Your Resume, Does it Really Outline Your Qualifications?

written by Rebecca Sacks 

What is a resume? A piece of paper that provides an outline of your previous jobs, what your responsibilities were and how long you were at each position. Resumes are great tools to get your foot in the door, but ultimately it is up to you, as the candidate, to show your qualifications to the interviewer whether by phone or in person to seal the deal.

A resume should not be extremely lengthy.  You want to capture your audience and keep them, not make the hiring manager or recruiter regret clicking the resume. If it takes her/him 20 minutes or more to review, the person will not bother to read it. In all honesty, if a resume is too lengthy it most likely will be skipped; no one has time in his/her day to spend reading the novel that is a resume.

Always start with your most recent work history. You want to outline what is most current and the previous 7-10 years. Keep it relevant and consistent. You want to make sure the work history reflects the type of position you are applying for in the company. If you are looking for a sales role make sure you show your experience in the sales force and sales numbers to reflect your capabilities. When it comes to a sales role numbers are always important because they reflect what you can produce, so if they are not in the resume itself make sure you know them.

No matter what position you apply for within an industry, always disclose the type of technology and systems you have experience using. If for some reason there is a period of time when you were not working, include that information in your cover letter with a reason. A recruiter will ask you what you were doing during that time period. Do not try to hide it.

A resume is just a piece of paper, but it has to be completed properly to get you in front of the potential employer. You have to ultimately sell yourself, but the resume is the key to the interview.