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A question for those who HIRE people (I'm 25)

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Originally posted by: VBboy
If you are in charge of the hiring/interviewing process at your company, let me ask you this:

1. What's the longest resume you'd consider reading and giving some serious consideration to?
2. Would you read a full 2-page resume, or automatically reject it?
3. Would you think that a person has little experience if his resume is just one page long?

Thanks in advance!
This should help me decide whether to severely trim down my resume to make it fit on one page 🙂

(I am looking for a software enginnering position)
Click to expand...


I was just at a jobfair yesterday, and I'll tell you that I had a bunch of resumes from people we spoke with to photocopy to hand out to the other members on the search commitee. I didn't photocopy the 2 page ones because I didn't feel like un-stapling and then restapling them. I took the time to read them, and I didn't feel that there was anything of value on there that couldn't have been said in one page, some of these were undergrads too, which is a huge mistake.

There is nothing that you have done by your age that should necessitate more than 1 page resume. I didn't even give them a second chance. Too much to read, and there's plenty of the other qualified candiates out there. (I was looking at CS majors resumes mostly as well, many were looking for software/programming positions, which we don't offer, but we had technical jobs.)

I'm the same age as you, but I've been on the hiring end for a couple positions now (we do team interviews) and I've realized that first impressions and little things like resume layout and length play huge into the hiring process, at least at my work.

anyway, good luck.
 
Thanks, guys.

I will try very hard to fit all my accomplishments on one page 🙂 But you know, as a person who worked for Microsoft among the best and the brightest, not to mention better-paid high-level programmers on the market... Just kidding 🙂
 
ive done interviews before. and had the decisions on who to hire...but being a Manager at Micky D's wasnt exactly a place that we go by resumes. 😕
rolleye.gif
 
1) Depends on experience
2) Automatically reject it, at least for a 25 year old. What in the hell can you possibly put down that can take up 2 pages that contributes positively to your resume? Unless you've had 80 jobs all with relative experience you can trim it down to 1 page listing only what is needed
3) No. See #2

They don't like bull $hit resumes. Cut the crap and get to the point. The resume should be able to market you without sounding like a god damn essay.
 
Why are we looking for reasons to automatically disqualify people just from looking at a damn resume? Maybe if I was hiring a resume writer it would make sense, but not for other jobs!

I don't understand why we (people who hire developers) are so rigid in the way we demand certain rules be followed on a resume, and use that to remove people from consideration. I'll tell you how I do it - I read all the resumes, the bad ones and the good. I don't expect a developer to be a top quality writer, so I'm not offended at a poorly written resume for that type of job. I'm looking for a good software developer.

Here are some reasons I've heard co-workers use to justify putting someone's resume on the "don't interview" pile:
1. Resume had only about ten lines on the second page. Should have edited it to keep that from happening because it looks bad.
2. Misspelled the name of a city.
3. Too much detail caused the resume to run three pages.
4. Didn't put an email address at the top of the resume, and one co-worker didn't like calling people to schedule interviews.
5. Margins too small.

None of those are automatic disqualifications to me. I want a good developer, and if the best one happens to not have great resume-writing skills, I can't understand why I would want to hold that against him/her.
 
I don't read resumes. I browse resumes for specific job skills, education, etc. If the company has their own application, I would keep your resume under two pages.
 
Hey, I'm heading into my last year of undergrad (CS major), and been doing quite a bit of research for the last year and a half on dialogue systems, and I wanted to put that in along with my 5 previous internships or full time jobs, and it wouldn't fit. And this was after trimming off the first two of those work experiences to just list company name / position description. FYI, I use Indesign and not Word for my resume.

I recently said "screw it" and made a 2 page layout instead, and it's a lot easier to read & more descriptive!

Just food for thought. And yes, I'm still getting interviews 🙂
 
Why are we looking for reasons to automatically disqualify people just from looking at a damn resume? Maybe if I was hiring a resume writer it would make sense, but not for other jobs!
Click to expand...

The reality of it is that each time we post an opening for certain jobs, we literally get deluged with resumes. With so many resumes, there's no way I'm going to be able to really give each one it's due attention. As such, you have to find a way to 'filter' out resume's, even if it's not a particularly 'good' way. That's just the facts of life for most companies when hiring.

There are specific instances when more detail is required to demonstrate some particular skills or experience, but the vast majority of the time one single page should be enough, especially for a younger worker. Resist the urge to put in all sorts of details -- that's what the interview is for. The resume is a summary, a document that allows the reader to quickly scan through your background. If the reader is interested, they will get all the details during an interview later on.

Large companies (like the one I work for) are now even changing the process by having the applicants enter their resume on a PC at the HR office. The resume software on those PC's allows only 1 page -- you have to fit everything on there. There's no way to add second or third pages.....

So when writing your resume, keep in mind that the reader usually has very little time to waste and a lot of resumes to read. Keep it short, to the point, and don't bother listing a bunch of "fluff" to make it seem like you have lots of experience. You could even consider using keywords instead of sentences, for example you could put "Programming experience: VB, C#, C++" .. without putting all the details as to how you used them etc. Leave that for the interview.
 
I hire finance professionals. I make the hiring decision. For an entry level job (just out of school), 1 page is fine. For just about any job that requires experience, 2 + pages is probably better.

In general, longer advertising copy sells better. Your resume is an advertisment.

Just make sure that you do not waste your 2 pages.

Michael
 
I am in charge of hiring and have done so for years at various jobs. Make your resume, short, neat, and to the point. Anything over 2 pages, and I will probably not have time to read it all. Also, make it easy to read by giving me headers so I can easily identify each section. One last thing, always check your spelling and grammer. If I find those types of mistakes, I tend to set them aside no matter how qualified the person is.
 
My experience says otherwise. I don't recall ever seeing a single resume from a developer that was only 1 page. Granted, other industries may be different. I don't believe it's feasible to describe a project you worked on previously in only 3 lines. People in IT are required to know a lot (especially these days), and you can't really summarize it all (again, unless you have little experience and know little).
Click to expand...

I'm a developer with almost 9 years in the industry. My resume is only a page long. It got me my current job. I guess I just write more efficient code then you do. 😀

The job of a resume is to get you that interview, not list all your qualification.

If you were looking at a magazine would you read a two page ad?
 
I'd make it two pages, but the one page version of my resume has gotten me some compliments (and jobs!)
 
Originally posted by: kranky
Why are we looking for reasons to automatically disqualify people just from looking at a damn resume? Maybe if I was hiring a resume writer it would make sense, but not for other jobs!

I don't understand why we (people who hire developers) are so rigid in the way we demand certain rules be followed on a resume, and use that to remove people from consideration. I'll tell you how I do it - I read all the resumes, the bad ones and the good. I don't expect a developer to be a top quality writer, so I'm not offended at a poorly written resume for that type of job. I'm looking for a good software developer.

Here are some reasons I've heard co-workers use to justify putting someone's resume on the "don't interview" pile:
1. Resume had only about ten lines on the second page. Should have edited it to keep that from happening because it looks bad.
2. Misspelled the name of a city.
3. Too much detail caused the resume to run three pages.
4. Didn't put an email address at the top of the resume, and one co-worker didn't like calling people to schedule interviews.
5. Margins too small.

None of those are automatic disqualifications to me. I want a good developer, and if the best one happens to not have great resume-writing skills, I can't understand why I would want to hold that against him/her.
Click to expand...

Personally, I think someone who can't even spellcheck a resume (or at least proofread) would fit under the lack-of-attention-to-detail category. Or maybe worse - laziness. Do you want someone like that working for you ? Writing / documenting your code ? Teaming with others who are dependent upon him/her ?

It's not just about this 1 time resume (nevermind it being the 1 time it matters most for that potential employee).
 
BTW, I didn't see anyone mention the method of sifting through piles of resumes by keyword searches. HR people do that, don't they ?
 
Tips for Creating a Concise Resume
by Kim Isaacs, MA, CPRW, NCRW
Monster.com?s Resume Expert

Are you asking yourself any of these questions:


How long should my resume be?
How can I fit all my experience on one page?
What can I eliminate, and what should be highlighted?


Monster.com Resume Expert
 
A friend of mine helped me tailor my resume to look like this. She said it's based on templates executives use when submitting their resumes and it catches peoples eyes and quickly shows personal/technical skills without having to read through a chronological job history to pull out information.
 
Wonder how many times I have to post this...buy this book and save yourself a lot of time.

Originally posted by: kranky
Why are we looking for reasons to automatically disqualify people just from looking at a damn resume? Maybe if I was hiring a resume writer it would make sense, but not for other jobs!

I don't understand why we (people who hire developers) are so rigid in the way we demand certain rules be followed on a resume, and use that to remove people from consideration. I'll tell you how I do it - I read all the resumes, the bad ones and the good. I don't expect a developer to be a top quality writer, so I'm not offended at a poorly written resume for that type of job. I'm looking for a good software developer.

Here are some reasons I've heard co-workers use to justify putting someone's resume on the "don't interview" pile:
1. Resume had only about ten lines on the second page. Should have edited it to keep that from happening because it looks bad.
2. Misspelled the name of a city.
3. Too much detail caused the resume to run three pages.
4. Didn't put an email address at the top of the resume, and one co-worker didn't like calling people to schedule interviews.
5. Margins too small.

None of those are automatic disqualifications to me. I want a good developer, and if the best one happens to not have great resume-writing skills, I can't understand why I would want to hold that against him/her.
Click to expand...

The resume is the best possible face you can present to a potential employer. You should be at your spit-shined best. If you are not, then someone who is will get the job. If you do not have a perfect resume you are hurting yourself. When I was a hiring manager I would toss out any resume that was not perfect, since it reflected a lack of attention to detail...something every employee must have to succeed.
 
Originally posted by: HappyPuppy
Everybody knows that resumes are just condensed bullsh!t. If you can make it entertaining enough you might get an interview.
Click to expand...

LOL exactly. I don't think many potential employers fully believe every word in the resume. Of course, it's important, but when you describe yourself you just can't be objective and everybody knows that.
 
I should have been more clear. I agree that people should do the best possible job on their resume.

I was saying that I've seen cases where someone's resume got tossed aside for flimsy reasons, some of which were based on nothing except someone's personal preferences about margins. The example of the spelling error was from a resume where the guy listed the eight cities he did support for, and one of the cities was spelled wrong.

But if the best of 50 candidates happened to have only ten lines of text on the second page of his resume, it would be stupid of me to pass him/her up for that reason.

If anything, it should point out that resumes get processed with strange criteria sometimes, and people should pay attention to the most minute detail just to avoid possibly getting weeded out for something trivial.
 
You may be able to maintain a short resume at your age. Keep it brief, yet descriptive. Target your resume towards the job. If you are applying for a VB job, emphasize your VB work and reduce details on experience that isn't likely to be related to the job.

My current resume is almost three full pages and the next update to my resume will involve removing or condensing my earlier work. I've been a contractor for eight years and have worked for twelve different employers so there is no way I would ever be able to fit it on one page. I am currently interviewing for some fulltime positions and I have not had any negative feedback from would be employers or head hunters regarding the length of my resume.
 
just a few suggestions.

you have no idea how many times i've seen:

Mastery of ...blablabla... "Microsoft XP"

of course there is the ever famous: "experience in programming" which means "using frontpage to make a webpage"

please spellcheck and please proofread 🙂

2 pages are fine just don't BS. people will pick up on that really quickly. i mean, i'd rather, personally, not get an interview instead of wasting my time and get an interview where i have no chance.

-young
 
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