Resume formatting

You don't need to have all 11 jobs listed on your resume. The last 4 or 5 is more than enough. I only have my last 3 as the one prior to that is no longer relevant to the work I do now.

Put another way... if you're applying for a management position, why are you telling me that you're an above average C++ programmer? Tell me more about your management achievements.

I don't know what the rest of you think about this, but I really like the style of [url=http://steve.newson.googlepages.com/SteveNewsonCV2006.pdf]this CV created with Mind Manager[/url]. It strikes me as an effective way of getting the information onto 1 page whilst highlighting what is important.

Gents-

Wow! Might I suggest you all listen to our resume cast.

No offense, but the CV referred to would get posted on the bulletin board of any HR office or recruiting office under the title of "bizarre" if someone tried to pass it off as a resume. As wrong as I've ever seen anything purporting to be a resume. WAY out there. (Could you present it to a technical person after an interview, as an interesting different approach? Sure. But only after.)

Here's the thing: your resume is not for you. It's for the hiring manager. Stop thinking what you want to do... and ask what managers say they want.

Managers want one page (with caveats for 30 year careers) reverse chronological resumes with responsibilities and accomplishments. Just like our recommendation.

If you'll look at our sample, you'll see a 20 year career EASILY captured on one page. Sure, for 30 years, you can ABSOLUTELY take out some bullets from your early career, and maybe even combine some jobs. But I strongly disagree with Lou about only showing the last 4-5. That may work for him, but will be the kiss of death in hundreds of places. Your resume is supposed to be complete. And one page.

(If you're a senior executive, there is leeway for two pages)

Mark

Bizarre? Definitely :)

I believe the guy it belongs to was doing an experiment with his traditional one vs this to see which ones he got a better response to from HR people.

He hasn't yet posted the results but I suspect that you are right, they would see it as wierd and dismiss it on that basis.

I still like the idea myself though :)

(And no, I haven't yet caught up with all the casts so resume still on the to listen list!)

Your resume cast should be required listening to all new college grads as well as the professors who are supposed to review them. Almost all NEW GRAD resumes I've seen in the past couple of years are 2 pages. I usually throw them away immediately unless it was referred to me. I mean, how full of yourself can you be that you have no work experience except a newspaper route when you were 12 and burger king in college that you need 2 pages?! And what kills me is that you know these college kids are sending their resumes through the college's recruiting center and are getting approved this way. It's horrible. I've even started interviews stating they had to redo their resume since most recruiters will throw it out!

Sorry, off topic. But I had to get that off my chest.

would it be okay to shorten old job descriptions to keep my resume to one page then have a more in depth two page resume for an on site interview?

JPB-

It depends. On the job you're shortening, what you're leaving out, etc. Hard to say.

Why, though, would you take a longer version in if they haven't asked for it? The purpose of resumes is to get an interview. Once you get the interview, the chances of it being of much additional value are slim.

Mark

(Okay, don't everybody all of a sudden say, "but wait, I know of this one incident..." It DOES happen, but it's not routine.)

I thought it may help to have the added information in their hands. In my line of work we generally submit a few sample pieces of previous work (sketches, renderings and such) along with a resume. During the interview I would present my portfolio of work and participate in a typical Q&A. I often leave behind a more robust copy of sample work along with my resume. This is the resume I thought could be more detailed.

I'm wading through the podcasts and recommendations, but can't find a recommendation on font size. I see the font type suggestions --- but is 11 Times New Roman too small? Should it absolutely by 12?

Thanks in advance! 

MT guidance says 10 or above is acceptable, and Times New Roman is perfect.  I just reformatted my resume a few months ago using guidance in the resume workbook (you can buy for $30 @ www.manager-tools.com/resume-workbook -- well worth it).  It addresses font size and lots of other detailed guidance about these kinds of things.