Resume Faq: Resume Writing For Beginners

* What should I include in my resume and what should I leave off?

Include in your resume information that is really necessary and will meet the needs of your potential employer. You should put information that the employer will consider important at the start, such as:

- Complete name

- Address

- Telephone numbers

- Education

- Work experience

- Other qualifications such as awards, accomplishments and skills.

What you should not include are:

- Age

- Height

- Weight

- Marital status

- Number of children

- Desired salary

- Religious affiliation

- Negative reasons for leaving past jobs

- Health conditions

* What if I do not have anything to put on my resume?

Even if you have no previous work experience, you have lots of things to put on your resume, like skills you have acquired from your life experiences. Consider your volunteer work, part-time and temporary positions, odd jobs, internships, or miscellaneous informal services you provided for others. These are important as long as they demonstrate your initiative and teamwork.

* Should I put things I did in high school on my resume?

Not unless you have no work experience and what you did in high school was spectacular, or at least relevant to the job you are applying for. For instance, if you are applying for a welding job and you got straight A's in your high school welding classes, that would be relevant. Or if you are applying for an office position and you worked in the high school office part-time or got straight A's in keyboarding classes, you should put that on your resume.

Employers are interested in the things you did on your own, and your high school achievements often leave an impression of being earned with your parents' help.

* Should I include an objective statement in my resume?

It is a good idea to state your objective in your resume so your prospective employer can know up front what you are looking for and expecting. It is not required, however. Some employers may prefer a resume with an objective statement, but at the same time, remember that your resume should express more interest in serving your employer than in serving yourself.

* Should I include what I am presently earning on my resume?

No, it is not advisable to include your current salary in your resume unless it is specifically requested in a job posting. Don't lock yourself in to a salary that is lower than what your employer may have intended to offer.

* What kinds of references are best to include in my resume?

Past employers, advisors and professors are the best professional references to have who can confirm and elaborate on your professional experience for a prospective employer. Make sure that they know your personality and have familiarity with your work so that they can provide an accurate and positive description of you to the company or employer.

* Is it okay for a resume to exceed one page?

Yes, in some instances. Just be sure you have enough good, solid material to justify two pages and that you're not padding your resume to make it look more impressive. Employers are NOT generally impressed by this.

In any case, make sure your resume never exceeds two pages because that is too much, even if you have three PhDs and 20 years experience. Resumes that are too long do not get read by employers. So, make a resume that is short but comprehensive.