RESUMES: The Rules of the
Resume Game
by William S. Frank
Resume writing is like tennis in that certain rules
apply. The tennis court is a specific size. The net is a standard
height. You can remove the net and hit the ball, but then you're
not playing tennis.
Similar conventions apply to resume writing. You
can make up your own rules as you go along. For example, you can
print your resume on bright red paper--and you'll have an eye-catcher
all right-but you won't have a decent resume.
Here are the features of the resume that always
produces interviews and job offers:
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It's accomplishment-oriented. Everything on
the page is built around your achievements: your "triples"
and "home runs." They are its only reason for being. |
| • |
It's organized. Things aren't dropped in helter-skelter.
Information falls under easily understandable general headings,
which makes it easy to find facts. |
| • |
It's broken down into sub-headings. No long
paragraphs. |
| • |
It's concise, not wordy. It's written in crisp
phrases, not full sentences. In resume language "K"
means thousand, "M" means million, and "MM"
means hundred million. Thus, $27K means 27 thousand dollars.
Omit words like "a, an, and the" and "I, me
and my." Otherwise, don't abbreviate. Take out the obvious.
If you hit 85 home runs last season, you probably don't need
to mention you also hit singles. |
| • |
It's written on one or two full pages, nothing
else. Half-page or 1-1/2 page resumes look like you ran out
of steam, or didn't plan well. |
| • |
It's normally limited to two pages, except
for the occasional senior executive resume, which can go to
three. You'll notice that none of the examples in this book
are three pages. There's a reason for that: getting it onto
two pages is part of the drill. |
Tip: The first draft
is often too long (say 3 pages). Keep a long version and then
edit to a short 2-page version. Hence, two resumes. This will
satisfy your need to "have everything in there" and
the real world's requirement to "keep it to two pages."
Use the short version for general mailings; use the long version
only when it's specifically requested.
Some writers insist on having lengthy resumes: five
or six pages, sometimes more. Yet once they try them in the job
market, they come back for a two-page version. Everyone they've
met has recommended no more than two pages!
"Show
me a person who can't distill a lifetime onto two pages and I'll
show you a scatterbrain or an egomaniac."
Jim Kennedy, Editor
The Directory of Executive Recruiters
| • |
It's packed with important details. Nothing
irrelevant. No personal data is included, except when there
is an important reason to do so (for example, when industry
standards require it). Let the resume simply show where you've
been and what you've accomplished. That's its job. Don't say
anything about references, age, marital status, references,
sex, race, family, personal interests, political or religious
affiliations--unless mentioning these things will help.
For example, if you're a Mormon job-hunter in Salt Lake City,
mentioning The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
could be a plus. Mentioning that in New York City might be
a negative. Unless you're sure, keep quiet. Another example:
if you belong to a computer user's group and you're looking
for a computer-related job, mention the club. If prospective
employers want to ask you about outside activities, let them
ask you face-to-face.
|
| • |
It's typed or word processed--never handwritten--and
it's laser printed on plain white bond paper, or off-white
grey or buff. Nothing else. Very clean photocopies onto good
bond paper are more than adequate. No need to wordprocess
all originals.
(Key concept: You don't make a better
resume by using better paper. You make a better resume by
using carefully-chosen words.)
|
| • |
It's one-of-a-kind, not canned. It's not done
by a resume service.
|
| • |
It's conservative, because business is conservative.
|
| • |
It's flawlessly clean. No typos, no misspellings.
No white-out. One Human Resources Manager said he trashes
all letters and resumes with even one spot of white-out. Perhaps
short sighted, but that's reality.
|
| • |
It's interesting, provocative, and enthusiastic.
Not boring.
|
| • |
It's weighted to emphasize recent work experience.
As a general rule, employers care most about what you've done
recently, say within the last ten years. They care less about
what you did earlier. (Exception:
when something 10 or 15 years ago bears directly on their
needs today.) |
So if you look at a well-written resume visually,
it looks like an inverted pyramid. Your most recent experience
receives the most attention (space), and earlier jobs get less
attention (space) as you go backwards in time.
That way, when you get to the very beginning of
your career--say 15 to 25 years ago--you may have only enough
room on the page to list the names of companies, job titles, and
dates. That's perfectly okay, because chances are, most of your
earlier work experience was less sophisticated.
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