Updating your resume: Ask yourself, who cares?
Resumes are very personal. They reflect our education, accomplishments, and what occupies our time at least 2,000 hours/year. And regardless of whether we’ve been in the workforce for 2 years or 20, they are our alter ego. But to have an effective resume that helps you land the job you want, you’ll want to view your resume through the reader’s lens, not yours.
I ask people to ask themselves when writing bullets for a resume, “Who cares?”, i.e. WHO, besides you and your mom care about that bullet? Writing a resume with a thought about what YOU think is important and will land you YOUR current job at best (probably the job that reports to you, actually). To land the next step, take off the blinders and see your resume for what it is.
DON’T: Write a resume that reflects everything you’ve ever done or thought. A resume is not intended to convey your persona, life’s work, goals, dreams, fears, etc.
DO: Write a resume with one clear goal: to get you an interview. Period. Once inside, you can more fully articulate your background.
DON’T: Try to be all things to all people, including every task you’ve ever performed. When the resume is too lengthy or too detailed, the relevant information for a particular position is crowded out, impossible to find. People are busy! Make it easy for them to see how your experience is relevant to their open position.
DO: Have different versions of your resume for different kinds of positions. Since different responsibilities will apply to different roles, a one-size-fits-all resume can’t possibly hit on the qualifications of a particular position without making it too long (see above).
DON’T: Take your old resume and add on your new job. Review earlier position bullets for relevance. Delete bullets if you include those responsibilities at a later time. Do you still have that college honor even though you’ve been out for 5 years? Unless it was a Rhodes Scholar, it should go!
DON’T: Include an Objective or “References Available Upon Request”.
DO: Print preview…no orphan sentence that carries on to another page! Submit your resume as a PDF when applying online.
DON’T: Include acronyms unless they are universally used. Don’t use company specific terms and don’t use industry specific terms if you are trying to switch industries.
DO: Be accurate and honest and ready to speak about ANYTHING on your resume, no matter how long ago it was.
DO: Keep it relatively brief. Unless you’re curing cancer or brokering peace deals, you SHOULD NOT have more than a 3 page resume, and I’ve had other people tell me it shouldn’t be more than 2.
DO: Keep formatting simple: Use formatting like bold, italics, and underline sparingly. I like Times New Roman, 10 or 11 font. Have someone else read it for grammar and spelling!
I ask people to ask themselves when writing bullets for a resume, “Who cares?”, i.e. WHO, besides you and your mom care about that bullet? Writing a resume with a thought about what YOU think is important and will land you YOUR current job at best (probably the job that reports to you, actually). To land the next step, take off the blinders and see your resume for what it is.
DON’T: Write a resume that reflects everything you’ve ever done or thought. A resume is not intended to convey your persona, life’s work, goals, dreams, fears, etc.
DO: Write a resume with one clear goal: to get you an interview. Period. Once inside, you can more fully articulate your background.
DON’T: Try to be all things to all people, including every task you’ve ever performed. When the resume is too lengthy or too detailed, the relevant information for a particular position is crowded out, impossible to find. People are busy! Make it easy for them to see how your experience is relevant to their open position.
DO: Have different versions of your resume for different kinds of positions. Since different responsibilities will apply to different roles, a one-size-fits-all resume can’t possibly hit on the qualifications of a particular position without making it too long (see above).
DON’T: Take your old resume and add on your new job. Review earlier position bullets for relevance. Delete bullets if you include those responsibilities at a later time. Do you still have that college honor even though you’ve been out for 5 years? Unless it was a Rhodes Scholar, it should go!
DON’T: Include an Objective or “References Available Upon Request”.
DO: Print preview…no orphan sentence that carries on to another page! Submit your resume as a PDF when applying online.
DON’T: Include acronyms unless they are universally used. Don’t use company specific terms and don’t use industry specific terms if you are trying to switch industries.
DO: Be accurate and honest and ready to speak about ANYTHING on your resume, no matter how long ago it was.
DO: Keep it relatively brief. Unless you’re curing cancer or brokering peace deals, you SHOULD NOT have more than a 3 page resume, and I’ve had other people tell me it shouldn’t be more than 2.
DO: Keep formatting simple: Use formatting like bold, italics, and underline sparingly. I like Times New Roman, 10 or 11 font. Have someone else read it for grammar and spelling!
About Nicole DelToro: Nicole has been helping organizations (big and small) hire and retain top talent for over 25 years, while helping individuals realize their personal and professional goals by ensuring they’re working in the environment that’s ideal for their current situation. Contact her at: [email protected]
Andrews & Cole is a certified woman-owned boutique executive search and consulting firm with a focus on accounting and finance professionals. Clients range from start ups to Fortune 100 in nearly every industry.
Andrews & Cole is a certified woman-owned boutique executive search and consulting firm with a focus on accounting and finance professionals. Clients range from start ups to Fortune 100 in nearly every industry.