So what's the current fashion in resumes?

I need to redo mine and can't find the old one anyplace so apparently I need to start from scratch. :( Anyhow, is it considered best these days to do a minimalist one page thing or to stretch it out and fluff it up as much as I can without overstating my capabilities?

I hire people for professional positions and I will not read beyond a page. Some managers are even tougher than I am and will throw out a resume that is longer than a page.

Also, I throw out any resume with typos, spelling errors, or bad grammar. If someone can't be bothered to be careful when compiling his resume, how careful could he possibly be on the job?

if the resume itself is longer than a page (not counting cover letter, and whatnot), I don't want to see it.

My resume is longer than it ever has been, and I've now gotten more interviews than I ever had before. People are reading it, whereas before they weren't.

you've got a crapload of other materials to go through, what with all the clips that people send. So, I'd rather not deal with a long resume as well.

What I've been doing lately is using a functional resume (2 1/2 pages, if it's printed) that has the specifics of what I've done right at the top. It's generated far more interest than the standard format I used to use - mostly I think because my actual experience and the occupational titles it falls under don't match.

I kind of think the one page rule is more for recent college grads and certain fields.

work force. My education information alone is one page, let alone my career stuff.

My resume is four pages long. The first page has a summary of my generalized skillset, objectives, and education, and the following three contained detailed information about my past projects and a detailed rundown of my skillset. I have never NOT received an interview for a position.

Of course, my resume ALSO contains a mini-CD with about 40 pages worth of additional information, digitized references, examples of past work, and concepts for various projects that I'm working on when I turn it in. The most common response I get is "Wow!"

Here's the thing: The trick to having a long resume lies in its EXECUTION. A long resume needs to be well structured to provide a quick summary up front, which should entice readers into reading the whole thing. If your page 2 is simply a continuation of page 1, you're going to bore people.

It's about three pages long, and it occurred to me that all the most relevant information should be on page one, in easily assimilated form. Then the details can all follow afterward.

as one recruiter told me "the one page resume went out when email and electronic documents became more common"

mine is just a page-and-a-half, and it seems to work. but the standard stuff is around, experience, skills, education, and i've seen a space at the top for "accomplishments", more and more

or profession dictates. My resume is two pages long, but I have a wealth of experience, and none of it's fluff. I had a recommendation from a mentor in my profession to do my resume a certain way because that is how the profession wants it, and she was right. If you're in business, it may be completely different, but as a college administrator, she gave me excellent advice on how to do mine.

I have a couple of different versions and can update or change them whenever I need to.

At first I thought it was a lame idea, but then I really got into it because you can put all sorts of stuff there and then just write one line (web address) on your resume. If a potential employer wants to look at it, great! If not, s/he's not forced to.

It doesn't clutter a resume but makes your portfolio easily accessible. Technology's great! :)

But mostly lean towards the embrace part!

If you're switching job fields or just getting back to work after a long hiatus, you may want to do a functional resume that points out whatever transerrable work skills and accomplishments you may have. Most people, however, use the chronological format.

Prospective employers don't want to have to shuffle through multiple pages. I can state this in confidence because at one time I wrote resumes for job-seekers

But seriously: One page, lots of white space. Readable is best.

Good luck!

no labels like "resume" or that latin term that means the same thing. Describe your previous experience so it makes you sound proactive and goal-oriented.

Read Knock-'em Dead by Martin Yates

he deleted any references to his age. He was in his early fifties then.

It's stupid that people have to deal with that, though an entirely predictable response to linking health care and employment. Why aren't our politicians making the point that single payer would remove the largest disincentive to hiring older workers? :(

If I'm applying for a position, I rework the resume to emphasize experience and skills that are most relevant to THAT job. Yes, it's a bit of work if I'm applying to 30 different places, but it seriously improves your chances of getting an interview.

Oh, and quality paper. Not vellum or $10 a sheet gold trimmed stuff, but a good quality paper with a little bit of texture to it. The paper I use for my resume has a 5% cloth mix, which gives it this cool creamy texture similar to money. A pale off-white is OK, but NEVER print your resume on colored paper, or even white paper with colored flecks.

Page 1, Cover sheet/letter with good graphics and contact info.

Pages 2 - 3, Work history with references plus a listing of special skills such as a second language.

Page 4, A copy of my certificate of completion for a 15 week class pertaining to my trade.

Results: Never been without a paycheck or missed a day of work for over twenty years.
Now: Currently self employed and loving it.

First page is cover letter, pages 2-3 is for experience / education. You can usually go with the last two jobs unless you have something substantial for the 3rd. No one wants to read about a job you had in '81.

I usually expect a 2 page resume....most people can condense their history into 2 rather well. One pagers don't do much for me.

Quick blips, almost teasers about past experience, education will get them to want to hear more than the 5 pager. At least in my opinion.

For example, I'd want to talk to the applicant that puts "Project manager on successful paperless office initiative" than I would the applicant that puts "recognized, evaluated ang managed initiative to eliminate reliance on tangible resources, and shift towards electronic sharing and assimilation of information and documentation while focusing on an environment of productivity."

What? Dude, you forgot some buzzwords. Couldn't you have found a way to fit "out of pocket" in there? C'mon.

I'm also of the opinion that a resume should be tailored to the job being sought. Don't just tell them what you bring to any table, tell them what you bring to their specific table.

I know I need to thin it out. I'm wordy. :(

:*

And I recommend "Expert Resumes For People Returning to Work," by Wendy S. Enelow and Louise M. Kursmark. Lots of current, fun design resume strategies in there.

I have no advice on resumes.......

But I do want to wish you well on your job search!

Knock 'em dead, baby! :bounce: :bounce:

I've been sorting through a LOT of them this past week helping my boss out. We advertised this past Sunday for an entry level job ad received over 250 resumes by Wed. (economy MUST be good, don'tcha know)

Anyway, certain one's go into the "keep it so we can look at more carefully later on pile". They are all one-page; use basic fonts-- times and arial, less curricula vitae and more work experience, NO spelling error's, basic information about previous job experience/requirements/etc., and keeping the Hobbies/Interests entry to an absolute minumum.

Hope this helps and good luck!

References- how many should I go with and should I use previous employers exclusively (which could be problematic as two of my previous jobs were at places with high turnover and likely nobody there actually worked with me) or do more of a mix of previous employers and non-employment references?

I'm also seeing a lot of references to "functional resumes" and I don't think I really understand the concept. The template I'm using has a spot for a "functional summary," am I correct in understanding that this is just a place to list my applicable skills?