Resumes
Dictionary definition – A brief account of one’s professional or work experience and qualifications, often submitted with an employment application.
A more formal term for “resume” is “C.V.” which is an abbreviation of “curriculum vitae”
PURPOSE OF A RESUME
“The function of a resume is to motivate the employer to invite candidates for an interview, where they can sell themselves. The best resumes articulate a “value proposition” – the reason this individual is what the employer is looking for – succinctly and with specific examples that show, not tell, what the candidate is capable of.”
(Op-ed by Dean of Barnard College career center; NY Times, 4/17/21)
FORMAL REQUIREMENTS
There are no legal or informal, widely agreed upon, requirements for a resume, other than it must be substantially accurate; if not, the employer who hired you in reliance upon the accuracy of your resume, would have the legal right to terminate your employment upon discovery of a significant mis-statement or omission. Of course the last sentence begs the question: how extensive must “fake news” be or how large an omission must be to qualify as “significant”? Like beauty, the definition may lie “within the eyes of the beholder” or ultimately within the decision of a judge or jury.
INFORMAL REQUIREMENTS
There is wide agreement among those with great experience reviewing resumes to counsel or hire job applicants, regarding the following basic components of a resume:
* use “bullet points” for brevity to avoid overwhelming the reviewer’s eyes
* full name
* age
* current residence
* date resume prepared or last updated
* education: schools with date graduated and related degree (disclose if not graduated); include courses (passed) to the extent relevant to the job application; an extra-curricular activity (e.g. debate team, newspaper writing, moot court, science fair, semester abroad, sports, theater, etc will demonstrate energy and interests); include honors (e.g. for sure: Phi Beta Kappa or possibly: “Deans List 5 of 8 semesters”)
* employment history – dates and identity of employer; could add very briefly a short description of job title and duties; keep this information brief; if interviewer wants contact details for previous employers, let them ask; this keeps resume as brief as possible
DISCRETIONARY INFORMATION
* brief, introductory paragraph (see last section of this article, below)
* prior salary history – in some jurisdictions, the employer is prohibited from asking so the applicant need not disclose this information;
* reason(s) departed each prior employment
* military service – if included, note date of discharge and if “honorable”
RESUMES AS PREDICTORS OF JOB OR CAREER SUCCESS
There are no known, peer reviewed studies of the relationship between a resume’s style or length and the future “success” or even satisfaction within a job or career.
No one seems to know how, precisely, experience molds people to fit employment slots.
PESSIMISTIC COMMENT ABOUT RESUMES – BUT KEEP IT SHORT!
The Dean of Barnard College’s career center published an op-ed in the New York Times on April 17, 2021: “I Have Read Thousands of Resumes and I Have Some Advice.” After relating the history of resumes, allegedly back to Leonardo da Vinci in the late 15th century, he sadly offers the following observation: “Even strong resumes hardly ever predict an applicant’s real capacity to do a job. When presented with a slate of candidates, hiring managers – and even the robots – exhibit sundry biases related to race, gender, ethnicity and education.”
Despite that negative view, the Dean notes that resumes as part of the hiring process will not be abandoned anytime soon. So be honest but be brief since “the strongest resume will fit on a single page.”
OPTIMISTIC COMMENT ABOUT RESUMES – DISAGREE ON SHORT!
In response to the above comments by the Dean of a college’s career center, the New York Times published a Letter to the Editor on April 26, 2021 from an individual who claims to have “read tens of thousands of resumes, both as the head of human resources in three different industries as well as in my role as a resume writer….. The one-page resume is one of those myths that need to be ignored. Three pages is too long so for all but tyros in the work force, two-page resumes hit the sweet spot.”
RECOMMENDATION FOR AN INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
A second response to the college dean’s op-ed was also published by the NYT on the same date as the first response. The writer was “a retired executive search consultant to hunt down important future employees….(and)… in 30 years I have not read thousands of resumes. I never had the time, nor does any hiring executive. And that is the key to an effective resume.”
“Above all else, it is an advertisement whose sole purpose is to get the candidate in the door for an in-person interview. Not only should it be limited to one page… but the first paragraph is the most important and often the only part read. In one sentence it should highlight what the candidate has accomplished and why he or she should be seen. All else is mere commentary.”
EDITOR’S SUMMARY
After reviewing the above three opinions of three experts with extensive experience involving preparation or review of resumes, the consensus seems to be:
* consider hiring an expert in preparation of resumes to provide guidance; or at least review your draft with a friend who has some experience in preparing or reviewing resumes
* prepare a brief, opening paragraph which highlights your background relevant to the employment you seek
* while accuracy is important, that doesn’t require that every resume be exactly the same; so the applicant can and should tailor his / her summary of education and experience to the needs of the employer
* limit the total resume to 1 or 2 pages, maximum
WHO FINALLY DECIDES RESUME CONTENT AND STYLE?
The applicant does!
