How many times have passed up what appeared to be a good job opportunity because the company was requesting a resume? Many times filling out an application is not going to be enough and putting your work history on paper is not difficult. Only two simple rules will make your resume worth looking. Be complete and be short.



If your first attempt at writing a resume ends up with more than two pages, you will need to go back and condense it. Very few personnel representatives are going to spend all day reading through a resume. They do not want every little detail of your job duties. They can get that during an interview. They are looking for the highlights and how your performance of the job benefited your former employer.

While most resumes will include all jobs held by a person, any large gaps between jobs will need to be explained. Since most resumes do not contain the exact dates of employment, usually using the month and year is sufficient and any gap longer than a month can be answered during the interview. For example, if you spent time in prison do not list that time as working for the state or federal government. A background check is going to reveal the truth.

Begin your resume with the pertinent information such as name, address and phone number. Include an alternate number in case you may not be available at home all the time. Do not put in your birthday, social security number or other personal information such as marital status and any children or other family members. Its nobodys business during the resume reading stage. While some may say that being married is a sign of stability, it is also illegal to consider marital status as a consideration for hiring.

When listing your work history, always begin with the most recent and go backwards. A basic rule of thumb is to include any position which lasted longer than a month, however in some instances of a person having a dozen jobs in a year, there may be some exceptions. Regardless of the length of time on the job, list every occupation that might relate to the position for which you are applying.

Within the section containing educational information be completely honest. If your only visit to a college was for sports games or concerts do not claim you attended that school. If you have a degree, by all means list it but be careful of taking credit for any education that can not be accurately documented. Many high profile positions have been vacated by persons who were not honest about their educational backgrounds. If the successful job candidate must have a certain level of education that you lack, there is probably no reason to submit your resume.