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Q-Tips: Critical Resume Tips
Key Resume Writing Advice -- #7
These resume writing related tips -- choosing the best resume style, tips for highlighting career accomplishments, and more -- have been gathered from numerous sources throughout Quintessential Careers and organized here for your convenience.
Hiring decision-makers surveyed for the book,
Top Notch
Executive Resumes identified this as one of their Top 30 Executive Resume Pet Peeves:
Resume has spelling errors, typos and grammatical flaws. Hiring decision-makers cited'
this peeve more than any other. It may surprise some that misspellings and typos pervade
even executive-level resumes, but they do. A job-seeker-submitted
sample considered for the executive resume book, for example, contained the common error of spelling "manager"
as "manger." You'll note that this misspelling won't be picked up by spell-check functions because
"manger" is a correctly spelled word. So is "posses," the plural of posse, which I often see on resumes
when the job-seeker intends "possess."
"I once received a resume where the applicant misspelled the name of the University from which he received his MBA," said Jeff Weaver, regional manager for a global information services company.
"Poor spelling and grammar ... is particularly worrying," said Pete Follows, senior consultant, for SaccoMann, Leeds, UK. "If a candidate is not giving due care and attention to a document to improve their own personal circumstances, what care would they take with documents with less personal significance?"
A few tips on avoiding typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors:
- Use spell-check functions but remember that they aren't enough.
- Proofread. Then put the resume down overnight and proof it again in the morning with fresh eyes.
- Try proofing from the bottom up. Reading your resume in a different order will enable you to catch errors that you may have glossed over before because your brain was accustomed to reading your verbiage in the expected order.
- Ask a friend or family member to proof, preferably one who is a meticulous speller and grammarian.
- Be careful about company and software names, which are frequently misspelled and can damage your credibility.
- Consider hiring a professional resume writer.
See all 30 peeves: executive resume peeves 1-10 in Part 1, executive resume peeves 11-20 in Part 2 and executive resume peeves 21-30 in Part 3.
Go to the next tip.
"A great interview-generating executive resume is all about differentiating yourself from others competing
for the same jobs," writes executive resume and branding expert Meg Guiseppi in her article for QuintCareers,
Five Top Trends for Executive Resumes.
"With constantly changing trends in strategic resume writing, new ways to accomplish
this differentiation are always coming forward. If you take advantage of the latest trends before they
mainstream, you are much more likely to stand out, make a positive connection, and stimulate the
attention you deserve." Read the trends here.
Go to the next tip.
"Don't make the mistake on your resume or in your cover letter of claiming soft-skills competency without
substantiation," cautions Peggy Klaus in her article for QuintCareers,
Are You Up To Snuff When It Comes To Soft Skills?
"Providing solid examples that demonstrate your soft skills in a resume or cover letter is far
more effective than making empty promises, such as: I possess solid leadership, people, and communication
skills. Show me! This is especially important, given that many hiring managers -- as associate publisher of Quintessential
Careers Katharine Hansen points out in
Go to the next tip.
Do you need more than one version of your resume? Most likely, yes.
You may need more than one organizational format for
your resume. See table below for the most common organizational
formats.
We include functional and chrono-functional formats because they do have their uses, but we should note that purely functional resumes are the least common, least preferred by employers, detested by recruiters... and most Internet job boards do not accept this resume format.
Chrono-functional/hybrid/combination resumes can suit a variety of job-seeker needs, such as a diverse job history that doesn't add up to a clear-cut career path and situations where the job-seeker has work experience that is related but not an exact link to the desired position. Job-seekers who have large employment gaps or many short employment stints prefer this format because it downplays employment history. This type of resume has been known to work for mature workers, career changers, and job-seekers with academic deficiencies or limited experience.
While the chrono-functional/hybrid/combination resume is more acceptable to employers than the purely functional format, some employers are unaccustomed to functional formats of any kind, finding them confusing, annoying, and a red flag that something is wrong in your background. At the very least, they will probably scrutinize a chrono-functional resume more closely to check for details and find the flaws that inspired the candidate to use this format. Some employers insist on knowing exactly what you did in each job. Recruiters/headhunters particularly disdain functional formats, so this approach should never be used if you are primarily targeting recruiters with your job search. Employers in conservative fields are not fans of functional formats, nor are international employers. Functional formats, even chrono-functional, also are not acceptable on many online job boards. In summary, the chrono-functional resume has very limited uses but can be a viable marketing tool if well done.
See our articles What Resume Format is Best for You? and Should You Consider a Functional Format for Your Resume?
Go to the next tip.
Hiring decision-makers surveyed for the book,
Top Notch
Executive Resumes identified this as one of their Top 30 Executive Resume Pet Peeves:
Resume is too long. While there is no consensus among employers and recruiters about resume length, most feel
one page is too short. Maureen Crawford Hentz, manager of talent acquisition, development and
compliance at Osram Sylvania, Boston MA, particularly disdains "abbreviated or 'teaser' resumes"
that urge the recruiter, "for more information, call me." Many recruiters believe that two pages is about
the right length; for some, three pages is the outside limit that they will read. "If the resume is longer
than two pages, it needs to be well worth it," noted Hentz's colleague at Osram Sylvania, Harlynn
Goolsby. Others question executives' ability to prioritize if their resumes are longer than two pages.
Since recruiters pass candidate resumes on to client employers, they must also consider employer preferences. "Most of my clients profess that they are too busy to read anything lengthier -- thus, I deliver what they require," said Chris Dutton, director at Intelligent Recruitment Services and Owner, Intelligent IT Recruitment, Manchester, UK. Recruiter opinions about resume length have been colored in recent years by the growing practice of reading resumes on a computer screen rather than printing them. Resumes that might seem too long in print are acceptable on screen.
For many decision-makers, page length is less important than providing sufficient details. "I ... encounter quite a few resumes that have been stripped of any detail in order to confine them to one or two pages," said Pam Sisson, a recruiter for Professional Personnel in Alabama. "My immediate response is to ask for a more detailed resume. A resume that's three or four pages but actually shows the qualifications and experience necessary for a position is much preferred, in my opinion, to one that has cut out all the substance to meet some passe idea of a one-page resume." John Kennedy, senior IT recruiter at Belcan, agreed: "Resume length is of very little importance so long as the information is accurate, verifiable, and pertinent to the position. If a candidate has 20 years of experience directly relating to the position being applied for and that experience is verifiable, it should be listed even if the resume goes four-plus pages."
See all 30 peeves: executive resume peeves 1-10 in Part 1, executive resume peeves 11-20 in Part 2 and executive resume peeves 21-30 in Part 3.
Go to the next tip.
Including a leadership/personal brand statement is one of the trends executive resume and branding expert Meg Guiseppi
writes about in her article for QuintCareers, Five Top Trends for Executive Resumes.
Guiseppi advises: Begin to build a vibrant message highlighting your vitality, pivotal leadership strengths, and unique value
proposition by answering questions like this:
- What jazzes you about your work each and every day? What are you most passionate about getting to and accomplishing at work?
- What talents and characteristics do you possess that represent the best in your field?
- How did you achieve the career successes that most benefitted your companies? What specific actions did you take?
- What critical contributions did you make to past companies that wouldn't have happened if you weren't there?
Go to the next tip.
In your resume and cover letter, "weave in past accomplishments that highlight your soft skills in action,"
writes Peggy Klaus in her article for QuintCareers,
Are You Up To Snuff When It Comes To Soft Skills?
"If you are having a hard time coming up with specifics, ask yourself: What have I done that demonstrates my
problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities or my ability to lead and motivate others, especially under
challenging circumstances? Try to recall a time when a supervisor or colleague complimented you on how you handled a situation,"
Klaus writes.
Go to the next tip.
You may need more than one delivery format for
your resume. See table below for the most common delivery formats.
One additional delivery format to consider is a Portable Document Format (PDF) resume, which offers the advantages of being completely invulnerable to viruses and totally compatible across computer systems (requires software such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free download, to be opened and read). A resume converted to PDF, which carries a .pdf file extension, looks virtually identical to the original document from which it was created, thus preserving the resume's visual appeal, and it also appears consistently from computer to computer. A few employers specifically request PDF resume files. The downsides include the fact that it can be more difficult to perform keyword searches on PDF resumes unless they are scanned first or the text is extracted from them.
For more about delivery methods, see our articles:
- Your E-resume's File Format Aligns With its Delivery Method
- The Top 10 Things You Need to Know about E-Resumes and Posting Your Resume Online
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Hiring decision-makers surveyed for the book,
Top Notch
Executive Resumes identified this as one of their Top 30 Executive Resume Pet Peeves:
Resume is too wordy, contains too much information. Strike a balance between a meaty,
content-rich resume and a concise, readable document. Employers want both. Limit bullet points
while still telling your full story. Cut out unnecessary words. If you've sliced out as much as
you can and the resume still looks text-dense, look for ways to break up blocks of content.
"Long sentences with deep paragraphs put me to sleep, and I have a
good chance of missing something important because I don't have time to read a novel," said Brian
Howell, CSAM, of The QWorks Group.
See all 30 peeves: executive resume peeves 1-10 in Part 1, executive resume peeves 11-20 in Part 2 and executive resume peeves 21-30 in Part 3.
Go to the next tip.
Formatting your executive resume for the reader is one of the trends executive resume and branding expert Meg Guiseppi
writes about in her article for QuintCareers, Five Top Trends for Executive Resumes.
Guiseppi notes that more and more hiring decision-makers at the executive level are reviewing resumes on Blackberry-type devices when
they are on the go. Brief, concise, brand-focused statements of value surrounded by enough white space to make them
stand out will have the greatest impact. Long, dense paragraphs make it hard for the reader to quickly access and
digest important make-or-break information about you.
Go to the next tip.
Make sure your examples in your resume and cover letter "are relevant to the position for which you are applying,
advises Peggy Klaus in her article for QuintCareers,
Are You Up To Snuff When It Comes To Soft Skills?
For instance, what would be more relevant to a non-profit charitable organization -- that you raised a substantial
amount of money for a do-good cause, motivating hundreds in your company to participate, or that you sold more widgets
in China than any other division? As one HR director remarked, "I hate it when the candidate assumes we will connect
the dots for them. Instead of writing a cover letter that brings the relevant experience forward, critical points
remain buried in the resume. Connecting the dots is their job, not ours."
Go to the next tip.
In additional to a possible range of organizational and
delivery formats for your resume, you will probably want to customize each
resume you send -- at least to some extent -- to the job
you're applying for. Use our
Cover Letter
and Resume Customization Worksheet to help you customize.
Go to the next tip.
Hiring decision-makers surveyed for the book,
Top Notch
Executive Resumes identified this as one of their Top 30 Executive Resume Pet Peeves:
Resume is written in third-person. Survey respondents were surprisingly vocal in their
irritation over this resume affectation. Although the pronoun "I" is generally not used in resume,
it is the understood -- but unwritten -- subject of a resume's
bullet points. Note that "I" is the unwritten subject of this bullet point:
-
[I] Facilitate restriction-removal processes on restricted/private placement securities.
When the bullet point, however, is written with a third-person verb, as in the following, the subject
becomes "he" or "she:"
[He] or [She] Facilitates restriction-removal processes on restricted/private placement securities.
Some senior-level job-seekers are even more blatant in their use of third person, annoying employers with summary statements such as:
-
George Jones is a globally experienced broker and trader with significant, progressive brokerage
experience and expertise.
As an Information Resources Management manager (IRM) at both the corporate and project level, Bob
Smith has consistently demonstrated his ability to understand customer needs and develop and implement
effective IRM solutions for both commercial and government contracts.
See all 30 peeves: executive resume peeves 1-10 in Part 1, executive resume peeves 11-20 in Part 2 and executive resume peeves 21-30 in Part 3.
Go to the next tip.
Keeping your executive resume to two pages is one of the trends executive resume and branding expert Meg Guiseppi
writes about in her article for QuintCareers, Five Top Trends for Executive Resumes.
Guiseppi suggests that to accommodate the need for brevity, pare down and consolidate all your great achievements and qualifications into a
quickly readable communication. Provide deeper slices of success "stories" in collateral one-to-two-page documents --
Leadership Initiatives Brief, Achievement Summary, Career Biography, Reference Dossier, etc. These companion
documents can be crafted to stand alone for networking purposes.
[Editor's note: For a variety of opinions on lengths of executive resumes, please see our articles The Scoop on Resume Length and Top 30 Executive Resume Pet Peeves of Hiring Decision-makers - Part 1.]
Go to the next tip.
With regard to resumes and cover letters, Peggy Klaus says she often tells professionals: "When approaching
any business communication situation, start out by tuning in to your listeners' favorite radio station,
what I call WIFT-FM, or What's In It For Them? This helps you to identify the potential needs, objectives,
and goals of your audience," Klaus writes in her article for QuintCareers,
Are You Up To Snuff When It Comes To Soft Skills?
"In other words, why should they be listening to you in the first place?"
Go to the next tip.
If you've never created a resume before, here are some suggestions for resources to get you started:- Use our Quintessential Careers Resume Worksheets, especially our Resume Components Worksheet.
- Try the Inexpensive Resume Workbooks from the late Yana Parker
- A resume wizard or template in Microsoft Word can be a useful starting point because it will prompt you to fill in appropriate information. Once you've used a Word template to start your resume, it's best to customize the layout and design. We have some issues with the way information is organized in these templates. Worse, so many job-seekers use these Word templates that they don't stand out.
- Use our Fundamentals of a Good Chronological Resume as a basic template.
- Get inspiration from our collection of more than 100 Free Sample Professional Resumes.
- If you're really stuck, consider hiring a professional resume writer.
Go to the next tip.
Hiring decision-makers surveyed for the book,
Top Notch
Executive Resumes identified this as one of their Top 30 Executive Resume Pet Peeves:
Resume does not list phone number, only an e-mail address, or has inappropriate e-mail address.
In the age of electronic submission, many candidates seem to think decision-makers will want to
communicate by e-mail only, but a phone number on your resume is an absolute must. Be sure to
include a daytime phone number as that's when recruiters are most likely to call you. The recruiting
process often moves too rapidly for e-mail; recruiters prefer to call -- and expect you either to answer
or call back without delay. Without a phone number, "I can't call you," said recruiter Alice Hanson, "and
most jobs I have on my desk need to be filed in 24-48 hours. I find a good candidate and can't connect -- it
drives me wild." If employers can't reach you very quickly, they'll move on to the next person. They still
want to see e-mail addresses listed as an alternate contact method, however, and recruiters note a
surprising number of candidates who fail to provide sufficient contact information.
Your e-mail address must be professional. "I don't want to know if you are 'sokkerguy' or 'kittylover' says Joe Briand, partner at The Clarion Group, Placerville, CA. "Use Yahoo or Gmail and get a professional-sounding address for your job search."
See all 30 peeves: executive resume peeves 1-10 in Part 1, executive resume peeves 11-20 in Part 2 and executive resume peeves 21-30 in Part 3.
Go to the next tip.
Using the top of the first page of your resume to your best advantage is one of the trends executive resume and
branding expert Meg Guiseppi writes about in her article for QuintCareers,
Five Top Trends for Executive Resumes.
Guiseppi points out that since the top of your resume is the first, and possibly the only section that will be read,
place your most important information here. It's okay to move up to the forefront information normally found
further down within the "Professional Experience" section -- especially if it represents the best you have to
offer. If you immediately capture your readers' attention with vivid illustrations of your promise of value,
they'll be more likely to read the entire document.
Go to the next tip.
In her article for Quint Careers,
Are You Up To Snuff When It Comes To Soft Skills?,
Peggy Klaus tells this story: One hiring manager -- who echoed the sentiments of many others -- says she can spot what
she calls a soft-skills impostor in seconds. "In our executive-level job postings, we purposely ask candidates to explain how their
experience will translate into helping grow our organization. You would not believe the number of responses we get from very senior executives
who fail to address our question, much less even mention the name of our organization in their letter!" Translation:
The job candidate is taking the "throw spaghetti against the wall and see if it sticks" approach by using one-size-fits-all
communication. As for those applicants who don't follow the instructions in her postings, "If they ignore me, I ignore them."
The hiring manager also noted, "Would you want this person leading your organization and presenting to clients?
Communicating, listening, critical thinking -- even at the most basic level -- these are all very important soft skills."
A loud message is sent when an applicant fails to highlight details most relevant to the position, follow simple directions,
or show signs of having bothered to visit the company's website.
Go to the next tip.
The most important things to remember about writing an effective resume
can be encapsulated in a six-letter acronym, FAKTSA, in which the letters stand for:
- Focus
- Appearance
- Keywords
- Transferrable Skills
- Accomplishments
Get more details about these elements in our article, FAKTSA: An Easy Acronym for Remembering Key Resume Enhancers.
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Hiring decision-makers surveyed for the book,
Top Notch
Executive Resumes identified this as one of their Top 30 Executive Resume Pet Peeves:
Resume contains the personal pronoun "I." It might seem like a silly protocol to omit
"I" when the understood subject of resume bullet points is, in
fact, "I." But eliminating personal pronouns (I, me, my) is simply an accepted style, and not following that
style, recuiter Alice Hanson noted, makes the candidate seem "amateurish."
See all 30 peeves: executive resume peeves 1-10 in Part 1, executive resume peeves 11-20 in Part 2 and executive resume peeves 21-30 in Part 3.
Go to the next tip.
Highlighting your key areas of expertise once on your resume is one of the trends executive resume and
branding expert Meg Guiseppi writes about in her article for QuintCareers,
Five Top Trends for Executive Resumes.
Guiseppi advises that instead of taking up precious space repeating obvious lists of responsibilities
for each position you've held, consolidate them in the top part of the first page. For best impact,
position them in nicely formatted columns or a shaded graphic box.
Go to the next tip.
"First impressions count more than ever in today's virtual world where face-to-face meetings are becoming an
endangered species," writes Peggy Klaus in her article for QuintCareers,
Are You Up To Snuff When It Comes To Soft Skills?.
"When your resume formatting is messy or your follow-up note demonstrates poor writing
skills, spelling errors, and incorrect word usage, you will be demonstrating your soft skills, or lack thereof, loud
and clear!"
Go to the next tip.
Any disclosure on your resume -- such as religion, church affiliations, or political affiliations --
that could get you screened out as a candidate is risky. You may take the stance
that you don't want to work for an employer that would eliminate you because a hiring
manager didn't like your political beliefs or religious affiliation. But given that,
for most candidates, religion, politics, and any other controversial affiliations
are not relevant to your next job, it's wise to leave them out. Read more in our
Frequently Asked Questions About Resumes:
The Complete Resume FAQ.
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Hiring decision-makers surveyed for the book,
Top Notch
Executive Resumes identified this as one of their Top 30 Executive Resume Pet Peeves:
Resume contains a weak objective statement. Most people in hiring positions do not read
Objective statements. "Omit objective statements [because] the applicant, as a matter of principle,
has no objective; the company has the objective," advised John Kennedy, senior IT recruiter at Belcan.
"Whatever you write, your objective is to get a job," said Alison, a corporate recruiter for
a specialized information provider.
"I can never figure out why people think employers are breathlessly waiting to provide them with opportunities. I am especially puzzled when it is in an executive resume," noted Joy Montgomery, owner of Structural Integrity in California, citing a typically poor objective statement:
Objective: A challenging position where I am able to use my considerable something or other skills in a fulfilling opportunity ...Similarly, Weaver offered this self-serving and slightly exaggerated objective statement as a typically weak example:
Objective: Seeking to obtain a position within a growing company where my existing skills will benefit my employer, and be part of an environment where I will be challenged so that I may gain even more experience.
See all 30 peeves: executive resume peeves 1-10 in Part 1, executive resume peeves 11-20 in Part 2 and executive resume peeves 21-30 in Part 3.
Go to the next tip.
If your name is hard to pronounce or it fails to clarify your gender,
you may want to address the issue in your resume. Even if you're well qualified, an employer
may hesitate to phone you for an interview if he or she can't pronounce your name
or even doesn't know whether to expect a male or female. For the difficult-to-pronounce name,
include a phonetic pronunciation of your name in small type in the "letterhead" portion of
your resume. Example: "Sally Hsieh (pronounced 'Shay')"For a unisex name, such as Lee or Dale,
consider adding a courtesy title to your letterhead, as in "Ms. Lee Anderson" or "Mr. Dale Burns."
Especially consider adding a courtesy title if your name is almost always thought of as
belonging to the opposite gender or if it is a non-English name, and English-speakers
would not know whether to expect a man or a woman: "Ms. Michael Crane" "Mr. Jocelyn Smith."
You could also include a middle name that reveals your gender. Of course, you may consider
your ambiguously gendered name an advantage and prefer not to reveal your gender (even
though your gender will become obvious if you're called for an interview). Read more in our
Frequently Asked Questions About Resumes:
The Complete Resume FAQ.
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Hiring decision-makers surveyed for the book,
Top Notch
Executive Resumesidentified this as one of their Top 30 Executive Resume Pet Peeves:
Resume content lacks results. Hiring decision-makers want to see the results you attained
for past employers, what you accomplished, the value you added, and how you made a difference
in your past jobs. They want to gain a sense of the complexity and significance of what you've done.
Some recruiters recommend a bulleted list of key projects indicating accomplishments and results.
As many achievements as possible should be measurable, especially quantifiable. Scott advises metrics or results for at least 40 percent of your bullet points for each job. "Anytime you can quantify your accomplishments, you give them more credibility," said Howell. Among measurable items employers want to see are sales volume (and ranking in comparison with peer and compared to previous periods, percent of quota), number (and titles) of direct reports, number of people you've hired, size of teams you've led, your position within the team, amount of money you've saved, success in completing projects, initiatives that result in revenue-generation, process-improvement, and cost-containment.
See all 30 peeves: executive resume peeves 1-10 in Part 1, executive resume peeves 11-20 in Part 2 and executive resume peeves 21-30 in Part 3.
Go to the next tip.
Although studies have shown that employers rarely try reaching
job-seekers using any number but land-line home phone numbers,
include on your resume and cover letter your cell-phone number and any other option for reaching
you, such as fax number and office phone number
(if you can discreetly receive employer calls at your office).
Also include your mailing address and, of course, your e-mail address(es).
Make sure your email address is professional, not one such as SexyBabe2301@aol.com.
If you have a personal web site or web portfolio, include the URL for it.
If you are in serious job-hunting mode and employers who call your phone are likely
to get voicemail, make sure your voicemail greeting is professional. Read more in our
Frequently Asked Questions About Resumes:
The Complete Resume FAQ.
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Hiring decision-makers surveyed for the book,
Top Notch
Executive Resumesidentified this as one of their Top 30 Executive Resume Pet Peeves:
Resume is so full of quantitative data that it's hard to read. Your resume must tell stories
of your successes and results. Number are great, but well-chosen words and well-crafted phrases will
also get your message across. Excessive use of numbers can hurt your resume's
readability, so don't go overboard.
See all 30 peeves: executive resume peeves 1-10 in Part 1, executive resume peeves 11-20 in Part 2 and executive resume peeves 21-30 in Part 3.
Go to the next tip.
Here are ways to consider sharpening the focus of your resume:
- Use a branding statement or headline or both atop your resume.
- Add a profile/qualifications summary with keywords relevant to the job you seek.
- Add a keyword section relevant to the job you seek.
- Beef up portrayal of accomplishments and transferable skills. Be sure to spotlight skills that apply to what you want to do next.
- Use our Cover Letter and Resume Customization Worksheet to help you sharpen your focus.
- For college students and new grads: Consider adding class projects in your major (or other classes) that are applicable to what you want to do upon graduation.
Riskier options for sharpening your focus:
- Consider a chrono-functional format. Organize your resume around skills clusters that directly apply to the job you seek.
- Use an objective statement.
Find even more resume tips in Critical Resume Tips: Key Resume Writing Advice -- #8.
Check out all of our Quick and Quintessential Strategic Resume Tips.
Review all our Quick and Quintessential Tips to Guide Your Job Search and Work Life.
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