I am in charge of hiring for the Research & Development lab I work in. Since December, I have probably reviewed 400 resumes, phone screened dozens of applicants and interviewed a handful in person.
While reviewing resumes I am often surprised by the resumes. When I graduated from college, it was a “rule” that resumes must be on a single sheet of paper. While, I agree this is difficult to do and have spent countless hours over the years revising mine to fit, in my mind the rules have not changed and resumes should fit on to the front-side of a single sheet of paper. For those with resumes more than a sheet of paper, I do not disqualify them, but I do prefer when people have gone through the editing effort to trim to a page.
I saw some of the opposite phenomena today at a career fair at Boise State. Some of the resumes we collected barely had content to fill half a page of paper. Really? If you cannot stretch out your accomplishments, community service, work experiences and educational experiences to fill a piece of paper, I recommend taking some dedicated time to volunteer or doing something interesting and worthwhile to enrich both your life and your resume.
Another tip for career fairs and interviews: make the effort to look your best. It doesn’t have to be a suit (although it is a plus) but show employers you are serious about impressing them and pursuing the positions they have open by dressing to impress.
Do you have any advice for job hunters?
What is your favorite interview question to ask or answer?
What is your most dreaded as an interviewee?
Related posts:
- Downplay I am not sure if it is a female thing or what but I find it is very easy to...
Comments on this entry are closed.