Resumes (in Off-topic)

Anyone pros at writing resumes or have any good reference links for them? It's been a while for me, and I am rusty. Thanks.

Google should be a good place to start for format ideas and basic templates, but here are some very general guidelines that have worked well for me over the years:

-- KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid. Don't use too many borders, lines, or formats. Sure, set off your name a bit, and make sure the sections of the resume are clear with a bit of bold-face or italics), but don't go crazy with color, boldfacing, etc. There is a very practical reason for this: lots of employers just want a Word doc, but if you use crazy fonts or formatting that their version of Word doesn't support, your resume will have just turned into a stream of barely-readable text. In fact, I try to barely use inset margins and such, and use tabs instead. One way around all of that is if the employer accepts HTML or PDF format, as those can be constructed so that what you create is what they see, regardless of platform, version, etc.

-- Keep it straightforward. Start with your objective, even if it is generic (and try to NOT let it be generic). Stating a good, specific objective at the start tells the employer you know what you want and have potentially even researched the position/company. Bad objective: "To find a job at some company doing something." Good objective: "An entry-level programmer position for an employer creating dynamic Windows software." If the objective ends up flattering the employer (not too much, don't be an obvious suck-up), all the better.

-- Use verbs. Lead with them. Active ones. Use present tense verbs for your current job and past tense verbs for past positions. And when I say active, I mean active. Bad bullet point: "Was a programmer for three months building utilities for HR department." Good bullet point: "Developed business-critical software module in Visual Basic to automate daily HR tasks and increase work volume and accuracy." Sound IMPORTANT, because you ARE. If you don't take yourself seriously or feel like what you do has worth, I can assure you that your employer won't either.

I tend to have a simple flow to my resumes. I start with the header where I list my name and contact information. Then Objective, Then a section I call "Skills". This is a general area where I list, succinctly, what I am good at. I almost ALWAYS lead with "Excellent verbal and written communications skills", assuming you have those. *smile* Remember that your employer wants a PERSON to do the job, not a job-robot that happens to be a person (I understand some employers are not that well, but it is rarely wrong to sell yourself using that sentiment at hire time). After Skills, I have a section called "Current Experience" where I list my current job, if any, and use those present-tense, active verbs. Then "Previous Experience", listing previous related work experiences. At the end, I have sometimes added a "Personal" or "Fun" section, where I list some things specifically meant to start conversations like "Homebrewing" or "Fitness". Some folks will tell you to leave off the personal stuff, and they might be right. Tailor it to what you think the interview will be like. If humanness is allowed, be human.

Ah, I forgot the "Education" section, because at my age, that goes last (since my work experience is generally more important than the fact I graduated from college in 1994). If you are a fresh graduate, you may want to put education right under the Objective, or right after "Skills", since you might not have a lot of Skills or Experience for later on in the resume.

If you are just starting out looking for work, your resume should fit on one page, easily. If you have a ton of experience, don't worry if it stretches to two pages. Some sites say NEVER go beyond a page, but I disagree. If you have the experience, list it. Many employers view resumes electronically, anyway, so pages don't matter. BUT, do NOT ramble on and on and on about little crap like the fact you walked your neighbor's dog back in 1989 and have it ramble on as long as this horrible sentence I just wrote. See what I mean? *smile* I have never gone over two pages, and don't plan to. Even if I have more jobs, I will let the oldest one roll off the bottom and keep the more current stuff to remain at two pages.

Keep it clean, keep it succinct, and keep it active, and tailor the information to the job posting (again, not overtly so, don't copy the job listing and simply add bullet points to it).

Good luck!

I agree with the above and I'm a lawyer with a 1 page resume. I omit irrelevant positions or note them with one line. I actually just quit and updated my resume, so if you want me to look at yours, I will. You can omit your contact information, of course.