A Question About Resume Format

17 Comments

1. Sarah Bojorquez LopezApril 18,2024 at 12:10PM UTC

   Just my 2 cents as a recruiter, at mid-level I would make sure your skills and experience for the first things someone sees. A summary really only needs to be a sentence or 2. If it's any longer than that they're likely not going to read it.

2. Jane AdairApril 18,2024 at 12:26PM UTC

   The OP is actually asking if half a page of skills should come before experience. I get her concern. I'm in a mid-level career position too and struggling with conflicting resume advice. Would love to hear people's thoughts.

3. MarilynApril 18,2024 at 12:41PM UTC

   I agree as well - there's definitely conflicting advice which makes me question even engaging with a resume writer. I recently spoke to someone who is a resume writer and told me that there shouldn't be a separate section for skills, but rather they should be incorporated into the summary, which could make it longer. As a mid-level career job seeker, it's tough to know what to follow. Wish it was more straightforward to make it easier for all parties!

4. Sue Gordon- retired Career CoachApril 18,2024 at 12:41PM UTC

   I have seen this sort of resume. It always feels “fluffy” to me…. A brief summary and list of skills are ok IF the first experience is still in the top of the resume….on a typical laptop, will the most important info be seen as soon as the document is open? If all one sees is high level summary and a list of skill words, they may not bother to scroll down.

   Always make sure any skill listed at the top is clearly supported in at least one work experience. For example if you say you have excellent project management skills, share a specific accomplishment that demonstrates that in at least one job.

   Good luck and aim for substance over fluff.

5. AnonymousApril 18,2024 at 12:56PM UTC

   Making sure that the skills listed align with a specific job experience is a really sound recommendation.

6. AnonymousApril 18,2024 at 12:43PM UTC

   My resume is setup as a short summary, areas of expertise backed up by my experience, and then immediately into experience. All my accomplishments are under the jobs for which they apply to instead of a separate section. Then after experience are my technical skills, education, etc. Not saying that’s the only or right way, but that’s how mine is setup.

7. AnonymousApril 18,2024 at 1:02PM UTC

   Yes, my resume is like that.

8. AnonymousApril 18,2024 at 1:08PM UTC

   Hello Friend - Either format works so why not have 2 versions of your resume? A resume is "Your Story" and you have the freedom to share that story any way you choose...You can also adjust they're version more to your liking. Personally, mine are at the top 1/4 of the page so the reader knows what skillsets I bring to the table - and the experience section gives tangible examples of how those skills were applied & impacted my previous roles. Don't overthink it - Be open to suggestions - Best of Luck!

9. AnonymousApril 18,2024 at 1:12PM UTC

   A one, or at most, two sentence summary highlighting your career goals should be at the top. Follow this with your top accomplishments/skills - grew the department by X staff; brought in X number of new sales; increased revenue by X percent over 5 years, etc. This can be highlights from several different positions.

   Follow that with your job experiences. Follow that with education, including any courses in addition to your degree.

   A list of just skills - detail-oriented; time management, etc. doesn’t give a specific idea of how those skills can benefit the company.

   A recruiter or hiring manager can glance at the first two bullet point sections and decide if they want to read more. Your job experience section can go into more detail. But always consider that a resume is more than just a list of what you did. It’s a selling tool to show what you can do for and how you can benefit your next employer. Best wishes in your job search!

10. M Elizabeth IngramApril 18,2024 at 2:31PM UTC

    As HR and a hiring manager, I honestly don't think the format matters as long as the information is accurate and the resume doesn't stretch to more than 2 pages.

11. AnonymousApril 18,2024 at 2:33PM UTC

    I have been utilizing the resume builder on the USAJobs.gov website, as I have been looking for federal jobs. They have a strict format and a way to generate a different resume for every position you apply to. The only problem is that it also generates a resume that is too long for most non-government positions due to a lot of stuff you don't typically put on a resume (like a supervisor's name and salary) It is concise and you could easily tailor it to any resume template you use. It starts with availability keywords (which could be changed to a 3-4 bullet point experience summary), then experiences. They encourage you to use all the buzzwords in the JD to generate your experience bullets.

    After that, it is education, languages, and honors (the "fluff" stuff that can include a list of skills that helps the ATS to check off boxes).

    Some job boards also have resume builders, like LinkedIn and CareerBuilder, although they aren't as comprehensive as this one and include more "fluff." They also don't help you to develop the bullet points or do reviews.

    Most automated resume reviews I've used do a good job analyzing the bullet points, which resemble "SMART" goals (especially the specific, measurable, and timeline part). So instead of saying "I sold cars," say "Sold 10-15 cars generating up to $600,000 in revenue each month." This gives specifics and shows the impact on the business.

    I used the resume review system in my university's career center to polish my resume. If you are an alum, that is a good place to find some of these tools.

    IMHO, there are a lot of legitimate and free services out there (such as alumni associations) that you can engage that could be better than the ones you paid for. The resume I paid to have built was torn apart by the university's resume tool and has gotten ten times better traction than the one I paid for. I have an interview for a CEO position next week.

12. Shernette Linton, JD | Certified Professional Resume Writer & Career Coach - CPRW, CPCCApril 18,2024 at 3:42PM UTC

    As others have indicated, the format seems generally fine - note, however, that there is no single "right way" when it comes to formatting an effective resume.
    Ultimately, how the resume is formatted is influenced by the overall
    strategy for your unique job search.

    To further echo what others have said, the summary should, however, be concise - a few lines - and should highlight upfront your unique value as it relates to the
    position. This captures attention and sets the tone for your experience (anything you claim in the summary you want to see proof in the experience).

    Folks who have not been in a job search in many years sometimes question seeing the skills section at the top because have been used to seeing it at the bottom. Nowadays, employers/recruiters often spend only a few seconds scanning a resume, so putting skills at the top helps to give a quick snapshot of your key
    qualifications/competencies (along with your concise summary. They are less likely to read through to the bottom if you haven’t captured attention at the
    top.

    Your concern highlights one of the reasons I don’t send samples – what/how I draft for each job seeker is unique to their circumstances, within the guardrails of
    what we know to be resume drafting best practices.

    I would suggest discussing your concerns with your resume writer, now that you can come from a more informed perspective based on the input you have received here. They may be able to address your concerns and give you the confidence to move forward with them.

    Best of luck to you!

13. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistApril 19,2024 at 2:02AM UTC

    Personally, I do not like this format. I'm interested what you've been doing, what company you've been doing it at and how long you've been doing it. If you're going to put a "skills section", it should be after your experience. And if you're doing a resume right, I should be able to see your skills from the experience section. I would recommend you put it the skills at the end.

    Also, unless you have a lot of widely varied experience, taking up the entire top half of the page with a summary seems excessive.

14. rgstaffing@bellsouth.netApril 19,2024 at 12:46PM UTC

    I totally agree. That is what I look at.

15. christine soderlundApril 19,2024 at 1:56PM UTC

    I ignore summary skills, like most recruiters, I only spend about 7 seconds on a resume and I review current job, a couple of bullet points, next job, a couple of bullet points, education or certifications (if required by job and hiring manager) and location (depending on position requirements).

    It's hard to appreciate a professionally written resume, they just sound "off" so majority of my hiring managers dismiss them.

    Think location, location, location, if your important details are halfway down the page or on the next page, your reader might not get that far.

16. AnonymousApril 19,2024 at 11:50PM UTC

    It is for a non-profit NGO and I used the one that was tweaked by the tools in the career center at my school. It was exactly two pages. They also wanted a cover letter, references, and a writing sample, so that was in addition to the 2-page CV. The federal ones that USAJobs generates come about 3 to 4 pages, but most JDs will accept up to five pages. They create a PDF, but you can edit out the extraneous stuff and use a smaller font for NGO jobs. I started my first career in 1978, but the oldest experience on my CV began in 2011 and included the transition from my second to my third career.

17. Peggie Arvidson * Career Consultant | Adoptee Advocate | RecruiterApril 20,2024 at 1:45PM UTC

    a few questions?

    1. are you looking to change industries?
    2. have you had some really spectacular achievements
    3. can you highlight the problems you'll solve for a new company
    4. is each resume tailored to the position you apply for?