Hi guys,
I have worked as an Employment Counsellor/Job Coach for the last 5 years. Basically eating, breathing and sleeping resumes.
A few things to consider:
1. Resumes in North America and Europe are done differently. I found that my clients from the UK tended to have much longer CV's.
2. Add in your LinkedIn Profile at the top of your resume under your email. Employers check LinkedIn. Remember all resumes are emailed nowadays so a hyperlink to LinkedIn will almost always be clicked, and employers will then check your LinkedIn Recommendations (references!). In North America LinkedIn is a very valuable tool when applying to any corporate job. Build a LinkedIn profile and maintain it much the same way you would build an old school paper career portfolio. Employers WILL check your linkedin profile if you have it on your resume. It sends a message you are savvy "up with the times", knowledgeable about social media, a networking animal, as well as putting more recruiter/HR eye time on your experience, skills, and recommendations (references).
3. There are 3 types of resumes: Chronological, Functional and Mixed.
A chronological resume lists positions in Chronologically (makes sense right). The downside to this type of resume is that it
a. Shows how little experience you have (especially if you have a string of jobs in a short period of time, or very few jobs period)
b. It may not show the transferable skills that you have because your jobs are in very different industries.
Sample Chronological:
On the positive side Chronological is a great format to use if you have good steady jobs (3 - 4) which have been about 2 - 3 years each. Chronological resumes also really emphasise the companies you have worked at (which can be a big bonus if they are all well known blue chip organizations).
For students or new graduates I almost always recommend a Functional resume. A functional resume allows you to highlight your skills and abilities while downplaying lack of experience/minimal dates worked:
Sample Functional:
These are just basic examples.
A Mixed format resume gives you the best of both worlds and is also the best format to use for a mid range Career (3 + years of experience in one industry). 2 pages long the first page is Functional with a Summary of Skills, the second page is a straight Chronological history of your work history:
Mixed/Combination Format:
In the above example this is an entry level person so they kept it to one page.
Keep in mind that resume formats are completely different if you are going into something like IT or health Services.
IT resumes tend to focus more on expertise in terms of programming (programs) knowledge:
Other points to keep in mind.
Recruiters don't have time to wade through a mass of information. This is why it is crucial to break your resume into sections. Minimum of 3 bullet points per section, usually 4 to 5 will suffice.
If you are applying for a specific industry, nobody cares about the experience you have in another industry (ie. if you are applying for a marketing position, nobody cares you worked at McDonalds flipping fries).
One of the biggest problems graduates have is a lack of experience. This is why a Functional resume can get you started and make you look much better than you really are. It is also why nowadays it is crucial that if you are in college or university you make sure you are in a program that has some sort of practicum/work placement/internship component .... employers nowadays care more about experience than where you went to school (they want both really) .... BA's are a dime a dozen, work experience (paid or not) though is king.