Your resume is arguably the most important career document you have. It’s what potential hiring managers and recruiters are judging you on. It can make or break whether you get a phone call or an interview. So, needless to say, it’s important that your resume is awesome!
Here are the top 5 questions we are consistently asked about resumes..
Q1. How long should my resume be?
It depends! If you are just starting out in your career or are a recent graduate a 1-pager is ok. However, this is the only circumstance we would recommend a 1 page resume. Ideally, a resume should be 2 – 3 pages with 4 being the preferred maximum. Certain industries may have variations of course but for most corporate jobs for example, this is the ideal.
Q2. Do I include references in my resume?
Unless it is asked for within a job advert, we don’t recommend including referee contact details. We prefer ‘references on request’. We ideally want to be able to give our referee a ‘heads-up’ that they will be contacted. By listing the referee contact info, it makes it difficult to predict when the hiring manager will call them.
Q3. Do I really need to tailor my resume for each job I apply for?
Yes! We’re not saying fully re-write your resume from scratch each and every time. But tweaking to ensure that the key information relevant to the job advert is prominent will really help you to get noticed. Even spending 20 minutes on this can make a big difference.
Q4. Should I include my address in my resume?
It is not a requirement that you include your full postal address. Putting your suburb and postcode can add value if, for example, you live nearby the company, but even this is fully optional. Other things to omit – marital status, age, nationality, dependants, photo, religion etc.
Q5. What are these resume screening bots I keep hearing about?
Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) systems are an automated computer software which pre-filter and pre-screen resumes. These systems scan for key information and key words within the resume and subsequently categorise and filter the resumes. It is therefore important that we use keywords and simple headings within the resume, and eliminate graphics and jargon.
If your resume is needing a refresh, we can help. We have just launched our new “How to write an awesome resume” eBook available here. Or, if you want one of our professional resume writers to help, book in for a free minute 15 resume review call here.
Career Coach & Founder