How Do You Know Your Resume Is Passe

With time changes the job market, the demands, the job hunt, the criteria and with all this, what should change is your resume. If your resume is running into pages, there is a chance that your resume is outdated. Look at sample resumes online to get a good idea for the proper resume length.

Listed below are 5 ways you know your resume is a passé.

1. Your resume is no longer one page

A concise, short, crisp resume is what a recruiter looks for. The world is a busy place and recruiters don’t have the time to read long essays about your career, education, interests, references, etc. Trim down the not-so-important information and fit it all into one page. This one page should say all the right things about you.

2. You have an “Objective”

When you apply for a particular job, you are making it abundantly clear to the recruiter that the job profile or the company interests you. Don’t waste resume space by addressing the recruiter under the title “Objective”. Instead, attach a cover letter on top of the resume, which gives a brief introduction to you and your profile. Under this letter you can mention why you decided to apply to this company.

3. You are not Viral

These days, almost every person is a brand, thanks to the rise in social networking. Don’t be left out and become a part of this bandwagon. Promote yourself and tell the recruiters about you via the numerous social networking sites like Twitter and blog URL’s. If you have worthy connections, you don’t have to talk about them. They show on the networking sites.

4. You write that you will provide the references upon request

When you migrate from one job to another, you will be asking your previous boss will be more than happy to refer you. It is a natural process if your previous boss is a jovial man and you parted ways on good terms. The fact that you will be providing his details later is not required. It is understood that later in the recruitment process if the prospective employers are serious about you, they will themselves request for the contact details of your references.

5. Your job list is too long

These days, job experiences are not the only criteria. Other factors like education, skills and extracurricular activities are also criteria for judgment. Talent and not just experience these days matter. If your experience list runs into pages, skip the details and list out the jobs in a reverse chronological order. Expand on only the essentials, or the most relevant or the most challenging jobs.

Check with this checklist and get ready with your updated resume for a modern recruiting world. Let your resume not be a passé and gear up to work in a world where time and resume space, both are valuable.