Frequently Asked Questions About Resumes

When you’re looking for a new job, your resume makes the first impression to employers, making it a critical piece of career-related communication. Most job seekers invest many hours in their resumes and curriculum vitae, and some even hire professional writers to create the perfect document. This article explores frequently asked questions about resumes to help you create the right resume for a job application.

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Every resume is as different as the applicant who creates it. However, most include some basic sections related to experience, education, and accomplishments. While putting together a resume, people tend to run into some of the same issues. Here are some of the questions about resume creation often asked by people applying for jobs:

What is the ideal length for an electronic resume?

Just like paper resumes, an electronic resume should be one to two pages. Some possible exceptions are the resumes of high-level executives, professors at the college level, and researchers in scientific laboratory settings. In those fields, the curriculum vitae is usually favored over a standard resume. In most industries, the overall standard is to aim for a one-page resume. However, it’s acceptable to expand to two pages as long as everything on the document is relevant to the job for which you are applying.

Should I include temporary positions on my resume?

You should include temporary positions, especially if the experience you gained is relevant to the post you’re seeking. In challenging economic times, many people turn to temporary positions, gig work, and part-time jobs to make ends meet, so employers understand when these types of assignments show up on a resume.

However, it is essential to make it clear on the resume that these positions were temporary roles, contract work, freelance tasks, or another type of arrangement, and that you are now looking to commit to a full-time job if that’s what you’re applying for. Address the topic in your cover letter as well. Taking those steps should address any concerns in the employer’s mind about your ability to dedicate your efforts to that company.

How do employers feel about resumes with hyperlinks to samples of my work or a personal webpage?

Because recruiters and hiring managers are busy, it’s best to put all the relevant information that they need in front of them on your resume. Hyperlinking to other data creates the extra work of clicking through links. The exception may be in certain creative fields where you use links to display your prior works, in which case it’s important to include that information.

Should I use infographics, videos, or other images in my resume?

In general, it’s best to refrain from including infographics, videos, and other creative materials on your resume itself to keep the information clear. However, they may be appropriate if you seek a job in a field that requires the skills to create them. A resume with an infographic or a picture of yourself might be good to give to the interviewer to make yourself more memorable. Videos, in particular, are an excellent way to personalize a website and may draw the attention of recruiters. However, similar to the issue with hyperlinks, hiring managers may not have time to review these additional materials.

How do I optimize my resume for an applicant tracking system (ATS)?

To create a resume for applications using an ATS, select keywords from the job description or posting to which you are responding. Find words that represent the most important skills or experiences for the job. Use terms in your resume’s qualifications section that match those listed in the requirements for the job you want. If an employer screens resumes with an ATS, they may only contact applicants whose resumes meet keyword-specific requirements.

What are the most important sections to include on a resume?

At a minimum, your resume should include your name, contact information, education, and work experience. The contact information section should consist of your mailing address, primary phone number, and an email address that you check at least once a day. Optional resume sections include:

• Objective statement
• Summary qualifications statement
• List of licenses and certifications
• Relevant professional awards
• Languages you speak, if you are multilingual
• Military service summary

A statement that your references are available upon request is also helpful unless the job posting gives specific instructions on how to submit them.

What information should I exclude from my resume?

Never include personal information irrelevant to the job or anything that may appear negative or critical of another employer. Here are some specific things to always leave off your resume:

• Physical characteristics like height, weight, and age
• Information about your family such as marital status and whether you have children
• Religious, political, or social affiliations unless they are directly relevant to the duties of the job for which you are applying
• Names of supervisors at previous jobs and reasons for leaving those jobs, unless requested

You should also leave out any contact information beyond city and state for past workplaces and the salary information for your prior positions. If the employer wants any references, they typically ask, so you don’t need to include those directly on your resume.

How should I list my name?

If your legal name is different from the one you use professionally, stick to your professional title. List credentials or degrees along with your name if they are relevant to the job you’re seeking. If your name is hard to pronounce, you may want to add a phonetic pronunciation. You should include your name at the top of the resume, typically right above your contact information, so that hiring managers can find it easily.

What contact information should I include?

Unless you are a college student, list your permanent address. Students may want to include the address they use while in school and another address where they stay when school is not in session. Include the best phone number and a professional email address. Make sure your voicemail message is appropriate and professional. Only include links for personal websites or social media sites if they are focused on your professional persona.

What do I include in the education section of my resume?

Here are some tips for what to include in the education section:

• Include all degrees, and if you have more than one, list the most recent one first.
• Use the name of the degree first.
• Include the name, city, and state of the college or degree-granting institution.
• List your major and minor if applicable.
• If you are a new graduate or about to be, include your graduation date in month/year format, even if it’s in the future. If you have been out of school for a year or more, you can leave off the month.
• Older job seekers may choose to leave off the graduation date entirely, but you should typically include it.

If you don’t have a degree, but you do have some college experience, you can include the coursework you completed. List the college and its location, your major, dates attended, and the number of credit hours you earned. Supplement this section with any additional training, certificates, or professional development you have.

Which is the preferred term for a heading, ‘Experience’ or ‘Employment’?

The preferred term for the heading is typically ‘Experience.’ Under that category, you can include things like volunteer experience, internships, and other projects that may be as valuable as paid employment. You can communicate this information under one heading without using subheadings that can be confusing. Here are some things to include in the experience section:

• The title of any paid jobs and the name and city/state location of the company
• The dates of employment or involvement in the experience
• Any accomplishments you achieved during that experience
• The title of the person you reported to and the names of any departments you supervised

When listing your experiences, list the title of the job or position first. However, if the company is well-known in the industry, you may want to list that first. Additionally, you could choose to separate volunteer experience from paid work if desired.