What Should Really Be Included on a Candidate’s Resume?
An interesting discussion started to develop the other day on our Twitter stream after we tweeted about a blog post regarding which information a candidate should include on his or her resume — and which should be ditched with yesterday’s “Top Chef” contestant.
Some of you think an objective is a necessary component of a resume, pointing out that it can provide an expanded view of a candidate’s experience as well as detail a candidate’s drive and vision — while others dismissed it as clutter or vague filler. Many of you were divided on whether candidates should send a resume to you in a Word document or in a PDF.
As evidenced by a CareerBuilder survey earlier this year, over a third (38 percent) of HR managers spend just one to two minutes reviewing a candidate’s resume before making some kind of decision about it. That’s not a lot of time for a candidate to put his or her best foot forward and make a strong impression. So how, exactly, should candidates make a (good) impression on you, employers?
In a recent CNN article, CareerBuilder’s vice president of corporate marketing, Jason Ferrara, offered five tips for job seekers to make their resume stand out:
- Include a career summary at the top of a resume
- Keep it up to date
- Incorporate keywords
- Use a functional resume
- Include all relevant experience
And in an article on MSN careers, CareerBuilder writer Rachel Zupek, gives 10 resume tips for candidates to get a better response from employers. They include having a less-selfish objective, focusing on accomplishments rather than duties, and filling in any unemployment gaps.
Of course, resume information may also include things like social media info (a candidate’s Twitter handle or professional networking profile), volunteer work, awards, certification and training, work history, references (or stating “References available upon request.”
But the real question is, What information do you want to see in a candidate’s resume — and what are they better off leaving out like former Top Chef contestant Mattin’s undercooked ceviche?
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