Need help with Resume real quick... thanks!

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Two questions regarding my much needed updating on my resume...

1. Should it be in first person such as: I am a dedicated and hardworking individual who has a great deal of ambition. I have extensive experience in customer service, love to learn, and I am always up for a challenge. I get along well with others, while also working efficiently on my own. I am seeking a position where I can develop and excel while giving my best to an employer.

(and how does that sound?) too personal?

Or should it be in 3rd person like this: A high-energy, experienced sales associate with a solid track record of performance in consumer goods and retail businesses. Key strengths include the ability to meet and exceed goals/targets, a knack for connecting with decision makers and the ability to transfer the secrets of sales and account management to others. Excellent presentation, negotiation, closing, and follow through skills.

(and is this better, or should I include both?) too impersonal?


And my second question is this: How long should a resume be? Everything I have heard says one to two pages. It also says that the employer wants the last 10 years of work history. If I give that much my resume ends up being four pages, unless I SEVERELY limit the duties of the job...

I may be able to squeeze some stuff out and make it three... Ugh I dunno!!! I've been working on it all day and it's driving me crazy!

I need helps!

Thank you!

 

[SueSteeves]

Good evening WhiteMountainsRanch!

Well as a person who has revised my resume many times, and a person who has reviewed resumes when hiring employees here is my 2 cents.

1) Go with first person, it reads much better!

2) A resume should not be more than one page long if you really want to keep the employers attention, unless of course you are a doctor etc. Boil the past ten years down to the most pertinent information as it relates to the job you are trying to get.

 

[True Grit]

I like paragraph number 2 better but you could start it with "I am". It is focused on "harder" skills and accomplishments. I would focus on the jobs you have had that relate to the one you are applying for and severely limit the info on the rest. If a job is very unrelated I would leave it out. Don't make your resume 3 pages, try to keep to 1.5. Your goal is to get an interview so pick the points that apply to that job and emphasize them. Good Luck!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Thanks guys!

I was worried about the resume appearing to "braggy" in first person...

I really have no idea how to boil it down to one and a half pages. All the jobs I listed are pertinent to the one I am trying to get.

I have 6 jobs listed and this is an example:


Assistant Sales Manager
Pop’s Unfinished Furniture, Lancaster, CA 2003 - 2005
Assisted store manager with a full range of retail management responsibilities, including merchandising, inventory control, ordering, loss prevention, and maintenance functions. Directed personnel training programs and sales floor activities. Coordinated special promotions and events. Opened/closed store; handled customer complaints and cash control. Prepared daily sales reports. Achieved weekly/monthly goals through suggestive selling and extensive product knowledge. Trained new hires in all procedures, product knowledge and sales techniques. Recruits, tests, and hires employees based on criteria agreed upon by senior management.

 

[franklinstreetwest]

I liked the second sample paragraph also, but written in the first person would sound more confident. Depending on the what you're applying for, a photograph can sometimes set you apart from other applicants. It can help to put a face with the info that's being evaluated. Are you applying for a professional position?

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

It's a sales position.

 

[franklinstreetwest]

A lot of places will do a Google search on your name too. You may want to try doing one on yourself and see what pops up. I'm not saying that you have skeletons in a closet, but it helps to not have anything pop up on the internet that can be taken as offensive to a potential employer.

 

[chikky]

One option to consolidate without removing content could be:

Hard skills:
List common skills used in the various jobs as bullet points in this area
(Microsoft office)
(Scheduling)
(and so on)

Soft skills:
List common skills that fall under this category
(Vendor negotiation)
(Team-building)
(and so on)

Job #1 & position held, dates
Job #2 & position held, dates

I do frequent interviews & resume review and need resumes that are clean and easy to read. I look for basic abilities, but also what skills & abilities differentiate the person from the rest of the pack. I look for phrases & words that address whatever "pain" we're trying to solve by hiring to the open position.

I agree with the other posts that it should be 1-2 pages. One person I worked with actually made hers like a "folder"...It was on 11X17 paper, folded in half, so you opened it like a folder and on both sides was text (not sure I explained that very well). Hers was grouped by area of expertise...very nice. On the outside (before you opened it) was her name, date and such.

Good luck!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Quote:


I agree, and have done a lot to keep my internet reputation clean, thank you.

 

[Avonlea22]

As someone who cunducts interviews, I look at gaps in employment. I would not reccommend leaving out jobs. Your resume should show a continuous flow from one job to another.