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Morris Associates Inc.
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Today' job market is more competitive than ever. This is why it is imperative that when writing your resume you understand what those who will be reviewing you resume look for. How long should a resume be? Should you send a cover letter? If so, how long should it be? What format is preferred? What are the first things readers look for when evaluating a resume?
Morris Associates, Inc., recently surveyed 213 government and corporate human resource managers and recruiters in the greater Washington area on their resume preferences. In addition to the mailed survey, a focus group of human resource and recruiting professionals was held at Morris Associates' offices to explore professionals' resume preferences in more depth. The focus group included hiring professionals from a wide array of professions.
KEY FINDINGS
Survey question to human resource managers :
"If you could give a resume writer on piece of advice, what would it be?"
Typical Responses:
"Be concise and be complete - tell me why I should hire you."
"Be concise and have resume directed toward a specific job opening."
"Be concise, show accomplishments, and check spelling."
"Be informative but succinct. Use action verbs."
"Brief but detailed."
"Briefly explain reasons for leaving employers and any breaks in service."
"Check resume for typos, correct spelling of firm name, cover letter should match position opening, rather than read like they meant for another firm."
"Clearly state your objective and highlight your past accomplishments."
"Cover letter should reflect specifics of ad."
"Do not send your life story. Be direct and show EXPERIENCE."
"Don't include extraneous info - marital status, hobbies or objective. I only wish to see things that are relevant (and many times the objective is not related in any way to the position applied for)."
"Don't send me a 'blind resume.' I want to know where you worked, the dates and your title or I won't consider your 'accomplishments'."
"Send cover letter and always state position applying for."
"The cover letter is what sells us on you - tell us why we should hire you here."
Length
A key finding of the survey was a strong preference for 2-page resumes (63%), although 27% said length "doesn't matter." Several survey respondents, as well as participants in the focus group, commented that shorter or longer resumes and different formats are acceptable, depending on industry, and type and level of position sought. A longer than 2-page resume can be acceptable for a more experienced, higher level executive or professional, though the "less is more" philosophy reinforces the idea that briefer resumes are usually preferred.
Format
Traditionally there are three formats for resumes: reverse chronological, functional and a functional-chronological combination. Practically speaking, the reverse chronological and combination functional-chronological are the two real choices since they are what readers expect and are the easiest to write well. A functional resume with no chronology is usually trash canned; people want to know who you worked for and what your titles and dates of employment were, at least for the last 10 to 15 years.
If you do decide to use a functional resume, make sure that some chronological segment exists within the resume to give a mental picture of your career. In the Morris Associates Survey, the chronological format was preferred 10 to 1 over the functional (70% preferred chronological, 7% preferred functional) although, again, a significant 23% said format "doesn't matter."
Other Key Factors
When asked about the relative importance of various resume qualities, respondents clearly indicate what matters most to them, "clearly resume readability and overall appearance of resumes matter most. A personalized letter, properly addresses with the correct name and title of recipient, and a resume format that looks professional also makes a difference."
Although readability and appearance were found to be extremely significant, other key factors that disqualified a resume from consideration for a position were: typo's, font size, type of paper and spelling errors. One respondent wrote, "your resume is your 'first impression' a company / recruiter has of you - make sure it is well organized, neat, no typos and easy to read."
Cover Letters
Should a resume include a cover letter? In our survey 84% replied "yes" to the questions, 15% checked "doesn't matter," only 1% said "no." "The cover letter," said one focus group member, "needs to hook the reader. If it doesn't, the reader may never get to the resume."
A good cover letter introduces the applicant and generates interest. Brevity is also important: The letter should be only three or four paragraphs long. It should tell the employer whether you were referred by a mutual contact or are answering an advertisement. Your letter presents what your intentions and qualifications are for a particular position, as well as your availability. The cover letter is your first chance to make a good impression.
Personalize it. Take the time to find out the title and name of the person who is handling the position for which you are applying. Confirm the address and triple check the spelling of the name of the person to whom you are writing. This shows employers you are serious about your job search.
Delivery Modes
In the electronic age in which we live there are different ways to submit your resume. Which way is the preferred way to receive a resume? Fax and e-mail deliveries are becoming increasingly accepted. In our survey, 88% of respondents said their organizations will accept resumes by fax and 71% said yes to e-mailed resumes.
Most companies will make an e-mail address available if they are accepting resumes via e-mail. It's a good idea to send an additional hard copy when applying by fax and e-mail. When information transfers electronically, there is always the risk of format errors. Your resume and cover letter may look perfect on your computer, but when received it could possibly have different spacing and fonts which make the resume look unorganized. By sending an additional copy through the mail, you allow yourself room for errors. You also get your name seen twice by the person handing the position.
Readability and Appearance
When asked about the relative importance of various resume qualities, respondents clearly indicated "resume readability" and "overall appearance mattered most," while resume format and length "mattered somewhat" rather than a lot for many respondents. "Flash and dash do nothing but distract me from reviewing the information being presented," said one respondent. The rule of K.I.S.S, (Keep it Short and Simple) is a good rule to go by when designing your resume and cover letter.
Remember, the whole hiring process by and large is a screening-out process. (For every person selected in, 10 or 100 are selected out.) Longer resumes give more reasons to screen people out.
Error-Free Resume and Cover Letter
Have you ever been working on a document for days and finally when you are ready to hand it in, you ask someone take a last second look. The person quickly notices that the name of the company "you" work for is misspelled on the title page. The same things happen with your resume. Make sure you have a friend or a professional review your resume and cover letter before you send it out.
In today's tightening job market you are likely to have more competition. By following the rule of K.I.S.S. and working at making your resume and cover letter error-free, you'll significantly improve your chances for interviews and job offers. Like anything else in life, it takes work and time to do it well.
Roll Call Inc. does not represent or make any warranty in respect of the articles, including with respect to the accuracy or reliability of any of the information contained in, distributed through, linked, downloaded or accessed from any of the articles. The opinions and views expressed in these articles do not, necessarily, represent those of Roll Call, Inc.
This information submitted by Morris Associates, Inc., a career transitions, outplacement and business learning solutions firm in Washington, D.C. For more information: Call (202) 835-1750.
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