Quick view of resumes

A Quick Look at Resumes

I recently submitted my retirement notice, prompting my employer to open up my position. Since I’ll still be on board intermittently for a while, I was invited to participate in the interview process.

I was shocked by the quality of many of the resumes we received.

Three of them could easily be described as books, with the longest stretching to ten pages. It seemed like candidates began each entry with the job posting details, followed by lengthy descriptions of their responsibilities.

One resume was particularly problematic: it was a solid block of text without any bullet points outlining job duties. Another had bullet points, but they were overly detailed, resulting in a six-page document that did little to showcase individual achievements.

The remaining two candidates also submitted resumes that primarily listed job responsibilities without highlighting any specific accomplishments.

While one resume managed to remain concise at a single page, the second had just a solitary line on the back.

I’ve often expressed my high standards for resumes, yet I must say that, even at their worst, the resumes I’ve critiqued here would rank in the top 40% of those we reviewed in interviews.

I’ll continue to maintain my high expectations for resumes, but it’s evident that there are many that fall far short of the mark out there.

On a brighter note, I’m pleased that my boss persuaded me to work part-time after retirement; they may really appreciate the extra help.