Your Resume Stinks!
October 31st, 2005This week’s podcast addresses a topic that many of you might be surprised about: your resume. Your resume, regardless of the baggage associated with it, is probably your most critical career management document. While it’s not something you ought to leave laying around on your desk (or on monster.com, for that matter), that doesn’t mean you ought to treat it like something you dust off only when you really need it. It needs to be reviewed quarterly, believe it or not.
So, in this cast we’ll teach you how to prepare it, and how to maintain it. We won’t talk about cover letters, or how resumes are used in the job search, because job search is only one use of your resume.
The Sample Resume we refer to on the show is here.
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November 1st, 2005 at 1:40 pm
I really like your recent episode of ‘Your Resume Stinks!’. In the program, you mentioned that you would post a sample resume so that we get some ideas about how a professional resume should look like. Where can I find it?
November 1st, 2005 at 4:31 pm
I really liked this podcast as well. I appreciate the fact that some of us, who are not in a formal management role, are able to use this information as well.
Thanks for the great podcasts guys.
November 1st, 2005 at 4:58 pm
I was wondering if some of your techniques for resume writing might be modified depending on the size and type of company you are applying for. If you were applying to a larger company that had a seperate HR department, I could understand how your techniques would be to the applicants advantage. However, I ws wondering if you are applying to a smaller less sophisticated business without an HR department if it would have the same effect. One time in my distant past, I had a very small company hire me just because I had put in an objective talking about how I wanted to make a signifcant contribution to the success of the company. In the manager’s mind, everyone else had talked about their goals only and did not care if the company was benefited by their hiring. How might you handle these smaller places where the specific managers do the hiring?
I love your podcasts and have turned my manager on to it as well. We enjoy talking about it on a regular basis. Thanks for the great information they provide.
November 1st, 2005 at 5:14 pm
Great podcast.
I’ve listened to all of your podcasts (except the layoffs one, which I haven’t gotten round to yet) and I’ve really found them helpful. I work for a small (approx 15 people) British company but I think that implementing good management techniques (within reason) makes good business sense even in a small company. Keep up the good work!
Specifically, in terms of your resume (or CV as we say in UK) podcast - I have always kept to two pages, but that suffers from too much whitespace and irrelevant information (personal stuff, hobbies etc) so I will definitely be reviewing mine with a view to getting it down to a single page. However, as someone who has gone through lots of CVs over the past few years, I have to say that the trend in the UK (for software engineers at least) is towards four or more pages, and boy some of those are really awful (we even had one where a guy listed witchcraft as one of his hobbies!) If everyone followed this advice, recruitment would be a lot simpler and interviews could be a lot more structured because they’d flow from the structure of the CV (sorry resume).
Anyway, thanks for yet more great, practical advice and please keep the shows coming!
November 1st, 2005 at 10:25 pm
Andy-
Thanks for the kind words! Something to tell those whom you meet with two to three to FOUR page CVs…recruiters, technical or not, see it as sloppiness combined with kitchen sink mentality - in other words, a lack of preparation and a form of rudeness: “THIS person won’t take the time to do a professional job on their CV, but they expect ME to take the time to wade through it? I don’t think so. TRASH.”
Mark
November 1st, 2005 at 10:29 pm
James-
Thanks for the kudos. As our audience has grown, we’ve learned that we’re reaching all kinds of professionals. Please don’t hesitate to tell us what you’d like to hear as you observe managers.
Mark
November 1st, 2005 at 10:37 pm
Mankney-
GREAT post - many thanks. I think we both have good points, just from different perspectives. Yes, if you are sending your resume to a particular company, smaller in size, it is “okay” to include an objective. Now, to be fair, there are PLENTY of people who will send resumes to that smaller company targeted for that job, and only THEN put that job as an objective on their resume. So, a more seasoned manager would put less stock in such a line on a resume. Yes, that takes a little of the joy out of those of us who wouldn’t do such a thing…but there it is. I’ve seen it. Would I put an objective on my resume for a smaller company if it truly was my objective, for good reasons? YES. On the other hand, you absolutely do not need it in 90% of the cases. Those that might notice it are in the minority, in my experience.
And, there’s a big company corrolary. If you have a resume that if you were to tailor it would be a perfect fit, and their job is one of your ideal ones, go ahead and put it on there. I wouldn’t - I want those lines for accomplishments. But it’s not going to kill you.
Our ISSUE with objectives is that they get left on and resumes get sent with the wrong ones on there, or they limit you unnecessarily. And, insofar as we only have 30-40 minutes in a cast, we aren’t able to reach all the subtleties.
Good catch, thanks for the note, and thanks for listening.
Mark
November 1st, 2005 at 10:40 pm
Mankney-
One more thought. They didn’t hire you because of the objective. They hired you because you were good. While I truly believe you specifically benefitted from your smart move…it was just a step in the process. Companies don’t hire steps…they hire (good) people!
Well done you!
Mark
November 2nd, 2005 at 4:48 am
Thanks for another good and very useful podcast.
In my sector in the UK potential employers generally tell job applicants not to send in a CV, wanting to shortlist on the basis of an application form alone. For that reason I had thought that your latest ‘cast would be of less interest. In fact it was very useful.
Part of its usefulness was your very practical approach to putting the resume together. There was a lot of sense in there about the simple but effective presentation of information (effective because simple), ideas that were transferable to other sorts of documents.
I also really liked the idea of using the resume for myself as a way of monitoring my career development and as a resource with which to prepare for an interview. I hadn’t thought before of a resume as an ‘internal’ document, but it makes good sense.
Thanks again for sharing these ideas. About the show, I think that your style makes for very engaging listening. I don’t know how much you script the shows, but the question and answer format and the feel of informality both work very well. I’ve added my vote to Podcast Alley.
Best wishes
Geoff
November 2nd, 2005 at 7:34 am
My first visit to your site and my first hearing of your podcast. Wonderful, pragmatically delivered advice.
Mention was made of putting a sample template on the site. I presume this will go under the Tools sidebar?
Graham Johnson
Melbourne, Australia
November 2nd, 2005 at 6:27 pm
Once again a great podcast guys. I must admit that for the first time I was the most skeptical, especially given the law of keeping it to one page.
I keep two, one is about 3 pages (to send) and the other about 9 pages (for me) the latter being more a preparation point for me to remember items of interet from past lives.
I will still keep my big one (more of a work log really) but am having a shot at trimming mine down this weekend.
Keep it up.
AndrewM, Australia
November 2nd, 2005 at 10:35 pm
Geoff-
Thanks for the kind words. Glad you got some mileage out of the resume show - that’s why we do this - to help folks out.
Also thanks for the feedback on our style. We DON’T script the shows other than the high points, for two reasons: One, we like the looseness of it and Mike and I have been friends for 25 years, and easily understand each other. Second, what you hear me say in the shows is what I say at work day after day after day (but don’t get me wrong - I love my work). The same issues come up over and over again. I spent a half hour today with a client working on coaching an ineffective subordinate manager: we used the coaching model and feedback - that’s it. So, it’s very, very familiar ground for us.
Glad the style helps - if it didn’t, we’d change, even if we like what we’re doing now…because we are ALL about EFFECTIVENESS.
It’s a privilege to serve you,
Mark
November 2nd, 2005 at 10:36 pm
GRaham-
This is my error, to be corrected within 24 hours. So sorry - thought I had my “perfect” example on my laptop while travelling here to DC, and do not. Will get it back at the office.
Thanks for the sharp eyesight.
Mark
November 3rd, 2005 at 7:15 am
I’m really enjoying your podcasts. Very, very practical, extremely helpful advice and tools. I do have one request:
Would you consider placing the topic of the cast at the front of the file name and shortening the “manager tools” part so instead of:
http://www.manager-tools.com/podcasts/manager-tools-2005-10-31.mp3
You would have, for example:
http://www.manager-tools.com/podcasts/Resume-MT-2005-10-31.mp3
I have two reasons for this request:
1. I’m developing quite a library of your casts that I’m going to want to revisit. It’s much easier to find the cast I’m looking for if the topic is part of the file name.
2. On my portable media player the screen isn’t long enough to display the entire file name (which is it’s default). I can’t differentiate your casts on the player with out some effort.
Thanks for providing the opportunity for feedback. Please continue the great work.
November 3rd, 2005 at 3:08 pm
You guys do a terrific job keeping us in the loop on new techniques we can apply on a daily basis. I’m just affraid that you are going to become a pay per visit sight!!
Keep up the good work……..
November 3rd, 2005 at 8:32 pm
Clif-
Rest easy. Manager-Tools will ALWAYS have free content. We’re attached to you guys now!
On the other hand, we do have revenue plans (and we’re thrilled you’re not the first to mention it, meaning the value proposition is CLEAR).
For instance, how about all the podcasts on how to interview - 10+ of them, with the same level of detail, and specific examples by background, for $49.95? All at the same time - on CD? Look for it….
We are also discussiong delivering all of our content - hundreds of casts, covering the watrerfront from my entire consluting practice, to corporate clients. 6 figures.
We will be talking more abou this at some point.
What do you think?
Mark
November 5th, 2005 at 8:49 pm
Jeff,
Although I understand what you’re trying to do, unfortunately the naming convention for our podcasts has implications on a number of fronts. For example, for a number of reasons, it’s important that the podcasts filenames sort properly if sorted by the podcast name. Perhaps you can rename the files on your end after downloading?
Mike
November 6th, 2005 at 7:38 pm
This is my favorite podcast so far. You mentioned you would post a sample resume but I couldn’t find it. If you could post one it would be very useful. A picture speaks a thousand words.
November 7th, 2005 at 7:34 pm
Thanks guys. Great podcast as usual.
I have a question that might apply to other listeners as well: Over the years I’ve made a significant contribution to a couple of open source projects. This essentially works out to be volunteer work that relates to, and overlaps in time with, my professional work. Up until know I’ve listed this in a format similar to my “employment experience”, but under the heading “related experience”. How do you recommend I list this on my resume? Should I list this on my resume?
November 7th, 2005 at 8:02 pm
What a great podcast. I learned more in the 45 minutes about how to create an effective resume, than I did in 5 weeks taking a career advancement course. The only bad thing about your podcasts are they are only once a week. I wish I didn’t have to wait so long to get more advice.
November 8th, 2005 at 1:01 am
Rod-
Good question. Yes, I would include a significant contribution to an open source effort. It shouldn’t go in a format “similiar to” your experience, but as an actual bullet under the job you were employed in when you completed it, even if your paid work was not related to the open source work. I would consider it just like any other accomlishment.
Thanks for the question - it’s a privilege to serve you.
Mark
November 8th, 2005 at 9:41 am
Great podcast guys, I always thought I had a good CV/resume as I always got the job I went after, but was never happy that it was 4 pages long! I’ve learnt so much from this last podcast that I now have the urge to start hacking mine to bits to get it into the “1 page, 10pt times” format.
Thanks again, and as always I look forward to next weeks podcast.
November 8th, 2005 at 11:06 pm
Andrew-
Thanks for the kind words! It’s a privilege to serve you.
Mark
November 9th, 2005 at 11:27 pm
I have only worked for two companies over my 21 year career, and have held about 15 different jobs within those two companies. In your format, you recommended using a header with dates, titles, comany, location for each job.
Do you recommend that same format for my situation where the same company name would be repeated over and over, like this…
10/03 - present, VP - Marketing, XYZ Company, Toledo, OH:
5/01 - 10/03, Director - Product Development, XYZ Company, Toledo, OH :
2/99 - 5/01, Manager - Widget Group, XYZ Company, Toledo, OH
or put down the company name once, and then the positions…
XYZ Company, Toledo, OH
10/03 - present, VP - Marketing
5/01 - 10/03, Director - Product Development
2/99 - 5/01, manager - Widget Group
I know this sounds like a picky question, but I found the rest of the advice in the podcast so relevant that I wanted to get your view on this formatting question.
Thanks
Greg
*
November 10th, 2005 at 3:31 pm
Very nice podcast. What advice would you give me as an IT consultant. During my professional career I’ve worked for a single company, but for a wide range of clients in several roles.
November 10th, 2005 at 10:31 pm
Greg-
It’s not picky, it’s a spot on question, thanks for pointing out the subtlety. I don’t recommend repeating the company name if you’ve only worked a couple places. The way you suggested is better. This is the downside of smashing hours of information into 30-45 minutes!
Mark
November 10th, 2005 at 11:41 pm
Hey guys - always, always a great show. A suggested topic, perhaps:
Noticing you’re big David Allen fans (as am I - a friend recommended Getting Things Done and the change has been astonishing), I was wondering about your thoughts on a mobile office. I love his idea of organizing tasks by context in which to complete (in the car, online, on the phone, etc) and I keep a list by these categories in outlook, which works pretty well. I also try to religiously empty the inbox, which is a huge benefit.
Given that way of organization, (unless, of course, you have better ideas) what do you recommend for someone who basically lives out of a briefcase? Let’s say there’s a laptop, room for a thin binder and a small file folder collection, a few pockets, maybe a pda/phone combo. What would you carry on a regular basis and how would you keep everything straight? Just to add a layer of detail, say you have 10 direct reports and 150 accounts for which they’re responsible (20 of which are key and/or problematic) - we can assume weekly one-on-ones, ongoing coaching, etc etc.
It’s be great to hear your take on the topic. Or, maybe, a user forum on the website tracking message threads and etc for best practices would be a good idea?
Thanks again,
Joey
Conover, NC
November 11th, 2005 at 6:03 pm
Joey-
GREAT question! And, thanks for the kind words. I have some thoughts about this, after a 20 year career of traveling, and Mike and i have talked about leveraging the smarts of everyone in our community. He and I are going to talk about this and figure out how best to share some insights with you.
And, I will be somewhat cautious, as my travel over the last 18 years has been by plane…
Mark
November 16th, 2005 at 2:46 pm
I’m finding this podcast to be extremely helpful with restocking my supply of new ideas to apply to my front-line management position.
My question would have to do with having a section in a technical resume for skills. For technical postions I like to see a list of skills such as programming languages, frameworks, etc. This format would leave of that section and I wonder if that wouldn’t lead to a resume being set aside because some particular bar like 5+ years of Java experience wasn’t immediately obvious to a screener.
I actually use the skills section when I review resumes to see if they have some wider experience in languages or less technical areas like QA or requirements gathering so I often get a lot out of seeing these on a resume.
November 16th, 2005 at 4:42 pm
Insert foot in mouth in earlier comment. Hadn’t finished listening to the last 5 minutes of the podcast where this is covered.
November 17th, 2005 at 8:55 am
I am a search committee chair for a position at a university. I have just spent the last couple of days going through over 80 resumes for this position and not one of them used the format you recommend. People list their positions and their responsibilities and you are left to assume their level of performance. This really does make it rather difficult to screen appropriate candidates to interview. A really well written resume would have shined through all of these others and gotten immediate notice. My recent experience really confirms the advice you have given on this podcast.
Thanks for the help that you provide.
November 17th, 2005 at 10:02 am
Great show guys. I’ve gotten a couple of other people hooked on your podcast after telling them to listen to this particular one. After listening, I pared my resume down from 2 pages to 1.
One question on something I didn’t hear addressed… what’s your recommendation on recommendations? I’ve always been taught to use 3 on an attached sheet. Is that still the best way to do things? I ask because I have probably 5 or 6 people who would be great recommendations and all of them work with me in a different aspect of my job, but I don’t want to list an excessive amount of people and turn the HR person or recruiter off by having too much information.
Thanks.
Matt
November 17th, 2005 at 7:20 pm
Mike-
Thanks for the kind words! I don’t know if I said it just this way in the ‘cast, but I often tell people that the person who puts down responsibilities on his resume and not accomplishments looks eerily like the person who was fired from that job and CAN’T put any accomplishments on their resume. When I tell candidates that that’s what many recruiters assume, THAT gets their attention.
Nice to get validation for our audience from the other side of the table!
Mark
November 17th, 2005 at 7:24 pm
Matt-
Good question - this is one of those issues that we just didn’t have time for on the cast.
NEVER put recommendations on your resume. You only have one page, and it’s not the best use of your space.
Believe it or not, the use of “references” is a holdover from the days of family and ivy league connections - it was THE thing to look at. It’s really quaint nowadays.
And here’s the kicker: if we want them, we’ll ask. And we know we’ll get them.
Good idea to have them ready, bad idea to put them on the resume.
Thanks, and it’s a privilege to serve you.
Mark
January 10th, 2006 at 12:15 pm
[…] The following podcast explains how to use your resume to help you manage your career. October 31st, 2005 — This week’s podcast addresses a topic that many of you might be surprised about: your resume. Your resume, regardless of the baggage associated with it, is probably your most critical career management document. While it’s not something you ought to leave laying around on your desk (or on monster.com, for that matter), that doesn’t mean you ought to treat it like something you dust off only when you really need it. It needs to be reviewed quarterly, believe it or not. […]
January 16th, 2006 at 9:39 pm
On a related note:
Catching up, I just listened to this podcast today. Googling for “Mark Horstman” came up with http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/student/club/va/Horstman.htm, which includes an online video Mark’s Jan. 12, 2005 lecture “How to get the offers you want”. Thought I’d share this with the listeners.
February 9th, 2006 at 4:38 pm
[…] On the subjects of resumes, there’s a great podcast over at the Manager Tools site, which is worth listening to. They have a sample resume up as well. They sell the idea of the one-page resume, and it’s definitely a good idea. I can see some folks not getting along with the idea though, so – if you’ve sent in a two- or three-page resume, you may find mileage in taking along a one-page version. You can always leave it as a “leave behind” after the meeting, can’t you? Conversely, if you sent in the one-pager, you could have a more detailed resume available. It’s not always appropriate to do this, I think, but you’re not going to know until you get there. Having options is always a bonus. […]
March 19th, 2006 at 1:32 pm
Dear Mark,
my 16 year old son just devoured your downloadable video of your presentation on how to apply that you gave to students at Kelloggs. He is now pushing his 19 year old brother to view it, and he will take the video to his school for further sharing. I hope you don´t mind helping out some German teenagers to better grapple with life´s tasks, although you probably didn´t really plan it that way
Many thanks for your generosity to share your skills and experience.
Till
March 19th, 2006 at 10:52 pm
Till-
I love it! Please feel free to have your sons email me with questions - that may be a long speech, but it’s still just a starting point. I’d love to hear from them and help them.
I am thrilled to be helping German teens, and glad they’re an extension of the Manager Tools community.
And hey, as a peek behind the scenes, Mike and I are going to be releasing a series of podcasts (15 or so) shortly that are specifically FOR interview prep. We’re going to charge for these (we’re going broke having all this
fun.) The price is to be determined, but maybe US$50 - $90 - and it will be
a huge expansion on that speech with details, etc. We figure it’s worth
the price of 3-4 books, when you compare it to the books that are out there.
Your note made my day!
Mark
May 10th, 2006 at 10:16 am
Hi Guys!
I finally catched up with all your shows! From my point of vue, EVERYone of them has something to learn and it. Really enjoyed them!
But for this one, I tested it live and I have a couple of comments to make. I’m currently working with 4 recruiting firms for project manager and director positions in Montreal.
For the first agency, I sent my 1 page resume as per your advice. They called me back asking for more information. Had to send them my full resume (3 pages)
For all the others, I sent both resume, the 1 page and the full resume. All of them used the 3 pages and said that the clients prefere more information than less.
Although I find my 1 page resume a lot better looking and more professionnal, none of my agencies used it and they were very clear that it is useless to them. They need all the information they can get to use it the best way they can with their clients.
Could you please comment.
Regards,
aL.
May 10th, 2006 at 9:26 pm
Alex-
Great question! And thanks for the kind words.
My comment is that you’re talking about recruiters, which we didn’t specifically address ‘recruiters and resumes’ in the cast.
The recruiters are asking for more because they CAN. Companies generally don’t do that if there’s a short list, because they don’t want to burden a candidate (you can hate the search firm’s demands and still love the client in this situation). But for the prices they’re paying a search firm, and the work being done by someone else (the search firm), it’s a no brainer to put the firm to work and get as much as possible up front. Note that if you demur, the search firm will tell you to blame the client (which is unprofessional).
Also, this allows companies to be more discriminating. Translated, that means, rule more people out before they get interviewed. (And this is smart, because interviewing is expensive and logistically harder than it looks). Since the PURPOSE of YOUR resume is to get you an interview, a 3 pager is NOT in your best interests in most cases (senior executives withstanding).
And, who is to say they’re actually forwarding the 3 pagers to the company? They may just be using it to characterize or push you… or to make someone else look good.
I’m not saying they’re misbehaving. Rather, that your example doesn’t contravene our advice because of the recruiter’s involvement and the negative of a 3 pager relative to its purpose.
Now, here’s something clever about 3 pagers. We said to regularly update your resume each quarter. What you should be doing is letting one version grow to 3 pages over time, always correct. That way, when an opportunity comes up, you can delete those items that sell least well for that opportunity, and you have a nicely tailored resume.
Mark
PS: Be very cautious about your recruiter relationships. Four is TOO MANY. You are creating friction you are not aware of. The term they would use is “serial networker”… because they do talk to one another. Just be careful, and over time pare back the relationships.
May 11th, 2006 at 10:42 am
Thanks a lot for your response. Yes, I know, 4 is a lot and I will cut my relation with 2 of them (keeping the best and complementary of course).
Regards,
aL.
August 18th, 2006 at 1:57 pm
I just reached the cast on resumes, and I was very surprised to hear how adamant you are about keeping it to one page. What surprises me is that I read Rites of Passage a couple of months ago, and it seemed equally insistent that the only people who need 1-page resumes are those who don’t have much work history.
Is the difference that you’re talking about resumes for companies, and the book’s talking about recruiters? But if that’s the case, which one would you have available for general use? I converted mine a couple of months ago to match more of their recommendations, and that’s the one I have posted on a couple of job boards. Also, I’m getting (and almost always turning down) 4-6 emails a day from general recruiters asking for a current resume. I’m assuming that most of these are general recruiters who find jobs listed on company sites and then match up jobs to people in their database, but I know for certain that I’ve talked to more than a couple of consultants who were asked by their client to conduct a search.
So if I were to use both my full 3-page and a condensed 1-page version, I can tell that I would send the 1-pager if I apply on a company’s site online, but which would I put on a job board (that companies and recruiters are both searching), and would I send the longer one to the recruiters contacting me?
Thanks for the help, and thanks for the program.
Some day, I promise that I’ll be caught up!
chuck
August 18th, 2006 at 6:24 pm
Chuck-
John Lucht’s book is meant for executives. His title started 15 years ago, when $100,000 was much more likely to define an executive’s pay. When you read his book, you’ll see that the examples are for quite senior positions. While to some degree senior positions no longer require “longevity”, the fact is that most senior execs have 20 years of experience… and that could justify a two pager or longer. If a manager or director presented a 2-3 page resume (written the way most are today), they would be terribly ineffective.
So, our advice still holds for the vast majority of folks. A truly well written one page resume is exactly what is needed. Our sample is a good example of a 20 year career being clearly delineated on one page.
Hope this helps!
Mark
September 15th, 2006 at 3:50 pm
You mentioned you would be covering a resume cover letter. Is the podcast posted and I just don’t recognize it?
Thanks
Sadly this week my job was eliminated so I am updating my resume and preparing for my new job search which I hope to complete before my 90 day notice period expires.
September 16th, 2006 at 9:14 pm
Lionel-
I think when we mentioned that, we were referring to our interviewing product, which we are trying to roll out before the end of the year. So sorry that it’s unlikely we’re going to meet your timeline. We’re working as hard as we can.
Mark
September 25th, 2006 at 5:31 pm
Mark - not a problem. I really appreciate your guideance on writing a resume.
November 7th, 2006 at 6:05 am
hi mark,
I started listening to your show since August and I really like your tips and they have helped my a lot. I am currently working as an electrical engineer in a consultancy and doing a master degree in engineering system management. As for the resume, do you think that I have to mention that in my resume that I am currently studying or shall I keep it to myself until I graduate?
Thanks
November 7th, 2006 at 11:13 pm
Ashatat-
If you’re certain of a graduation date that is less than a year away, include it. If not, leave it off.
Easy one!
Mark
November 17th, 2006 at 11:24 am
I must be the oddball on including personal information on my resume.
Over the past 13 years, I have garnered 3 interviews - all 3 leading to offers - that had a substantial reliance on personal information I have included on my resume.
1 - I am a musician, and had a 30-minute conversation with a hiring manager (nothing to do with music), that led to extensive discussions. Caveat: Maybe he wasn’t a good manager because he looked at this?
2 - I used to work at Radio Shack in one of those “useless” jobs - I had to take a second job after a move during the mid-90’s housing slump. A technical manager also used to work at Radio Shack, and used this as a starting point for conversation - this was a Fortune 100 firm.
3 - My wife is a 2-time cancer survivor. After her initial treatment, I did a fundraiser for a volunteer center and raised about 1 1/2% of their yearly budget through a charity raffle. This led to extensive discussions with a hiring manager who had several relatives and friends.
Is there a way to include these in such a way that it mentions them? Maybe the fund-raiser should be one of my accomplishments?
I’m also a student pilot - I don’t know how many people make mention of this when they hear it. Just a thought.
As Drucker says, “It’s the people.” These personal connections might matter to some people.
Thanks,
Gary
November 17th, 2006 at 11:15 pm
Nevertheless, our recommendation stands.
The act of recommending such a thing makes it de rigeur, which often motivates bad choices in resume preparation. Further, personal information is fraught with danger that is virtually absent in professional information.
Such great experiences as you have had - and well done for those! - are the exception. My guess is that the rest of your resume sold you well, and you interviewed well. That’s great… but your resume didn’t get you the job.
I cannot understand why Radio Shack is personal, and we do recommend capturing certain non-profit experiences…but not with blanket recommendations.
Every resume is uniquely personal, but everyone needs a template to start.
Mark
December 1st, 2006 at 6:34 am
Hi Mark - fantastic ‘cast on writing a resume. I’m wondering if you could steer me in the right direction with my resume?
Like Greg I’ve worked only for a couple of companies over the past 12 years, and for the last 10 years have worked in my own company. During those 10 years I held many roles/positions, most of them concurrently.
My question is should I list these under the one company and repeat the dates throughout, or will this confuse companies/recruiters?
Many thanks for your time.
Callum
December 1st, 2006 at 7:36 pm
Callum-
You don’t list multiple roles/positions in your own company. You simply include it all under “Founder/President”, or something like that. Don’t bother with CEO… that’s a silly title for a small company. Describe your overall duties with perhaps a little longer responsibilities paragraph, and then you should just have lots of bullets.
Mark
December 3rd, 2006 at 3:26 pm
[…] http://www.manager-tools.com/2005/10/your-resume-stinks/ « Test Post […]
December 9th, 2006 at 4:31 pm
Hi Mark and Mike,
Excellent work, you’re not only giving tools and techniques one can implement almost instantly, but you literally convey the SPIRIT of truly effective management.
Just two brief questions regarding the resume content:
1. What about language skills? If one can freely communicate in 2 foreign languages, and considers it a competitive advantage should this person add this information to his or her resume? If positive - how?
2. Are the guidelines you’ve given specific to the american HR market, or are they general for all countries? Do you accept the possibility that different countries may have their own peculiarities regarding the content and formatting of a business resume?
Every single one of your ‘casts is making my day,
Sergey
Moscow, Russian Federation
December 17th, 2006 at 2:15 am
Sergey-
Yes, it is effective on a resume to communicate a second language. “How” is highly dependent upon whether language skills are required in the job being applied for, and several other factors. Some times, it goes in the cover letter.
As a general rule, an additional single line at the bottom of the page with your language skills is appropriate.
And, our guidelines hold fairly true for all markets, but we also “accept the possibility that different countries have their own peculiarities.” Be careful though. We’re different even than the US standard, because the US standard is complete and utter CRAP. That’s why we titled this cast as we did. I would bet the “common knowledge” in Moscow is as messed up as it is here. I once described the average resume advice discussion as equivalent to a bunch of fans in the cheap seats critquing a US professional baseball player. There’s a lot of it… and the pros aren’t listening.
Glad you’re with us! It’s always a pleasure to hear from international members. It gives me particular joy to serve you, when only 20 years ago, I was an officer in the military training for your demise. Your freedom is a great joy to us, too. I look forward to learning from you!
Mark
January 4th, 2007 at 9:18 pm
Mark,
What is your suggestion regarding company name changes/M&A? I held several positions at a company that went through two mergers/name changes while I was there. I also worked for another that, since I was there, was acquired by another company. So, which name do I use? I could use the name at the time I was in the position, but then it would look like I worked for more companies than I did. I could use the current name, but it is not doing quite the same thing now. Or I could do something like XXX, formerly YYY, formerly ZZZ, now ABC, Anytown, USA. Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.
John
January 4th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Mark-
Great ‘cast on the tricky resume. You mentioned the need, and I totally agree, for regular updates. You highlight the side effect of extra collateral that can be pruned out on iterations to make it more pertinent for the role you are applying for.
I have lots of varied responsibilities in the handful of major companies I have worked for. I have been playing with the idea of creating a resume builder where I can group the roles/responsibilities/positions/dates and then build the resume in context to the role. This would then read more closely with the cover letter.
Do you have any specific advice on this approach? if you think it’s worthwhile, and before I go and [re]create something, do you know of any tools that deliver this.
Cheers for now,
David
January 5th, 2007 at 2:35 am
John-
I can’t be certain based on what you posted. Can you describe the details for me?
Mark
January 5th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
Mark,
I worked for a company that went through several name changes while I was there and now has a different name since I left. When I am listing the company name on my resume for the positions I held at this company, Which company name should I use? It was a company acquired by Lucent in the late ’90s and then later spun off as Avaya. Should I use the company name when I started, the company name when I left (Lucent), or what it is now (Avaya)?
John
January 5th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
John-
Never use the name of the company that is used TODAY if you left before it got that name.
For the role you were in when it changed names, use both with a slash. For the job before, use the oldest name, for the job after the one with the change, use the new (to you, now OBE) name.
Make sense?
Mark
January 7th, 2007 at 9:59 pm
[…] Manager Tools - Tools for Leaders and Managers » Blog Archive » Your Resume Stinks! “Your resume, regardless of the baggage associated with it, is probably your most critical career management document.” - Podcast on how to write good resume (tags: jobs) […]
January 8th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Enough with the one page rule. Enough, Enough, ENOUGH!
Sorry for shouting, it’s something I get somewhat emotional about
As a recruiter for 5 years, I have rarely encountered an issue with candidates including too much (note: work related) information on a resume. At least not in the US, but some standards overseas tend themselves to the double-digit page counts.
Practically everyone receives resumes electronically these days, and recruiters (limited to myself and those I’ve worked with) would rather have a full idea of what you do on a daily basis, unless you’re a “sanitation engineer” or other self-explanatory title. I appreciate the point of bulleting accomplishments, but essential job duties should be brought out in some way as well.
White space is not overrated, it draws the eye to what you want people to see. As most recruiters (remember, these are your gatekeepers) view hundreds of resumes daily, there’s not much time to devote to trying to pick terms and competencies out of a paragraph of prose.
“Your Resume Stinks!” tips from a recruiter:
Most important things come first - Name, email, phone but you don’t have to bold them. I typically don’t even look at a candidate’s name until I have some idea that they’re worthwhile contacting - job qualifications are key. You can include address if you’d like, but I wouldn’t waste much space with it up top - consider a header with name and a footer with full info. Again, most resumes are received electronically, so your pretty formatting doesn’t do ANYTHING. Your contact information is presented as you entered it into the company’s recruiting site or through the job board, etc.
Again, FORGET THE ONE PAGE RULE. This must have been invented when people were faxing resumes to avoid wasting that expensive fax toner. I can’t tell how long your resume is unless while I’m scrolling through the electronic copy I keep getting interrupted by “candidate name - page 2 of 3″
Thank you for not mentioning objectives - everyone’s objectives are the same: to get a job. The only time I would consider advising someone on an objective is if they are relocating or looking for something non-traditional (ie, telecommute, part time, etc) only those things that will directly affect your job search.
Plain font yes. I agree wholeheartedly and prefer the simplest fonts possible - arial/helvetica/courier - even times is a little too “floofy”. If by chance I receive a resume in script on pink paper scented with perfume (it’s happened) it goes to the bottom of the stack.
Then experience - job title and tenure are most important, above company and location. When including dates of employ, include month and year and include explanation for any gaps greater than 1 month. This information will likely come out in initial interviews/screenings so beat the recruiter to the punch. Another way to get a step ahead is to include reason for leaving each position. And like I said, white space is NOT overrated (unless it’s in the margins - that’s just wasteful). I like to see job duties bulleted and related accomplishments sub-bulleted. You’re going to get a lot more out of my 15-second review (if that).
That’s all the time to critique I can spare while at work, but feel free to contact me with questions!
www.linkedin.com/in/utterlyamazed
January 8th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
Lydia-
Thanks for sharing your different point of view…and glad we agree on virtually everything!
Mark
January 8th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
Lydia,
If I only get 15 seconds, I’m keeping mine at one page. I find it focuses my writing to help me force out the fluff you don’t want to see anyway.
I’ve never been a recruiter but I have yet to be turned down for any job I’ve applied and been remotely qualified for and I’ve hired lots of people. I want you to spend 10 seconds on 1 page and 5 seconds deciding that you’ve seen enough to want to talk to me, not 14 seconds reading 4 pages and 1 second to decide.
Just my thoughts from the other side of the fence.
Mark Polino
January 9th, 2007 at 8:38 am
Job Seeking Advice for New PR Grads…
Even if you try to circumvent this problem by networking to find a job, youll still need an outstanding one-page summary of your experience and qualifications. Learn why Your Resume Stinks!…
January 9th, 2007 at 6:49 pm
[…] 4. Learn how to prepare a decent resume When a job opening is posted, the Human Resources or PR department may have hundreds of resumes to screen. Their primary goal in looking at your resume is to find a legitimate reason to throw it out. Even if you try to circumvent this problem by networking to find a job, you’ll still need an outstanding one-page summary of your experience and qualifications. Learn why Your Resume Stinks! as well as reviewing some tips specifically for Public Relations resumes. In addition, author Yana Parker (The Damn Good Resume Guide and others) offers a couple dozen good resume tips for you to consider. […]
January 24th, 2007 at 9:38 am
Mark & Mike, thanks for an enjoyable podcast on resume writing. However, I’d like to point out that your advice might just be limited to the USA. Don’t get me wrong, I have a BA & MBA from the US, and struggling to get noticed here in Bangkok, Thailand, I have to follow a different drummer. Imagine, job application forms ask questions that in the US would be discrimination (if not illegal): recent photo of not less than 6 months; marital status; siblings’ and parents’ names & their professions & companies they work at; hobbies & interests; police/criminal record if any; citizen ID number; driving license ID number; residence registration certificate & some odd questions such as “do you use commercial sex services,” & “do you drink alcoholic beverages.” Many jobs require a particular look, and if you’re Black, Indian or too tanned, then, you’re not eligible for most white collar jobs!
February 5th, 2007 at 1:47 am
Absolutely true, I usually update my resume at least once a year.
February 8th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
Mark,
Thanks for the resume advice I am in the process of boiling a 4 pager down to one. I have a few questiosn;
My career in the computer insdustry spands 30 years. I’ve had 17 different jobs. Since 1983 these have all been contract/consultant positions. Since 1985 I’ve been a partner in a software consulting firm. On my existing resume I would list the position as Consultant to XYZ Corp. Followed by project leader of ABD Group. How would you convey this dual relationship in a single line?
Second question - At various times in my career I have had projects overlap for different clients. So the start and end dates cross. How would you represent this on a single page? And would this represent a red flag from your perspective? If so what would you recommend.
Lastly I have been out of work for about 12 months. About midway through that period I was in the process of getting very aggresive in pursuing a job when my wife died in a freak acciident. That event kind of stalled any energy to seek work. Prior to that outage I had been out of work once for a 4 month period. Would you make any mention of this on the resume?
Thank you in advance for your help. I find your content very valuble
February 24th, 2007 at 12:53 am
Are there any thoughts regarding having a “Training Course” section on your resume? What about professional designations (PMP etc….). Would this go at the bottom with education?
Appreciate some insight.
Thanks
Don
March 6th, 2007 at 11:17 am
Hey guys. Long time listener. I love the show. Let me be blunt (Bottom Line Up froNT). My resume sucks. I am 35 years old and a 17 year veteran of the Maryland State Police. My current rank is Corporal. The test for the next cycle is in May 2007. I need to start studying and preparing my resume now. I have all the makings of an excellent resume but for the last two promotional cycles (my corporal and sergeant resume) I have been in the bottom. Can you guys help? Maybe suggest a resume writing service. Some have had their resumes written for them. Others have figured it out on their own. I know Mark said write it yourself but I just can’t get it together. Our rules are, two pages, 12 font, with work history, education and awards captioned out, much like the sample on the site. Any and all help will be appreciated. Thank you.
March 16th, 2007 at 3:27 am
Hey Mark & Mike, I have been following the podcasts for some time now. But this one surely is one the best that I have heard from you. The other one i liked a lot was on ‘One - on- ones’. I practice that nowadays with my team and it has helped a lot, especially since I have joined a new organization and leading a new team.
Coming back to this podcast, this one is fantastic! I happen to be one of those who had seeked help in making my resume professionally, and paid for it! Like you said, it hasn’t helped much. So after listening to your podcast, I decided to take matters in my own hand, literally, and have made a draft. I wanted a European format as I plan to do my MBA course there and then look for some opportunity.
Would it be possible for you to have a look at my draft and suggest improvement?
Keep up the great work, Happy podcasting!
March 21st, 2007 at 8:53 pm
Fianelli-
Thanks for your note. I don’t understand your question about XYZ and ABD. Usually, if you are a consultant, you list all (most) the jobs you had as accomplishments, rather than listing each project as its own job.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the overlaps, particularly if you list them as I suggest above.
Do I have this right, or can you explain further?
I will keep you in my prayers. My sympathies for your terrible loss.
Mark
March 25th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
Mark,
I joyfully watched your Kellogg presentation on interviewing several months ago. I went to their site to watch it again and learned some good news, and some bad. First, they have added your Jan ‘07 Interview Guidance presentation that is similar to the video’s presentation. However, they have removed the video from the site http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/student/club/va/Horstman.htm. Any hope of getting it posted on Manager-tools?
Although I found the interviewing guidance very useful; it was also a great guide on how you deliver presentations. Finally, it would allow your audience to place a face with a name.
Thank you for all the work. I have really appreciated the indirect mentorship over the years!
Scott
March 26th, 2007 at 3:52 am
Scott-
Thanks for the kind words.
Regarding the video: sorry, but not in the short term. We’ve had some IP issues associated with it.
Mark
April 10th, 2007 at 5:25 am
Hey Mark & Mike,
I love your podcasts. I’ve been working my way through the archives since November. As a new manager I’ve found them to be an absolute godsend.
I think I heard you say there would be transcripts available for sale at some stage?
Have you considered a podcast on cover letters? Do you have any resources or comments you can suggest? I’m looking to avoid theh “Dear Hiring Manager, please consider my application” dull and boring standard letter, which I’m sure doesn’t work well.
All the best and thanks again
Jen
April 10th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Jen,
Thanks for the kind remarks … very much appreciated!
We’ll have a Premium Membership product this year … we’ve stopped talking a lot about it because of our delays in rolling it out; but it’s coming! We also have an Interviewing product we’re putting the final touches on that will address Cover Letters and more! Look for news on this soon.
best regards,
Mike
April 19th, 2007 at 7:20 am
Hey Mark & Mike, I have been following the podcasts for some time now. But this one surely is one the best that I have heard from you. The other one i liked a lot was on ‘One - on- ones’. I practice that nowadays with my team and it has helped a lot, especially since I have joined a new organization and leading a new team.
Coming back to this podcast, this one is fantastic! I happen to be one of those who had seeked help in making my resume professionally, and paid for it! Like you said, it hasn’t helped much. So after listening to your podcast, I decided to take matters in my own hand, literally, and have made a draft. I wanted a European format as I plan to do my MBA course there and then look for some opportunity.
Would it be possible for you to have a look at my draft and suggest improvement?
Keep up the great work, Happy podcasting!
Yogesh
April 19th, 2007 at 11:29 am
Hi Yogesh,
your question has an interesting twist, being the “European” format. I myself (being German) am not solidly comfortable giving a pure one-pager to the market. Some of the professional HR people and recruiters I’ve met are not as international one would think. However, my take at the end was to adjust the format not at all. Accomplishments are important to all good mangement. And if not - do you want to work with those, who do not care about accomplishments the way you would like? I would love to see one pagers from my candidates. That’s eactly my style. Reflect on this and ask yourself the question.
Happy to discuss furhter.
To Mike & Mark - great work - keep going.
April 25th, 2007 at 2:31 am
Hi Mike & Mark,
I am a young professional that worked in management for five years before deciding to go university to finish my degree. I left the city to complete my degree in another city and now returned back to my home town to work. How should I approach writing my resume? Also, I will also be returning to school in July for six weeks to complete a course and not sure how approach my career search. Some of my friends suggest that I hold off until I complete course to apply, but I would like to start my career. What do you think?
Great jobs guys, thanks for the information and motivation!
April 30th, 2007 at 3:15 am
Yogesh-
No, there is no difference that we recommend for Europe.
And, alas, I can’t review resumes. I’d have no other job.
Mark
April 30th, 2007 at 3:16 am
SMiguel-
I can’t imagine you have to wait to search.
And what does location have to do with your resume?
Mark
May 4th, 2007 at 1:41 am
Mark,
Your right location has nothing to do with my resume. I guess my question really is, should I make the interviewer aware that I will not be able to work for six weeks in July or hold off until I get the position?
June 16th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
Superb podcast. It is already a classic!
I’d like to ask you what happens when a person moves up the ladder in an organization and now has another role with more responsibilities. Does he add another entry in the jobs section?
thanks
Nick
June 16th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
Nick-
Thanks for the kind words - this is a popular cast.
I can’t understand your question… why wouldn’t the resume change with a new job?
Mark
July 10th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Mark,
I was laid off last fall after working for three affiliated companies for eight years. The last one I worked for went out of business. However, the original company I joined is still there. After the lay-off I went on disability for a major surgery. I have been out for 10 months. I am getting ready to start my job search now and updating my resume using your great suggestion. I would like to know, a) How should I handle the absence due to disability? b) How should I handle the company names on the resume?
Thank you for the great work and for your help.
July 11th, 2007 at 2:01 am
ABHunt-
I’m sorry, but I’m not following your history. Did you get laid off and THEN the company went out of business, and if so, why does them going out of business matter for the resume? How is the first company that is “still there” involved now?
Were you paid for your disability time, and if so by whom? How were you able to be on disability if you were laid off?
Sorry- just not getting the lay of the land right, I guess.
Mark
July 13th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
Mark,
Sorry to confuse you. Yes, the company went out of business couple of months after I was laid off. The first company I joined was affiliated with the last one. It is still there but not hiring or starting any new projects. All three companies I worked for were located at the same address.
I went on disability while I was unemployed and was paid for the disability by Unemployment office. My benefits were over a few months ago and I no longer get paid.
Hope this makes sense.
Thanks
July 14th, 2007 at 3:55 am
ABHunt-
The only thing that matters is that you were laid off and have been on disability.
Your resume simply stops at the time you were laid off.
List company names that were the names of the companies at the time you worked for them. Whether they are here now or not is irrelevant.
Mark
July 17th, 2007 at 9:07 pm
Mark,
Thank you for your suggestions.
August 1st, 2007 at 12:30 am
Mark,
I have listened to this podcast and others multiple times, and I truly appreciate all the work that you’ve put into the show.
I was recently promoted (June) but haven’t truly started doing the responsibilities associated with the job. The company is still in the process of transitioning me out of my other responsibilities. Since I truly haven’t done anything related to my new job, do I put it on my resume?
Thanks for all your work. I look forward to the Premium Content!
Beth
August 1st, 2007 at 2:31 am
Beth-
For now, no. Generally, if you hold a job less than 90 days, you can be forgiven for leaving it off your resume.
And thanks for the kind words. Glad you’re getting value from our work.
Mark
August 2nd, 2007 at 1:26 am
Sorry if this has been asked before. I looked through and didn’t see anything.
My question regards resumes for career change. If I am looking to radically change careers, should I list all my former employment or should I only list the employment that is or can be related to my new field? I do understand that I should do my best to ensure my accomplishments match the new environment as closely as possible, but am a bit confused about the other.
I also realize that a very tight cover letter would help as well…
Thank you,
Scott K.
August 11th, 2007 at 12:02 am
Scott-
A resume for a career change might be somewhat different, but not enormously so. If you have a core document with ALL of your accomplishments on it (that is surely longer than one page), pick and choose the accomplishments that highlight best the skills and abilities that are being sought in the new field. (But don’t assume that the skills are completely different. Sometimes they are, sometimes not.)
I recommend you consider the Interviewing Series, or the free cast we did on using your resume to prepare for an interview.
Mark
August 21st, 2007 at 8:18 pm
I’ve listened to the cast, revised the cv, it’s much better. 5 pages >> 1. It used to be two until I moved to the UK when I was then told, by recruiters, to have more pages.
Now, manager-tools has a podcast I trust, and they don’t, so I know which one I want to use. However, I don’t want to be filtered out by recruiters who are looking for x number of pages. I get a ton of cv’s in front of me whenever I hire, most are terrible, and five pages long. I do worry that by using your format I won’t get an opportunity because it wont meet the threshold here.
I plan to test this out by speaking with a couple of recruiters I know and come back to the community with my findings. My experience of the UK has been that tradition and “how things were done before” is very prevalent in the culture here. I hope in this case, the cv format is a winner.
November 13th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
I love the cast. I am new to Manager Tools and the format is perfect. I am a non-manager but that will be my next step. I have been listening to one on the way to work and one on the way home for the past couple weeks trying to catch up. Should I get the promotion, I believe that the knowledge gained here will put me miles ahead of my current management. Thanks for arming me for the job. I am excited to use these tools.
My question about my stinky resume is regarding the fact that I have held technical positions and have been promoted several times with very little change in the actual job description. (e.g. Associate Technician, Tech. I, Tech.II, Sr. Tech.). How should those promotions be listed? I have found that most people in my position only post the most recent title but that seems dishonest to me. I also don’t want to waste space regurgitating the same info on each line.
Thanks for the podcast and for your help.
-Richard
November 18th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
Ignore my last question. In addition to a fantastic podcast, the Manager-Tools discussion forums are a great repository of knowledge. Thanks again for this great resource.
December 19th, 2007 at 3:01 am
Hello, I was just directed to this site for help with creating my first time resume from scratch, I listened to the podcast and based my resume strictly from your suggestions. I have 2 questions that were not exactly covered.
I am 23 and have been at my current job as a Network Administrator for 5 years now, before that, in high school I had 2 menial jobs (Stater Bros. Market, and Wendys Restaurant) that I had for 1 year each, do I include these 2 menial jobs on my resume? Or just the one job that I am currently at?
I have a technical certification (MCSE) which i will include in my education section, I am in process (about half way through) my BS, I have a high school diploma. Which of these and how should I list this in my education section? Would it be advisable to put something that is in process?
Any comment will be greatly appreciated, thank you.
-Tim
December 19th, 2007 at 4:11 am
Tim-
Include the earlier jobs for now. 10 years from now (maybe even less) they will fall off, and your resume will start with your present job.
Once you are more than 50% of the way through your degree, put it down on your resume with parentheses around the expected graduation date.
And don’t put the MSCE as education. Include it as an accomplishment under the job you were in when you got it.
Mark
January 14th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Really enjoyed this podcast guys. I’ve read it 2x now and have shrunk my resume from 4 pages to 1 and a half.
My problem is that I cannot find a way to get it any smaller. I have experience back to 1991, and that excludes relevant job experience in technology when I was in college and even my first consulting job back in 11th grade. I’ve put 2-3 bullets (3 bullets for latter jobs only) consolidated back-to-back contract jobs as a single entry with an “accomplishment” for each particular piece of work, removed white space etc.
Is it better to a) throw out accomplishments from more recent jobs to get these to fit b) list these earlier positions as “Other Work Experience” c) not list them at all d) just accept myself as one of the 10% that need a longer than one page resume.
I’m betting the answer is b), but I would like your opinion.
Thanks,
Joe
January 14th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Joe-
Sorry, but I have my experience going back to 82 and it all fits.
You’re not one of the 10%.
What font? What margins? How big is the font for your contact info? Do you have headings for various sections which are unnecessary?
Please let’s finish this thread in the forums.
Mark
April 24th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Thanks for the podcast, etc. It’s really changed how I looked at my resume. As an IT engineer I had considerable difficulty getting all of the acronyms and buzzwords as well as the regular stuff to fit into single lines. I had a similar situation as joeshoff and just kept the descriptions short and only used one or two bullets for short or less consequential jobs; two bullets for jobs older than 7 years.
Since the format is so… non-traditional I wonder if you recommend your format for say recruiters and ‘wide cast’ approaches and a more traditional format when sending a resume to someone who may not regularly review them (say the non-HR boss who has little turnover in his dept). Friends I have asked to look over my resume in your format are jolted by the format; rather than just read it and notice the positive flow, they immediately start commenting on the format itself, though they like it once I ask them to just read it.
Thanks for bringing some humanity back to the (unnecessarily) impersonal world of job searching. As an aside, having just moved from DC to Sacramento, I never thought I’d miss Burke so much…
Cheers,
Mike
July 12th, 2008 at 4:03 am
I’ve just finished listening to this podcast on resumes and learned a ton from it. It’s great having the latest, up to date info on these things. That a “References” and a “Hobbies and interests” section are no longer required has been something I’ve long felt but loathe to go against so-called “popular wisdom”.
The rule of 1-page on the other hand was something I needed convincing on. By way of testing your rule I’ve reworked my resume from two pages to just one. Combined with your other advice, the difference in impact my resume now has is nothing short of stupendous (in my own opinion, to be fair).
I feel thrilled to see myself looking so accomplished! Job market here I come!
Keep up the excellent podcasting!
Justin,
Taipei, Taiwan
August 1st, 2008 at 2:02 am
Mike (keenmonkey)-
We do recommend our format for ALL situations except very senior executives. Our format IS the standard, frankly…but it IS in the minority. There are a thousand other forms out there, all lumped together they would make up the majority, but they don’t have a standard format or purpose other than being long (and we think sloppy).
That’s why this cast and our sample are so popular: they clarify and simplify, and hold together around a common purpose, unlike all the other “forms”.
Mark
August 2nd, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Awhile ago there was a foem you guys had created to walk a person through a 13 week process of creating their resume. I am looking for the documentation that describes that process. Where is it?
David
August 4th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Actually, I believe that was the casts on “Preparing for Your Annual Review”
http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/07/preparing-for-your-review-part-1-of-2/
http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/08/preparing-for-your-review-part-2-of-2/
August 4th, 2008 at 11:21 am
I believe that was a set of two casts on “Preparing for Your Annual Review.” The process included updating your resume.
http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/07/preparing-for-your-review-part-1-of-2/
http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/07/preparing-for-your-review-part-2-of-2/