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Q: What makes a good resume?
A:
On the subject of resumes, there seems to be an unending discussion on whether you should or shouldn't have
a one-page resume. The followings are some of the comments I've heard:
"Joe Blow (car salesman) said I should have a one-page resume."
"I read a book, and it said you should have a one-page resume."
"I can't go into what I really did at IBM because, if I did,
it'd take more than one page on my resume."
"I wish I could put my job at IBM on my resume, but, if I did, it'd make my resume more than one page,
and I was told to never make my resume more than one page long."
"I'm confused, should my resume be more than one page? I feel like it should,
but I don't want to break the rules."
"People don't read resumes that are longer than one page."
So what is the answer? There is no scientific answer; it all depends on who you are, and
how much experience you have.
The first thing to look at here is the purpose of your resume. The purpose of your resume is to get you
interviews. If your resume is getting you interviews, then it is considered to be a good resume. If
your resume isn't getting you interviews, then you should change it.
Two, your resume should tell your story. If you're a college graduate looking for your
first job, a one-page resume is just fine.
But, if you have a longer story, your resume needs to be longer.
You want put your experience on your resume, so resume readers can tell when, and for whom, you did what.
Three, if you're long on experience, then short resumes are not appropriate.
The real audience for these short resumes is people with short attention spans and low IQs.
I assure you that, when your resume gets into the right hands, it will be read thoroughly.
Four, short resumes are not appropriate, if you have to use a small (7-point) font,
to get your resume onto one page. Resume readers don't like eyestrain, and if your resume is
mechanically challenging, they just throw it aside for one that is easier on the eyes.
Five, in light of the current emailing scenario, your longer than one-page resume is no problem
because recruiters will copy and paste it into their databases.
And once it is in there, and searchable, you have accomplished one of your goals of resume distribution.
Six, short resumes are not appropriate, if you have to sacrifice clarity in order to
get your resume onto one page. Why? Because resume readers don't like to guess,
and most won't call you to clarify what is on your resume.
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