It is valuable to think of your resume as your personal "product brochure". Let’s dispel some of the myths about resume writing.
A resume should only be one page? Not so!
A resume should be clear and concise. You can’t make an advertising piece tell your whole story. However, if you have enough to say, two pages are fine. A separate page can also be added for things like a list of patents, etc if that applies to what you do and to the position for which you are interviewing.
A resume should begin with a "Summary" or statement of your "Objectives"? Not so!
A well-written resume is a summary of your career and accomplishments. You don’t need to take up space with a summary of a summary – nor do you want a potential employer to read a summary and skip the rest. Your objectives don’t belong on your resume either. They tend to narrow your scope. The employer is interested in satisfying his or her objectives, at this point, not yours.
Dates such as month and year of positions held, college graduation and / or short time positions should not be on your resume? Not so!
Do not leave out months and only use years in the "from and to" description of your previous positions. If people have to guess at how long you worked somewhere, they will not consider you a valid candidate.
From college to your most current position, there should be no "date gaps" in your resume. If it looks like you are trying to hide something, or if during an interview something comes up that appears that you have creatively disguised your resume to omit, an interviewer will wonder what else he / she is not being told. If, however, you held several short term positions early in your career and they are not related to your current career path, it is permissible to state "Positions held prior to (date) included: (list the companies, or the types of positions)."
If you have held a number of positions it is best to list your accomplishments first and then list the companies for whom you have worked? Not so!
With this format no one can figure out what accomplishment went with what job nor will anyone want to waste his or her time doing so. That’s not their responsibility.The easiest format to read and understand simply lists the companies you have worked for in reverse chronological order. Each company should have a brief "blurb" describing it’s size in terms of sales and what it does, i.e.:XYZ Company, a $550 million educational publishing company headquartered in Town, State, and acquired by ABC Publishing (Fr.) in 1987
This quickly tells the reader that the company was acquired and that you did not work for two different companies. Mergers and acquisitions are common today. If your company was acquired and you stayed on, it is important that you make this understood. On the other hand, if you left as a result of a merger or acquisition the reader will quickly understand that you are not job-hopping. If you were employed at one or more of your positions while you were in school, add in brackets (while in school). Be certain that you have included degree, major and graduation dates. Also include advanced studies even if you did not complete an advanced degree. A list of industry /company-sponsored courses is also appropriate.
It is vital that the reader can quickly grasp what your company does. Your resume may not go to someone who is conversant with companies in your field. If the division of the company that employed / employs you does something different from the parent company, it is important to add a quick "blurb" about that division as well. If you have worked for the company in several different positions and / or locations, the dates of your entire employment should be in bold type next to the description of the parent company or division. The dates, titles and locations of each position should come next.
Each position description should include a brief statement of your Duties and Responsibilities. Indented under this should be several "bulleted" highlights of specific, quantifiable Accomplishments. If you are in a large company and you cut costs or increased sales, you can use the actual figures. If you are in a small company, use percentages. But remember, you are likely to be asked questions about anything you have put on your resume, so you must be able to tell an interviewer "who, what, where, when, why, and how you accomplished anything you have taken credit for. Vague or "general" answers won’t cut it. So don’t include anything you can’t back up.
As mentioned before, view your resume as a "product brochure". You are the "product"! Use it as a tool to invite interest in knowing more about the product (you). If successful, you will be invited to give a demonstration of the "product" which becomes the interview.
Your resume won’t get you the job. Its purpose is to get you an interview. A good recruiter will use it as a back up to his or her presentation of your qualifications to the client company.