First and foremost, I recommend that you avoid a detailed resume that shows everything you did starting with your first job, unless you are relatively new to the workforce. The hiring manager will not be interested in what you did in 1993 (that was 16 years ago!) or 1988 (21 years ago!).

What to avoid: I know, your past is what made you what you are today, and it all flows in logical professional growth progression, but in the final analysis, potential employers will typically only look at the past 5-10 years. Don’t tell them that you play chess, ride your dirt bike on the weekends, and read in your spare time. The only exception to this might be if you have done some reliable research on your potential new boss, and can mention some of your personal information that matches with his/hers (he/she was an Eagle Scout, or plays hockey for a local club like you do, etc). There may even be civic involvement on the part of your potential new company that you are likewise involved with, and there is nothing wrong with that showing up on your resume discretely. Bottom line: confine your resume to 2-3 pages at the most….no more 8 page resumes! Another blog talks about what to include in your resume…take a peek at that one for more information.

Don’t hide anything, of course, and certainly don’t lie. It will eventually come out in the phone interview or subsequent face-to-face interview. If you were out of work for personal reasons (birth of a baby, tending to a family member in a situation that required your personal care for a period of time, etc.) go ahead and mention that on the resume. If you had to take a “non-career related” job for a little while during the job-hunting process, list it unless it was only a few months. Any more, most employers either have been in that situation themselves or know something close to them who has, so they are no longer shocked and amazed that you took a job or two that wasn’t directly related to your “real” work just so you could make ends meet. They are more interested in knowing that you are skilled, resourceful and a fighter, and are anxious to get back to your real expertise.

As usual, there are certainly times when seeking professional resume writing help is the prudent thing to do. It forces you to truly focus on the essentials of your resume and will help you include the things that are most likely to attract attention from potential employers. There is the topic of cover letters, but that is for another time!

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