Have you ever thought how a resume written by an executive director would be different a resume developed by a recent graduate? Should it be different at all? The thing is that many job seekers don't spend that much time on writing a resume. Most people just dump all of their past experiences on one or two pages without thinking about how that could ruin their whole job search campaign. There are different structures that can be used when writing a resume. We have been writing for a while about how people can utilize the latest resume writing techniques to improve their chances of getting a job. Today we would like to do the very same thing on the basis of a comparison of two types of resume. Hopefully, seeing different approaches will help you polish up your own application documents.
What's The Difference?
A resume is one of the most powerful marketing tools for job seekers. And obviously, this tool should look different in the hands of a manager than in the hands of an intern. If we are talking about someone who has recently graduated from the university then we expect a resume that is not longer than 1 page. The resume of recent grads should start with the education section (no objective or summary section unless you really have what to say there). There you can list not only your current educational credentials but also additional trainings or seminars you have attended, especially if they are relevant to the applying position.
After the education section one may proceed to the work experience section. Usually, the employer requires at least 2 or 3 years of experience so this is something one should work on. Then if you are a recent grad you can move on to listing your leadership positions in clubs. The thing is that this section can highlight some of the transferable skills that could be used at a new job. It is recommended to close a recent grad's resume with awards section followed by the section with skills. Such layout seems to be the most effective for those who just or are about to graduate from college. Now for those who need a resume to apply for executive-level positions, there is a different layout that is considered effective in a job search. Choosing a format that we have just described above would lead to failure simply because the aforementioned approach will be able to highlight your skills enough to grab the attention of HRs.
So if you are an executive looking for a job it is way better to start with a summary statement or brief overview of qualifications as opposed to the education section in a recent grad's resume. An achievement-based experience section would be more than appropriate. This is the main section where you can show off what you have accomplished throughout your career path. It is highly recommended to back up accomplishments with facts and numbers; this way they will have more impact on the decision makers. After that, you can list professional affiliations and your role in each of them. The education section followed by the skills section should close your resume.
