Answers to the Most Frequently Asked Resume Questions

1. Does my resume really need to be one page?No. The length should be as long as it takes to briefly describe your skills, education, and experience, and accomplishments which are relevant to the job for which you are applying; however, try to keep it two pages or less or you risk not having it read in its entirety. Hiring authorities are busy people and don’t want to read a bunch of unnecessary or irrelevant information. If you are still fairly early in your career, try to condense it on one page, but don’t feel restricted to it.

2. What is an objective statement?It’s a brief description of what type of job and/or company you seek for the skills, education, or experience you have. It’s a little outdated, but if you choose to include it, make it as employer-oriented as possible, more about what you can do for them than about what you want. An alternative is a profile statement which briefly tells who you are professionally and what value you can bring to the prospective employer. It includes what your strengths are and one or two significant career accomplishments.

3. How far back should my work history go?As far back as is relevant to the job you seek. If you have been a college professor for twelve years and worked your way through college as a fry cook at McDonald’s before that, employers don’t care about what you did at McDonald’s. Leave it off. On the other hand, if you have been an accountant for forty years, leave some of it off if it wasn’t all at one place. Age discrimination is a fact. Most resumes go back ten to twenty years, depending on career progression.

4. What if I just graduated from college and don’t have any experience yet?
Your resume is not limited only to full-time paying jobs. Options you might include on your resume are:
• a skills section including industry keywords
• an education section listing your degree and perhaps a few of the advanced courses completed
• internship and externship experience
• volunteer experience which does not reveal possible discriminatory information
These items show the employer who you are and what skills you have to offer even though you may lack job experience specific to your target career.

5. Should I include references or salary history?No. References should be on a separate page with a heading that matches the first page of your resume. Also, try to include as much contact information as possible for your references, including email addresses. Salary history should only be provided when specifically requested by an employer and should also be on a separate page.

6. Should I pay to have my resume professionally written?Many people think they do not need a professional writer, but they absolutely do. Would you attempt to make a car from scratch if you were not an auto mechanic or auto body specialist? Certified Professional Resume Writers are the industry recognized experts. In today's labor market, you can't afford to risk having an ineffective resume or even just a “good-enough” resume. You need a stellar resume that delivers with impact, making you stand out from other applicants. However, if you choose to go it on your own, read as much information as possible about resumes before you begin, and have your resume reviewed by an expert when you are finished.