Resume Writing (10 Important Facts)

Resume Writing (10 important Facts)

by ABQ

The following do’s and dont’s of resume writing are often overlooked by job applicants particularly the newbies.These facts should serve as reminders in making a satisfactory resume (résumé), the one which will not annoy your interviewer/recruiter.

1. Keep your resume simple and short. Most experts say resumes are read in six seconds (on average). Some say 10 to 20 seconds. This means resume writing should be simple and short. This will make your resume look clear, concise, and easy on the eye. In this way, you are getting your resume read. Not only that, you are helping yourself get an interview as well.

2. Keep in mind that resume length is subjective. Just recently, one of my students submitted a one-page resume for our business English class. According to her, in the seminar they attended, the speaker recommended making a one-page resume. I felt strange since I have not seen a one page resume in my field. It gave me the impression that they just crammed all their information into one page.

However, if you do further research about this, you will see  that most experts advise one to two pages.Some are strict on the one-page to two-pages rule and it is a crime to go beyond that. Nonetheless, some recruiters maintain that it still depends on your field and experience. For instance, if you are in the academic field, your relevant experience in your  field will help you get a job. Thus, it is acceptable to make three to five pages.

In sum, the advice on resume length is subjective. The only objective part is  to master writing relevant, clear, and concise information. This means avoiding fluff which annoys the recruiter/employer. Your resume length should fit your field/industry and experience.

3.  Avoid generic information. Employers/recruiters are annoyed with generic information. I couldn’t agree more. When I conducted a mock interview for a business English class, some students copied the generic information they found on the Internet. This is annoying especially if it doesn’t match the job requirements. Hence, you should tailor your information to the job position and requirement.

4. You may or may not include resume objectives. Some experts will tell you to include a resume objective if you are a newbie/entry-level worker or when you are changing careers. Furthermore, if you have to explain yourself for a gap in your work history or for not working  for a certain period of time, stating your objectives will help.

On the other hand, some experts will recommend skipping this part as recruiters  sometimes also do the same thing because of senseless and fluffy information. Based on my experience, I always  remind my students to make their own objectives and refrain from copy-pasting them. 

In a nutshell, you can include an objective statement if  it can help you get a job interview. Don’t turn off your recruiter by making it too generic though. Remember, tailor your objective to the job requirement.

5. Do not include personal information in your resume.  Your age, marital status, hobbies,and religion are examples of personal information which can reveal your  background. Prevent discrimination by omitting them (although there are few exceptions in some fields which require personal information).

You might be surprised to know that even your language and nationality should not be listed. Ideally, this should not be the case because discrimination should be discouraged. However, discrimination is still common during the recruitment process.

6. Don’t copy  job descriptions on the Internet. Newbies often search for resume samples on the Internet to guide them in  resume writing. There is nothing wrong with this idea as long as you don’t copy and paste everything. Remember, you are going to deal with recruiters who have years of experience interviewing job applicants, so don’t let your resume end up in the junk pile.

7. Choose the right resume format.  I thought there were only  two kinds of resume, functional and chronological.  However, some experts cite four types of resume which include the combination of the two (functional + chronological) which is the third type, plus the targeted.

Functional Resume – Some experts do not advise writing a functional resume because HR experts know what a job applicant is trying to hide by choosing this format. Functional resume is the format for concealing gaps in your work history. It serves its own function. It is useful when you are changing careers. It highlights skills, abilities, and experiences unlike the chronological resume which highlights work history.

Chronological Resume or Reverse Chronological – Some experts strictly recommend using the chronological resume format which is also called  reverse chronological which means you have to list your most recent job down to the oldest.  We are all familiar with this one since this is the most common format. One disadvantage of using this format though is making your employment gaps and inconsistencies in work history obvious to your recruiter. If you have been out of work for instance, or if you change your job often, it will be easily noticed.

Combination Resume – This is simply the combination of functional and chronological in which your skills, abilities, and work experiences are supported by your work history. This is a more detailed type so this can answer recruiters’ questions in mind better.

Targeted Resume – The word targeted means you are tailoring all the details in your resume to the job requirements. This means you are customizing your resume for a particular job position. It is a more challenging and tedious task since you  really have to think about the details that you will include to match your target job.

So what is the best one to use then? Most experts say reverse chronological  is the most commonly-used format. However, there are some who suggest using the combination format. But then again, the answer is to choose the format that suits your situation. Make sure to do your chosen format well for you to get an interview.

8. Remember, gaps in employment history matter. You have to think beforehand of what to say if you have gaps in employment since gaps leave the employers/recruiters with a negative impression of the kind of worker you are. Be honest and state the valuable things you did when you chose not to work including what you learned from that experience so that you don’t make your situation worse.

9. Don’t forget the mechanical aspects of resume writing. Check your spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation. You have to make a great first impression. The most common mistakes I observe are grammar mistakes on verb tenses specifically in describing previous jobs. Always pay attention to these mechanical aspects.

10.  Choose the right words for your resume. Your vocabulary matters as well. On the Internet, you can find vocabulary  suggestions  for resume writing. Some sites suggest some words that you should avoid. On the other hand, there are some sites which recommend words that can help you become an interesting applicant.