So often, it is really hard to know what to include in your resume. This is especially true if you are in the IT or Scientific realm, because your world is very specific and detailed in terms of education and particular areas of expertise.  Both of these worlds are vast!

For new resumes, please keep it to two pages, and if you absolutely must (due to longevity in the workforce), three. For revised resumes, the same rule applies…2-3 pages. I have sat down with so many IT folks who live in a world of alphabet soup listings on their resumes: Operating Systems, hardware, software, proprietary applications, and various versions and Service Packs of any number of these, each particular to their specialty. Likewise, for Scientific resumes, I see a wide range of entries including: GMP, GLP, QA, QC, LIMS, IND submissions, in-vitro assays, and much more.  Unfortunately, that is only helpful later on in the interview process. What is crucial is to get the interview in the first place! Hiring managers really don’t and won’t wade through 8-14 page resumes. They simply don’t have time for that. They need a quick look – a fast summary that highlights your experience. They need to determine in less than one minute that your credentials look like a strong match with their job description.

What to include: make sure you highlight the basics: where you worked (company name, city, state), the dates you were there, your title(s), bulleted major responsibilities, and the same for particular accomplishments. I recommend that you not go into much detail for anything in the ’90s. After all, that was over 9 years ago! Employers really want to see that your skills are current. For example, 7 years ago you may have used what they now need, but they can likely find someone else more current than that.

Don’t sell yourself short on accomplishments, but do remember to keep the total resume to 2-3 pages at the most. I normally don’t recommend listing your hobbies and such, but including some items just might be helpful, such as Eagle Scout, local volunteer roles, etc. You never know who might decide that these things make you just a little different and desirable. Your armed forces background is a personal call.  For your jobs prior to 2000, list them, of course, but only give 1-2 bullets about what you did there. That way, you can show persistent skill usage, but not bore them with every single thing you did.

Resume writing can be intimidating at times. Don’t be afraid to seek help. It is well worth the advice and cost. I would love to hear about your resume, and how you deal with your vast background! We will talk about cover letters another time!

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