One Page Resume Advice

Why focus on resumes?

The short answer is that we all need a resume at some point in our careers to get into a new role.

The long answer is that companies don’t just go around handing out job offers. Businesses have lengthy recruiting and hiring processes and a resume is the cornerstone piece. Step one in the job search process is usually sending your resume in online for a particular role. Even if we have a network of people that can help us get a foot in the door at their respective companies, we will still need to pass along a resume to someone. A resume is effectively a ticket into a company.

Additionally, not everyone is going to be an entrepreneur and work for themselves for their whole life. As Daniel Vassallo says, “Becoming self employed is easy. Staying so is hard.” With that perspective in mind, it’s clear that most of us will need to find employment somewhere. Hence, a blurb on resumes.

• The point of a resume is to get an interview. Keep that in mind.
• Name, phone, email, location at the top.
• Appropriate email address.
• No photos.
• When applying for a new role, keep the resume to one page. A longer resume can be used once in the interview process.
• No objective statement needed. The only objective of a resume is to get a job interview.
• No summary or profile needed. A resume is your summary & profile.
• Relevant education should be included. If any education beyond high school was completed, then there is no need for high school to be included.
• No GPAs needed.
• Professional experience should take up the bulk of the resume real estate. Past tense tone, focus on accomplishments.
• Don’t copy and paste a job description into your resume. Focus on what you actually did and what you accomplished.
• Use numbers, specifics, and quantifiable information as much as possible.
• References do not go on a resume.
• Formatting should be consistent.
• Experience should be in reverse chronological order (most recent at the top).