It seems like everyone has a different opinion about what kind of resume they want to see. CFO.com’s “Third Rails for Resume Writing, six traps that recruiters warn will make them toss a finance executive’s resume” certainly drives that point home!
Short or long, objective or summary, chronological or functional. Since it is virtually impossible to be all things to all people, how can you know what the recruiter or hiring manger wants to see in the resume he or she is reading?
Here are two critical strategies to creating a resume that will appeal to a broader audience.
First, the top half of the first page is the most critical part of your resume. If a resume sells value quickly, then it really doesn’t matter whether a recruiter wants a short resume or prefers to have all the facts because you have met both of their personal preferences. The reader who wants short and sweet has already made up his mind, and the reader who wants all the data has two or three pages to convince himself he should talk with you.
Second, don’t confuse experience with performance. It’s not what you did but rather, how you did it and the measurable (key point) impact of doing it.
Happy New Year! And warmest wishes to each of my readers for a very prosperous, happy, and healthy 2008!