Resume Help

King Kong

So its been quite a long time since I have done one of these.

I have one that I've used for quite some time and just added what's neccasary and it gets the job done. My question is on 2 diffrent jobs I put on it I held 2 diffrent positions. Should I include both or the more important of the two? I know there used to be some resume rule that you tried to keep it less than 2 pages so I don't want to push it.

Also any suggestions for making it spiffy please feel free to add.

Chief1138

Was the second position technically considered a promotion over the first? If so it would be a good idea to highlight the fact that you received a promotion. Otherwise, it really depends on the nature and differences between the two positions. My guess is that if they weren't significantly different it probably doesn't matter. Just come up with a term that encompasses both.

khain

King Kong wrote:

I know there used to be some resume rule that you tried to keep it less than 2 pages so I don't want to push it.

Its one page, not two. The reason for it isn't so much that there's a rule of sort, but that people get bored and if your resume isn't interesting and its longer than a page chances are their just going to toss it.

Eat it You Nasty Pig.

I usually organize mine by employer, with positions held at that employer being subheads. If you were promoted, I definitely think you should include that.

I no longer buy the 1-2 pages wisdom. I've been on several hiring committees, and the most impressive resumes were never the short ones. You could tell people were squeezing the material into the small space, and much of the time of really took away from the application.

You shouldn't pad your resume, because padding will be apparent to the person reviewing them, but if you've got more than a page or two of serious material, go ahead and include it. The goal of a resume is to convince the person hiring that you're worth interviewing, and you won't be successful at that if your resume shortchanges what you can do.

kaliyama

Right. It's just that most people starting their careers don't have enough to filll one page, let alone 2 or 3. Professionals in mid-careers switches often have much longer ones.

King Kong

Mine after being worked on and updated is sitting at 3 and a half pages. I tried to keep it short but again thinking on it didn't want to sell myself short.

What if you had the same duties at multiple jobs, say dealing with jerk off customers as directed by management. Do you just use the same job duty under diffrent jobs? I mean I can word it diffrent but it's basically the same thing. I don't want to seem redundant.

Endomatic

Don't be afraid to embellish your resume a little bit too. Everyone does.

fightinfilipino

general rule of thumb i've learned with resumes is that you should take time to gear your resume to the specific job/employer you're applying for. same goes for your cover letter, but this should be a given.

it does take time to reedit your resume if you're applying for several different positions at once, but it is worth it.

3lwap0

fightinfilipino wrote:

it does take time to reedit your resume if you're applying for several different positions at once, but it is worth it.

:^:

Good advice. Always customize the resume to apply to whatever job your're applying too. Highlight the specific duties of your old job, that would transition you into the position you're applying for. It's more leg work, but it is worth it. Make sure certain keywords jump out as well, for the position. As an example, if you were applying for a mangement position, i'd make sure task delegation, budget management, personel management etc., are included.

Of course, make sure you've actually done this stuff. It's permissible to stretch it a wee bit, but don't let it get away from you. You could get slam dunked in the interview, or summarily toasted after being hired. Avoid grandiose claims, keep embelishments in the scope of your actual former position.