Resume formats
 

Hi - can anyone email me a US resume format so that i can transfer my UK information please?

Re: Resume formats
 

Re: Resume formats
 

Ta - all the google results I got needed you to register etc etc to get the formats.

Re: Resume formats
 

There are a lot of sources for formats available. A few general pointers for you:

-8 1/2 X 11 ("letter"-size) paper, not A4

-Do not exceed one page unless you have a profession that is an exception

-Include education and chronological work history. Highlights skills and accomplishments.

-Hobbies are optional. I'd skip them, unless they are active hobbies that might appeal to most employers. (Cooking and reading bad, skiing and golf good.)

-Objectives are optional. I'd put those in the cover letter (max 1 page) -- your objective is to get that job.

-Including your social security number and birthday are not necessary on a resume. If you are provided an application, you will include those there.

-Do not include personal info that is illegal in a US interview. Marital status, sexual preference, number of children, handicaps, ethnicity, religion and gender (although your name should make that one obvious) are all big no-no's. You could sue anyone who asks or screens based upon these, and they shouldn't even dream of asking you.

-Did I mention that it should most likely be limited to one page?

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Ta for the tips, got a format from a friend in Kansas so have followed that format. Just applied for my first US job - eeek!

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Team sports are allways good to put down. Shows you're a team player. boom tish.

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you seem like you know me already!! :)

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depends, if you've got a lot of relevant work history, worth bulleting the main points on one page and then have more detailed break down on a second page (tech type stuff usually etc)...but then you can also have that in a cover letter I suppose, but doesn't always work when you've got online application system...

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IT is one of those fields that is an exception. Those resumes are often 2-3 pages long.

Most white-collar business professionals should keep their resumes to a single page. If it's too long, there is a good chance that it won't get read and it will be presumed that the candidate lacks the ability to be succinct and concise.

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I'm an engineer, and I'm up to 2 pages for my resume after 7/8 yrs of experience. If/when I leave my current position, I'll most likely increase to 3. I bulletize my list of accomplishments/achievements for each position. The format hasn't failed me yet in finding a job. So I would say there are many professional careers where 2-3 pages is more the norm, depending on your years of experience.

My husband is in IT, and is currently studying for a degree. He's taking a Technical Writing class, and one of the assignments was to write a resume. His is about 1 1/2 pages. The professor, who apparently used to work in HR, knocked off a few points because he said the resume didn't have enough 'white space.' That was a new one on me!

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The technical fields and academia tend to have longer resumes. If I'm not mistaken, this also applies to medicine. If the details matter, the resumes are expected to be longer.

The idea of the white space is to make it easier on the eyes; text that is crammed together is more difficult to read. The right font choices can help free up space when you have little room with which to work.

Re: Resume formats
 

Exactly. Like most things, the trick is to put yourself in the mind of the person who will (literally) glance over it. You want to make it easy to find the few pieces of information that they really care about.

Length is always a little controversial. Most entry level science types are 2 - 3 pages, but 10 pages is not unheard of, nor necessarily overlong - at this point it is usually referred to as a CV, not a résumé.

I think prioritizing information and legibility are more important than worrying about length, as long as you don't include irrelevant stuff that obscures the important.

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Important: Regarding page/paper format (letter vs. A4) - make SURE you change the paper size definition in your computer (eg, page layout in MS Word, etc) to 'letter' (8.5 x 11) so that, if you create an electronic resume and email it, the recipient will be able to print it on letter paper. If you try to print a document that has a page/paper definition of 'A4' on a typical US office printer, the printer will stop and prompt with 'Load A4 paper' or similar .. . Nothing like killing the HR group's productivity to draw attention to yourself! I mention this because it has happened to me as a hiring manager. Some people bring their UK printers over with them and their home setup is still set to 'A4'...

I've always, always aimed for 2 pages, in IT. I can't speak to other fields, but - I will say this - I've reviewed maybe 500 or more resumes in my time, and hired over 100 positions, and I NEVER, EVER, EVER read more than the first couple of pages of a resume - I simply don't have time. One of the KEY factors I'm looking for on a resume is, can the person summarize and present information? Summarizing your history into 2 pages (or less) is part of the job application challege. I hate having to cram my own history (25 years at this point, in about 5 companies!) into 2 pages, but - that's part of the resume process. Consider a backup document if you really feel compelled to provide more information.

If you are aiming for 1 page, skip 'hobbies' unless you are really short of things to say. And, since it it by no means typical to include them, only include them if you feel they are very impressive. "Reading and watching Movies" or "Travel" would be ridiculous. "Volunteering at homeless shelter" may be worth it in some limited cases.

Don't cling to UK spellings, terms, concepts, etc. A lot of people on this forum criticize 'American English' but your resume is not the place to take a stand. If you have a UK computer, change the spell-checker to US-English. Many resumes are screened electronically these days for keywords, so saying you were an "Aluminium siding salesman" would not be very smart.

And remember - unlike UK CVs, it would be an exercise in futility to say, 'clean driving license' - it just isn't an issue here.

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create a pdf, that's the easiest way and one way to make sure it'll print as you want it to look...

and the page thing, well, as you said, depends on the field and position, you want the bullet points to be in the first page or so to get attention and keep your resume in the good pile, nothing wrong with further info being added, as that pile of resumes would generally keep you in good stead once you've made the initial HR scan and been passed on to who ever will be interested...

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If you're replying to ad. make sure you include some of the keywords that are used. If you don't you may never make it through the automatic screening. You will probably have to rework your resume slightly for each application.