Answers to your common resume questions from an expert

I receive many of the same questions from readers, so I thought I would compile some common questions into one column this week!

Q: How do I write a resume that opens the most doors possible? A: Defining your target is critically important in creating an effective resume. Without a clearly defined audience, how will you know what message— and all-important keywords—will resonate with that reader, or sometimes even more importantly, with the applicant tracking system? It is one thing to develop one resume for two purposes, perhaps when they are closely related, but quite another to try to create a resume for anything and everything. Avoid the latter, realizing that just because you write a resume with an open-ended target certainly does not—and likely will not—mean you open more doors. The more targeted your resume is, the more return on investment you will earn.

Q: How much experience should I present on my resume? A: Typically, hiring managers expect to see about 10-15 years of experience presented on a resume. Omitting earlier experience will not be seen as misleading as recent and relevant experience is most important. This does not mean you can’t include earlier positions. You may, however, want to consider bylining foundational roles without dates to avoid potentially aging and overqualifying your candidacy. This could be as simple as stating, “Foundational experience with National Enterprise as a Sales Specialist,” or you can go into greater detail, even presenting some highlights.

Q: What should I include in my education section if I do

not have a degree?

A: If you did not attend college or completed minimal coursework—perhaps under two years—i would likely recommend omitting the education section entirely. If you were to include it solely with your high school diploma, realize you would not be telling an employer that you have a high school diploma; you would say that you do not have a college degree. You can present a partially completed degree; list the degree you pursued or completed coursework. You may also include professional development, training, certifications, and other credentials in an education section to create a more robust section.

Q: Should I include a headshot on my resume?

A: Usually not. Unless your “image” is crucial in evaluating

your candidacy, leave your headshot for Linkedin.

Q: Can I highlight community involvement to fill a gap in

employment?

A: Absolutely! You can present any volunteer work you would like on your resume, especially if those experiences help fill absences from the workforce. Hiring managers will give your experience as much value as you do, so if you feel you have robust involvement, present it as such. I have built resumes hinged on volunteer work before, even placing those experiences before the presentation of actual career assignments. Just remember that anything you highlight as an affiliation should reinforce the professional tone of your candidacy.

Q: How many accomplishments should I present from each

role?

A: There is no correct answer to the number of accomplishments you should highlight from each position; I try to visually outweigh “responsibilities” with “accomplishments.” So, if I have two or three sentences describing the candidate’s position, I will likely try to have three or four accomplishment statements.

A key strategy is to present responsibilities— aka job descriptions—in a paragraph format and accomplishments in bullet points; that way, the reader is drawn toward the organization and simplicity of the bulleted accomplishment statements.

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