You’ve got questions, I’ve got resume answers. Let’s face it, the economy is tough and there are a lot of people who are revising their resumes and CVs for a tough job market. In an effort to help, I’ve taken 13 of the most frequently asked questions I receive and am giving you resume answers.
If you have a question you would like resume answers, use the contact form at the bottom of this page and I’ll gladly answer it! Let’s get started with these resume answers!
Frequently Asked Questions and Resume Answers
At a minimum, include your name in large print, your cell phone number, and your email. What about your address? You should include your address in the heading of the resume if you are applying locally and you think it could be of benefit to you to make that known. On the flip side, if you are applying to jobs outside of your immediate geographic area, it might be best to omit this information. I also recommend omitting it if you are openly uploading your resume to a job board to protect yourself and your identity.
Not necessarily. If you are submitting a resume with no cover letter or accompanying email, an objective or professional summary can help you capture the attention of hiring managers. The key to a powerful objective is to focus on the employer, not yourself. What do you have to offer the company? What are your top two selling points for this position? Including that information makes the objective audience-centered and can serve as a “hook” to keep them reading. If you include an objective, make sure it is tailored each time you submit your document.
If you have a vast amount of experience or a two-page resume, a professional summary can be a way to be sure the audience gets your top-selling points right up front! Given that hiring managers spend less than 10 seconds skimming a resume before deciding whether or not it is worth a closer look, a professional summary can be an excellent way to hook them.
The answer to this question varies from client to client. Why? Because your sections should be chosen and titled to speak to your audience. At a minimum, I suggest always including a work experience section and an education section. You can title these different ways, but they are key for most employers. From there, I recommend choosing sections that are most valuable to the position for which you are applying!
Put your most impressive and relevant information, as it relates to the position for which you are applying, at the top of the page. Hiring managers spend less than 10 seconds reviewing a resume before deciding whether or not to keep reading. When you scan a document, you spend more time toward the top. Order your sections with the best, most relevant section toward the top of the page.
If you have limited work experience or your work experience isn’t relevant to the position for which you are applying, emphasize other qualities you have to offer. For example, you can highlight your education or training more extensively or highlight how you have demonstrated soft skills the employer will be seeking.
If your GPA is a 3.0 or higher, include it on your resume. A high GPA can be evidence of follow-through, work ethic, and time management skills. If your GPA was shy of 3.0 but you did make the Dean’s List or President’s List on several occasions, you can list that on your resume followed by the dates/semesters as an alternative to grade point average.
I recommend using bulleted lists and phrases. Make your resume quick and easy to read at a glance. Remember, a hiring manager will likely spend less than 10 seconds glancing at your resume to begin with. If you have written paragraphs of text, he/she is going to skip over those. Bulleted phrases are quick and easy to read at a glance!
I recommend omitting high school information from your resume. Why? You have limited space and time to make an impact. If you have had any post-secondary education and training, employers will assume you have a high school degree or equivalent. Including general information like this can muddle your resume and distract from more important, relevant information.
Yes, you can have a skills section on your resume; however, don’t fall victim to the common mistake of generically listing soft skills such as “teamwork, communication, and time management.” Employers absolutely value these skills, but anyone can write a list like that. Evidence of how you demonstrated those skills is more compelling and convincing! For example, instead of stating you have leadership skills, include a leadership position you held in a club or community organization.
It depends. How relevant is the experience you gained at each job to the position for which you are applying? If the positions are similar, use more bullet points. If a job didn’t provide much relevant experience, highlight the soft skills you gained and use less space. I recommend 3-5 bullet points per job depending on how much work experience you have to list. Again, use more space and bullets for your more relevant experience!
You can; however, make sure you have a two-page resume because you have two pages worth of quality content. Less is more. If you can write a one-page resume, I recommend it. Remember, you have 10 seconds or less to convince the hiring manager to keep reading! If you muddle your relevant experience with two pages of average content, you’re not doing yourself any favors. Being concise is key!
If you have written your resume and still have space at the bottom, include your resume. It is important to fill one page with relevant information. If you do not have room for references, do not include them. References are not essential information because most reference checks are complete post-interview. An employer does not need this information just yet. If you do include a reference section, make sure you ask permission first!
Do you need resume answers?
If you need resume answers, use the contact form below to submit your question! I’ll happily answer it! I also offer a number of other resume services to help clients tailor their resume to speak to hiring managers. Move away from generic and common with resume services!
FREE, Live Resume Writing Classes for 2020 Seniors
Due to the current pandemic and the lack of celebrations for 2020 seniors, I offering 60-minute, live resume classes to help seniors learn to write a professional and tailored resume that highlights their accomplishments! Class sizes are limited to ensure quality question and answer time. Visit the registration page to grab your seat before they are gone!
Individual Resume Writing & Coaching
If you have a resume but aren’t getting the results (interviews) you’d like, you likely need to revise your resume. With my professional resume writing and revision services, I’ll help you take your document from average to exceptional! This service includes a one-hour one-on-one video call and a professional written and revised resume!
Check out my post where I answer a question I get a lot from hopeful candidates: “What’s wrong with my resume?“
