordinate, and maintain Company Fire Brigade. Study, plan, and formulate new and revised safety programs and rules; prepare recommendations and implement conformance with those which meet approval. Coordinate activities with Worker's Compensation Insurance Carrier. Select and approve purchase of standard manufactured safety services or design; expedite construction and installation of machine guards and point of operation safety.
If you were a busy employer, would you want to read this? Of course not!
The resume is not a place where you outline your job description or list every single duty you had. It is a place to highlight experiences that will be relevant to the reader's requirements not to stroke your ego.
This isn't the place to say, "I'm wonderful." This is the place to highlight significant results and accomplishments from your experience.
To describe yourself in terms of the results you had on the job. The things you accomplished. The effects you had on corporate profitability or organizational effectiveness. The sales increases which you directly brought about.
In other words, the provable things.
To say "bright, witty and intellectually gifted" shows only that you have a good opinion of yourself.
We all need to love ourselves and be aware of our good qualities. But putting these things in a resume comes off as arrogant.
Better that the reader should conclude such things from the accomplishments you describe.
Or hear it from others when they check your references.
Edit, Edit, Edit
You will eventually edit your first draft and then edit the information down to a second draft (leaving out irrelevant information)... edit down to a third draft (seeking better, more powerful, shorter words)... edit down to a fourth draft (grammatical perfection)... and finally, a fifth draft (arrangement on the page). This will be your final pre printer copy.
In your fifth draft, you will also decide the order of your categories, because you will want to highlight your best qualifications early in the resume.
Thus, if your strongest point is fifteen years' experience in the field in which you are applying for a job, your work experience will be more important than your education and should come before it.
But if you are a new graduate with little relevant experience, you will probably want to place your education before your work experience.
If you are a graduating student and a leader in clubs and athletics, but your grades aren't so good, you might want to highlight "Honors, Awards, and Achievements" within your educational background.
How Long Should Your Resume Be?
Most experts will tell you that your resume should be one page only. Or two pages at the most.
And they are probably right. Because no one wants to read more than that.
Your job is to edit, edit, edit your resume. And then edit some more. Until your resume is a manageable, tight length.
This does not mean that you should scrunch your resume into one page (or two) just because this is the rule.
I've seen resumes that are two and a half pages long (or even three) with lots of white space that were better (easier to read) than two pagers with too much copy.
It's better to have a well designed resume that will get read, even if it is longer, than a crowded resume.
But the chances are if your resume is more than two pages long, you're simply refusing to edit out irrelevant material in your background. Keep it to one or two pages, and you'll probably be safe.
The best length for your resume depends on your experience. Students and recent graduates may have little difficulty producing their resume on one page.
And even if you have many years of experience, remember that jobs from many years ago deserve little (if any) space unless they are really special or prestigious.
And unless they truly relate somehow to the job you're trying to get now. And if nothing else you've done since then relates to that objective.
But that would be a rare circumstance! So keep editing critically. Keep your resume short and easy to scan.
