I’ve seen three styles of resumes. Based on the sample styles described below, Which do you prefer to use and why? (Or, suggest your own and explain why you like it better than the rest!)
Under each job entry on my resume, I should use:
a) One long paragraph about my duties
b) Several one-line phrases with each phrase emphasizing an important skill or accomplishment
c) A laundry list of skills or experience strung together as a paragraph, such as:
Supervises a small group, manages budgets, prepares reports, delivers presentations, moves mountains…
For each style, I can see advantages and disadvantages.
I also vote for “b”. I consider the use of actual bullets for the points to be optional, though. That’s more of a stylistic choice. If you are in a field like marketing, actual bullets are definitely the way to go. In a more technical, less persuasive field, the bullets might be considered “flashy.” I’d still recommend the one-line phrases, though. And no cutesy bullets, just dots.
I think option “a” could be the right choice for some academic or government resumes/CVs. If the position emphasizes formality over flash, this would one way to make your resume style match that environment.
I can’t see any reason for c. It just seems like lazy writing.
One last tip is that, to the extent possible, phrase each bullet as a quantifiable accomplishment. Not “managed accounts receivable” but “improved collections by 7% on an annual base of $500,000 revenue” or whatever miracle you worked with those receivables.
Bullet points take up a ton of space. They are great if you have relatively little work experience or need to highlight what applies from a semi-irrelevant job. When you start having lots of relevant experience but aren’t quite to the point where you’re “allowed” to go over one page, they become a distinct problem.
