Resume Formats and Job Hunting Strategies: One Size Does Not Fit All!

As the economy totters on a seesaw weighted heavily on the losing end, job hopefuls continue to flood the market.  Armed with current resumes and persuasive cover letters, and pursuing Internet and direct networking techniques that are beginning to bear fruit, many candidates take a false step at that crucial, pre-interview stage.  They request that friends or other individuals with whom they are acquainted review their resumes.  These persons may be former human resources managers, recruiters, or even administrative assistants charged with screening applicants for the head of the department.  Interactions of this nature often result in angst and doubt on the part of the once-optimistic candidates, for the hue and cry that invariably arises from at least one of the reviewers is, “Your resume is terrible!”  Chagrined, the candidates then ask for advice; specifically, what should be adjusted in the format or content.

Often conflicting, the responses concerning the resume swing from, “It’s too long; your resume should be only a page in length,” “It’s not descriptive enough; it’s really too short,” “I don’t see any numbers here; you need some numbers (quantifiable information),” “You have too many numbers on this resume; they can’t all be accurate,” “It’s a reverse-chronological resume; you need to prepare a skills-based, or functional resume,” or “It’s a skills-based resume; you need reverse-chronological!”   With advice of this nature, applicants become sorely confused, begin to lose confidence, and interrupt their efforts to seek gainful employment.  What, then, is the solution? 

With the responses so contradictory, the answer, ironically, becomes clear.  Each reviewer, indeed, each potential employer, possesses specific preferences.  This is human nature; it is not only to be expected, it is to be embraced.  If every hiring manager demanded that each candidate produce exactly the same type of career synopsis, the recruitment process would be akin to a draft by the military.  And while employers do expect their workers to march to a certain beat in upholding company policies and practices, they more often seek candidates who think outside the box to solve issues, stem losses, and determine and drive initiatives to increase revenues or reduce costs.  In fact, the current economy demands that they do so!  To market themselves as honestly and effectively as possible, therefore, job seekers must tell their own, unique story, including accomplishments and how they were won.  They must present their tale in formats that best suit their individual backgrounds and career objectives.

Most importantly, applicants must feel comfortable with the stories that they have narrated on their resumes.  While veracity is key (employers will conduct background investigations!), the stories must also be compelling enough to entice interviewers to schedule face-to-face dialogues, providing greater opportunities for the candidates to “sell themselves.”