An effective resume really should have powerful content and look aesthetically pleasing. Resumes are extremely subjective - design as well as the content fluctuate greatly determined by who will be in control of the creation. Some applicants are creative which is reflected by unique layouts or infographics while, others display a classical / formal style. As a specialist recruiter, I can safely say I've seen the excellent, the bad and the downright ugly now. While the concept seems moderately straightforward theoretically, a lot of miss the objective. Within my annual overview of 5,000+ resumes I have come to define 7 distinctive items to avoid if you want it to meet the standard and make certain your resume gets a look into from the hiring manager next time.
7 ideas to avoid in your resume:
Too much information, too many pages
Too little information, too brief
Not enough white space
Too small or unique fonts
Poor segmentation
Abstract or irrelevant content
Images and graphics
Too much information, too many pages
Just how long should a resume be is similar to the question - how long is a piece of string. There's certainly no definite rule to the length of a resume, it depends on a wide variety of factors - the applicants work experience, the position they held recently together with the kind of role being applied for. For virtually every professional to recommend that a resume really needs to be 1, 2 or 3 pages hasn't got a sense of perspective and reason. For example, to speak about an applicant with twenty years' work experience plus, in recent times fulfilled a senior management position should condense their history into a standardised 1-3 pages is going to be perplexing and may also lead to them eliminating far too much relevant information. Conversely, a newly graduated applicant may battle to flesh out even one page in their resume.
Although there is no quantitative ruling towards the length of the resume provided that the details are relevant to the job position and the material is engaging, I'll speak from experience of cooperating with senior level qualified candidates that many are typically in the vicinity of 3-5 pages, with maybe 10% pushing beyond this range. I have seen several resumes tip over 15 pages!
I would recommend you employ your discretion on the subject of selecting the length of your resume. To assist in your evaluation, simply ask the question - is this information important or relevant and would the potential employer be interested in reading it.
Too little information, too brief
It is stated that too many details are often distracting and possibly at the detriment to getting your message across to the potential employer, the same is alleged for insufficient information. Concise and also to the point are desirable qualities but, not at the risk of limited context and being unclear or leaving information out entirely. I have seen resumes condensed right down to one page and it didn't leave a solid impression in my mind. The thought of why was raised but, not in a very positive way, more within the idea that their approach lacks conviction or they just don't have the capacity to elaborate and communicate their experiences and talents. Should you be at a loss for content break-up the resume into sections and get started fleshing out each area, separating the entire task and working to the framework should assist. While thinking as to what to feature always ask the question - what may a hiring manager like to find out about?
Not enough white space
There isn't a question that content is still king in the winning resume therefore you want to make sure it's clear with the potential employer. A resume which can be too text heavy and without sufficient white space to break up the information will not only be harder to read but, psychologically the hiring manager may even see the resume as cumbersome along with the process to absorb it as arduous - forming a subconscious opinion which isn't favourable.
The absence of text plays a significant role in increasing understanding of the text as well as focusing attention on key areas. When formatting your resume and in particular the paragraphs together with the headings, set the paragraph line spacing to 1.15 as well as the font space before a heading to 12 point and after a heading to 6 point. When possible it is strongly recommended to apply bullet points to supply more white space around the words.
Too small or unique fonts
I witnessed it directly in my career, the applicant used a small font (under 10 point) to cram additional information into the page which often can experience an undesirable effect. I have been accountable for this myself. The smaller font makes reading more complicated and produces a text heavy impression of the resume - not a message you wish to convey towards the hiring manager when time isn't a commodity to be wasted. As a guide, use 11-12-point font but, this will depend on the version of font being used as a 12 point in Calibri will differ to a 12 point in Arial.
This brings us to the type of font. At this point, there's an appreciation why the visual aspect is so very necessary to the way you would be perceived by way of the hiring manager so you should possess a font that is certainly professional and straightforward to read like Verdana, Calibri or Arial - not Brush Script or Copperplate Gothic.
Poor segmentation
When coming up with your resume it is best to think about defining each section. Much like the utilization of white space, segmentation of the text will assure the hiring managers eye will be able to target a selected part of the resume and with clarity. This segmentation is best achieved by utilizing formatting and headings. I know of resumes which are very text heavy and don't take into consideration bold headings with plenty of white space and it does require more concentration when reading.
Abstract or irrelevant content
Using the actual fact many of us are over-committed and time poor in everyday life as of late, it wouldn't appear sensible to include information that distracts from the true substance. Information concerning work experience from 20 years ago, or a time you worked within a role that carries no significance towards the role being applied for aren't necessarily a fantastic use of the very limited time the potential employer will invest in you. For anybody who is deciding on a finance and accounting role don't include work experience of a customer facing hospitality or retail role unless the position vacancy is working within the hospitality or retail industry. Not to be confused - industry match differs to job function match.
There are other notable abstract areas to avoid and they may include such topics as religion, what you and your loved ones like to do over the weekend, marital status, the number of kids and pets you own or any non-professional memberships you have got. While you may feel, there is certainly value from the inclusion, leave this to come up in conversation with the hiring manager.
Images and graphics
I'm all for visual aids - I believe that a picture does in fact tell one thousand words. A graphic, even a poorly positioned one, will undoubtedly be powerful in communicating a point when in the middle of a sea of text because our brains and eyes are hard wired to hunt for variance in daily life - it's an evolutionary trait. This visual identification and pattern recognition is the reason why advertising agencies spend vast amounts of money annually on flashy marketing material rather than the simple and mundane. Just examine Adidas' or Nike's marketing campaigns and images and you will then start to see the strength of visual wizardry in action - majority of the developed world recognises their image.
Unfortunately, this concept isn't one adopted in resumes for a couple of reasons 1) it certainly is not commonly accepted and 2) it certainly is not done professionally. The view on resumes is one of a professional document, one that is formal and structured instead of one to be made light of by using an amateur "marketing brochure" approach. Traditionally, we've been used to a certain format and any deviation from this could be too hard for several hiring managers to process. I have personally trialed the use of some simple images to help illustrate the university I went to or even the company I assisted and I have even tested full blown graphics and charts to summarise my resume in a one page visual extravaganza! The feedback was the same, it looked nice and it definitely grabbed the attention of the hiring manager but, they still preferred the common format because that's what they are experienced with processing.
Read more articles like this on my professional blog - http://www.tipsinterviewing.com
By Ryan Erasmus
Article Source: Interview Tips - 7 Points to Avoid in Your Resume
7 ideas to avoid in your resume:
Too much information, too many pages
Too little information, too brief
Not enough white space
Too small or unique fonts
Poor segmentation
Abstract or irrelevant content
Images and graphics
Too much information, too many pages
Just how long should a resume be is similar to the question - how long is a piece of string. There's certainly no definite rule to the length of a resume, it depends on a wide variety of factors - the applicants work experience, the position they held recently together with the kind of role being applied for. For virtually every professional to recommend that a resume really needs to be 1, 2 or 3 pages hasn't got a sense of perspective and reason. For example, to speak about an applicant with twenty years' work experience plus, in recent times fulfilled a senior management position should condense their history into a standardised 1-3 pages is going to be perplexing and may also lead to them eliminating far too much relevant information. Conversely, a newly graduated applicant may battle to flesh out even one page in their resume.
Although there is no quantitative ruling towards the length of the resume provided that the details are relevant to the job position and the material is engaging, I'll speak from experience of cooperating with senior level qualified candidates that many are typically in the vicinity of 3-5 pages, with maybe 10% pushing beyond this range. I have seen several resumes tip over 15 pages!
I would recommend you employ your discretion on the subject of selecting the length of your resume. To assist in your evaluation, simply ask the question - is this information important or relevant and would the potential employer be interested in reading it.
Too little information, too brief
It is stated that too many details are often distracting and possibly at the detriment to getting your message across to the potential employer, the same is alleged for insufficient information. Concise and also to the point are desirable qualities but, not at the risk of limited context and being unclear or leaving information out entirely. I have seen resumes condensed right down to one page and it didn't leave a solid impression in my mind. The thought of why was raised but, not in a very positive way, more within the idea that their approach lacks conviction or they just don't have the capacity to elaborate and communicate their experiences and talents. Should you be at a loss for content break-up the resume into sections and get started fleshing out each area, separating the entire task and working to the framework should assist. While thinking as to what to feature always ask the question - what may a hiring manager like to find out about?
Not enough white space
There isn't a question that content is still king in the winning resume therefore you want to make sure it's clear with the potential employer. A resume which can be too text heavy and without sufficient white space to break up the information will not only be harder to read but, psychologically the hiring manager may even see the resume as cumbersome along with the process to absorb it as arduous - forming a subconscious opinion which isn't favourable.
The absence of text plays a significant role in increasing understanding of the text as well as focusing attention on key areas. When formatting your resume and in particular the paragraphs together with the headings, set the paragraph line spacing to 1.15 as well as the font space before a heading to 12 point and after a heading to 6 point. When possible it is strongly recommended to apply bullet points to supply more white space around the words.
Too small or unique fonts
I witnessed it directly in my career, the applicant used a small font (under 10 point) to cram additional information into the page which often can experience an undesirable effect. I have been accountable for this myself. The smaller font makes reading more complicated and produces a text heavy impression of the resume - not a message you wish to convey towards the hiring manager when time isn't a commodity to be wasted. As a guide, use 11-12-point font but, this will depend on the version of font being used as a 12 point in Calibri will differ to a 12 point in Arial.
This brings us to the type of font. At this point, there's an appreciation why the visual aspect is so very necessary to the way you would be perceived by way of the hiring manager so you should possess a font that is certainly professional and straightforward to read like Verdana, Calibri or Arial - not Brush Script or Copperplate Gothic.
Poor segmentation
When coming up with your resume it is best to think about defining each section. Much like the utilization of white space, segmentation of the text will assure the hiring managers eye will be able to target a selected part of the resume and with clarity. This segmentation is best achieved by utilizing formatting and headings. I know of resumes which are very text heavy and don't take into consideration bold headings with plenty of white space and it does require more concentration when reading.
Abstract or irrelevant content
Using the actual fact many of us are over-committed and time poor in everyday life as of late, it wouldn't appear sensible to include information that distracts from the true substance. Information concerning work experience from 20 years ago, or a time you worked within a role that carries no significance towards the role being applied for aren't necessarily a fantastic use of the very limited time the potential employer will invest in you. For anybody who is deciding on a finance and accounting role don't include work experience of a customer facing hospitality or retail role unless the position vacancy is working within the hospitality or retail industry. Not to be confused - industry match differs to job function match.
There are other notable abstract areas to avoid and they may include such topics as religion, what you and your loved ones like to do over the weekend, marital status, the number of kids and pets you own or any non-professional memberships you have got. While you may feel, there is certainly value from the inclusion, leave this to come up in conversation with the hiring manager.
Images and graphics
I'm all for visual aids - I believe that a picture does in fact tell one thousand words. A graphic, even a poorly positioned one, will undoubtedly be powerful in communicating a point when in the middle of a sea of text because our brains and eyes are hard wired to hunt for variance in daily life - it's an evolutionary trait. This visual identification and pattern recognition is the reason why advertising agencies spend vast amounts of money annually on flashy marketing material rather than the simple and mundane. Just examine Adidas' or Nike's marketing campaigns and images and you will then start to see the strength of visual wizardry in action - majority of the developed world recognises their image.
Unfortunately, this concept isn't one adopted in resumes for a couple of reasons 1) it certainly is not commonly accepted and 2) it certainly is not done professionally. The view on resumes is one of a professional document, one that is formal and structured instead of one to be made light of by using an amateur "marketing brochure" approach. Traditionally, we've been used to a certain format and any deviation from this could be too hard for several hiring managers to process. I have personally trialed the use of some simple images to help illustrate the university I went to or even the company I assisted and I have even tested full blown graphics and charts to summarise my resume in a one page visual extravaganza! The feedback was the same, it looked nice and it definitely grabbed the attention of the hiring manager but, they still preferred the common format because that's what they are experienced with processing.
Read more articles like this on my professional blog - http://www.tipsinterviewing.com
By Ryan Erasmus
Article Source: Interview Tips - 7 Points to Avoid in Your Resume
