Writing your own resume is one of the most painful experiences you can go through; it feels egotistical, icky, and confusing. It’s hard to be objective about what someone else would find compelling about your experience, and it’s hard to find the common thread in a sea of information you’re just way too close to. That’s why we are going to answer the most common resume questions that people tend to have when trying to write a resume.
1. How long should my resume be?
For most candidates, a resume should be only one page. Be brief and concise with anything you write on your resume. Customize your resume for the job you're applying for and include only relevant experience. If you've done everything right, you shouldn't get past one page.
A two-page resume works well for many job candidates. It's particularly useful for job seekers with 10 or more years of relevant experience. The extra page can be necessary to communicate all of the skills and experience the employer needs to see.
2.Should I specialize my resume or keep it general?
A "general" resume that is not focused on a specific job's requirements was seen as not competitive. In an even more recent study by CareerBuilder.com, 71 percent of hiring managers preferred a resume customized for the open position. One way to sharpen your focus is through an objective statement.
3. What should I include or leave off of my resume?
Here are five things you should consider leaving off of your resume:
● Objective statement. One of the most common questions job seekers have about writing a resume is whether they should include an objective. ...
● Hobbies.
● Irrelevant work experience.
● Too much education information.
● Lies.
Here are things to be included in Resume
● Personal Information. Name Current and Permanent address (may be omitted from a resume posted on the web).
● Objective. In one short sentence summarize your goal for your job search.
● Education.
● Work and Related Experience.
● Awards and Honors.
● Activities/Hobbies.
● Skills.
● References (3-5 people)
4. Should I list my work achievements?
Accomplishments can, and should, be listed throughout your resume. The most common places for you to showcase your accomplishments are in your summary, skills, professional experience and dedicated accomplishments section.
Listing achievements instead of responsibilities can really boost your chances of getting hired. You can mention achievements in your resume summary and work experience section. If you don't have much work experience, you can also use achievements in education, volunteering, or projects sections.
5. What resume format is best to use?
There are 3 common resume formats - reverse-chronological, functional, and combination (or, hybrid). The reverse-chronological format is the most popular one in 2022, and we always recommend you to go with that one.
● Reverse-chronological resume format: considered the standard resume format, it focuses on work experience and/or education, highlighting your accomplishments.
● Functional resume format: also known as a skills-based resume, this professional resume format focuses on your skills and how you acquired them, providing only basic information about your work history. Although it can help to conceal gaps in employment, most recruiters aren't very familiar with it, so it carries a risk of rejection. Plus, it's not always ATS-friendly.
● Combination resume format: a hybrid of the other two formats, it gives equal attention to your key skills and your work history. However, it suffers from the same issues as the functional format: both recruiters and ATS software may have a problem with it.
6. What are 3 items that should not go into a resume?
Certain personal details are unnecessary to put on your resume and could even send the wrong message. Don't include:
● Your marital status.
● Sexual orientation.
● Religious or political affiliations.
7. What are red flags in a resume?
One of the most common resume red flags is an unexplained lengthy employment gap between previous roles. These gaps can sometimes lead hiring managers to assume that you have struggled to land jobs in the past, potentially indicating poor performance or some other shortcoming.
Most Common Resume Red Flags are
● Overly controlling behavior. Overly controlling behavior is a common red flag.
● Lack of trust.
● Feeling low self-esteem.
● Physical, emotional, or mental abuse.
● Substance abuse.
8. What colors should you not use on a resume?
It is generally best to avoid using bright colors as they can be distracting and look unprofessional. The color on your resume should compliment it, not take the focus away from the content.
Also avoid using light colors against a white background as it is difficult to read. Bright colors can make it difficult to read your resume, which won't help your chances.
But even more than that, using color on your resume can make you look unprofessional. “The information listed on your resume should speak for itself,” says Clawson.
9. What is the best font for a resume?
Here are my seven favorite picks for 2021 to 2022:
● Arial. This sans-serif font is often used for branding and website or mobile design, which makes it a great option if you're in the creative field or are applying to a marketing job.
● Georgia.
● Helvetica.
● Tahoma.
● Times New Roman.
● Trebuchet MS.
● Verdana. Choose Helvetica, Georgia, Calibri, Lato, or Gil Sans fonts for your resume.
Adjust the resume font size based on the headings and details. Avoid using Arial, Times New Roman, Courier, Impact, and Comic Sans fonts in your resume. Always choose Bold over Italic to highlight information in your resume.
10. What is the best resume format to use in 2022?
Reverse-Chronological Resumes
The most widely used resume format among job seekers today, reverse-chronological resumes are also probably the easiest for recruiters and hiring managers to understand at a glance—which is itself an advantage.
The reverse-chronological resume describes your work experience in reverse-chronological order. This means describing your most recent job first and moving backward in time for every subsequent position.
