resume basics

What is a resume?

A resume does one thing, and one thing only: it gets you an interview for a job. It is not an autobiography, nor is it a record of every thing you have ever done. Think of it as a piece of highly targeted direct mail direct to the one person who is going to put you on a shortlist.

What should my resume contain?

Only things that are relevant to the job for which you are applying. You should produce a unique resume for every job for which you apply. A single general, one-size-fits-all resume will not do.

For how long will a recruitment consultant look at my resume?

Probably between 30 seconds and a minute. Really. What that means is you must have maximum impact and present information not opinions, not puff in a succinct, direct and easily digestible manner.

The Golden Rule of resumes

If you pay attention to only one item in this article, let it be this: Your resume should be no longer than three to four pages. Less is more; two pages is much better than three unless you are a very senior director/CEO, in which case it is acceptable to go to a third or fourth page. There are almost NO circumstances under which a resume should be longer than four pages.

Many resumes arrive at Avanta every day. Most of them contain information that is unnecessary and irrelevant, but omit other essential information.

All recruitment consultants have horror stories of the six-, nine-, ten-, even fourteen-page resumes.

What is a recruitment consultant looking for?

He or she will have a clear idea of the background and skills they are looking for. The first thing they will look at is your last employer and the position you held. If that experience is relevant, they will look more closely to see what other experience you have. If this information is presented in a clear, immediately accessible manner, you stand a much better chance of being selected for an interview. If the information is buried deep in several pages of closely typed, poorly laid-out, badly spelled text, then no one is going to bother.

How do I organize my resume?

There are two main types of resumes:

* Time-based resume
The traditional and, for most people, preferred layout. Arrange your career history with your current/most recent job first and work back. Make the job title and your employer clear. If your job title does not really explain what you did, then expand on it to provide enough detail. Jobs held more than 15 years ago should be very briefly dealt with.
* Skills-based resume
Organized around your skills. May be more appropriate for someone who has moved jobs a lot or has significant experience gleaned from other areas, such as volunteer work. Also useful for candidates contemplating a major career switch so that previous experience needs to be put in context to make it relevant. This format is not popular with recruiters.

Stick to the facts

Whichever format you adopt, stick to the facts. Tell the consultant what you did, what your achievements were, and provide the evidence for it. Use bullet points and be specific. Don't say you are a "world-class leader"; say "Head of 15-strong team in three locations worldwide. Implemented new training scheme that reduced turnover by 15% in three years."

Do not be tempted to lie. If you are found out, you can be dismissed, and it is unlikely that the recruitment consultant will deal with you again. That does not mean you have to tell the whole truth nor should you. There is no need, for example, to include details of exams you took, but failed.

Information you can safely leave out

The following list is not definitive. And don't forget, this kind of information can be presented later in the application process if you make it to the interview list.

* Marital status
* Number/ages/names/sex of children
* Details of your primary school
* Your high-school grades unless you are a very recent graduate
* Any exams/qualifications you failed
* Place of birth
* Nationality
* Hobbies and interests. If you have represented your country at the Olympics, have written a bestselling book, or hold the record for the largest stack of pennies balanced on your nose while unicycling, by all means include this. If your interests are gardening, DIY and golf, as most people's are, then leave them off.

Structure

Put the information the recruitment consultant needs first. That means your name (but not your address) and your employment history, starting with your most recent position.

Education, your home address, hobbies and pastimes, and all the other information goes at the end. Make sure your contact details are clear, however. You do not want to be selected for an interview and then find that no one can get hold of you.

Layout

For most people, unless you are going after a position in a creative industry, it is best to stick to a very simple, clear and straightforward design. Always keep in mind that your resume is going to be scanned; this should encourage you to keep it clear and readable.

Fonts & Whitespace

Chose a clear, straightforward font. On the PC, Arial and Times New Roman are a good choice. You can use both, perhaps using Arial as your headline font and Times New Roman as the body text. Do not use more than two font families in a document although with careful use you can make use of Arial Black and Arial Condensed.

Fonts should never be used at less than 10pt

Allow your text some space to breathe. Do not be tempted to set 1cm margins to try and fit more text on the page. It will look cramped and unprofessional.

Consistency

Devise a style sheet and stick to it. Think about the hierarchy of headings section headings: profile, if you have to have one, career and achievements, education, other information; then how you are going to present your job titles (dates, job title, company name). This is where the use of different fonts can help. Use differing weights and font sizes to help the reader pick out the key information: perhaps 14 point Arial for the main section headings, then 12 point Arial bold for the second level headings, with 10 point Times Roman for the main body text.

Printing and paper

If you are sending in a paper resume (as opposed to sending a Word attachment) then consider very carefully the quality of paper. You should use at least 100gsm paper; typical photocopier paper is only 80gsm and tends to look a bit flimsy. Conqueror weave is a very popular choice. Stick to black ink on white paper as your resume will almost certainly be photocopied. Preferably use a laser printer, although an ink jet on its highest setting on good-quality paper is probably indiscernible.

Email

Sending attachments carries a risk of transmitting viruses, so do ensure you have anti-virus software installed. Apart from really annoying any prospective employer or consultant, if your resume is infected, most companies will quarantine your mail and it will never be seen. Like it or not, Microsoft Word is the de facto standard. If you do not have Word, then send you resume as an RTF document. Do not send other proprietary formats (.wps etc). Remember if you use a Mac to put the file extension on the filename.

Language

* Use bullet points
* Keep sentences short
* Use active, not passive verbs
* Stick to facts, not opinions
* Use standard job titles, not company-specific ones. This will increase your chances of your resume being found in a key word search
Opening statement
* "I am a versatile, proactive, board-level manager with a wide range of skills encompassing sales management, marketing, operation efficiency and corporate planning. Having worked in highly pressurized situations I have shown the necessary skill set to bring complex situations to a fruitful conclusion. I have been instrumental in orchestrating and managing teams during complex and innovative sales of technologically advanced
* "A business leader with a natural ability to communicate effectively at all levels and build cohesive and functional teams. I have developed a strong understanding of how businesses really operate, the politics that influence decisions and how global issues affect them."
* I am a self-starter with the ability to build from nothing and also successfully lead change programs I look to 'add value' to an organization, whether it is the company I work for, or a client. I base my success on establishing excellent rapport in my professional relationships, commitment to every task I undertake, and honesty and integrity in everything I do. I am highly ambitious and I have drive, determination, and the ability to succeed while delivering results."
* Over 20 years experience in sales and implementation of high value adding IT solutions to the financial community throughout North America "

Making a Statement

About half of the resumes received by Avanta contain some kind of statement similar to the examples above. There seems to be a belief among candidates that these kinds of statements are needed. In a straw poll among consultants at Avanta not a scientific poll admittedly, but illustrative not one consultant said they thought these statements were worthwhile, and no one actually read them.

Summary

Should you have one? That is up to you. Space on your resume is precious. Do you want to waste precious space on text that is unlikely to be read?

However, many candidates feel it presents a useful overall summary. If you do want to include one there are some factors you must keep in mind. If you get it wrong, including an opening statement can be worse than not putting anything at all. Of the four "personal statements" above, only one is acceptable. The last one is short and factual.

Keep it factual

Although it may sound impressive to describe yourself as a "hands-on proactive team player with business acumen and entrepreneurial flair who strives to exceed" it is, even if true, just so much flannel.

This is an area where you can damage your chances. Too much of this kind of thing and interviewers are going to get suspicious. The question to ask yourself when considering what to write is, "What would the converse say about me?" No one is likely to be looking for a low achiever, or someone who is not a team player, or sets low standards. This is definitely a case of less is more.

Keep it short

The grim truth is that recruitment consultants are going to spend at most a minute reading your resume when compiling a long list. A huge slab of text at the top of the page is not going to be read. Keep it to around three bullet-pointed sentences: one to outline in the most general terms your career to date including your current (or last) employer ("20 years experience in IT sales culminating in the position of VP Sales at Widget plc"), one to highlight your most significant experience ("Spent five years as deputy head of sales and marketing for North America for Widget plc"), and one your most significant achievement ("Introduced new sales structure that increased year on year sales by 14 per cent with a cost reduction of three per cent").
Final Point

If you work on the basis that a recruitment consultant may scan 100 resumes in a day, and yours is the 97th, consider what that person would want to see: something simple, easy to read, clear, which shows clarity of thought and the ability to present the most salient facts concisely.