by Monika Sziron, Ph.D.
This week on the HigherEdJobs Podcast, Kelly and Andy chat with Rainer Neely and Michael Scott from Clemson University about resume dos and don’ts.
Have you kept up with current norms in resume writing? If not, Neely and Scott share great advice for revisiting your resume.
Neely says, “my main suggestion is to have a master resume of your entire experience from first job to current situation.”
But Neely adds, the master resume is not the resume you should use to apply for positions. Each resume you submit should be puzzled together with your relevant experience. If the job of ‘car wash attendant’ from your high school/college years proves no relevant experience for the job you are applying for, remove it. Only include the jobs and careers that prove you are capable of the job you are applying for.
For each position on your resume include only “three to five bullets, really just show the role, the skill obtained or used, the measurables you delivered within that company.”
Have you ever considered putting a category of ‘hobbies’ on your resume? Neely and Scott agree that this is an optional category, but it could very well help you in the interview. “That that is something that will either start the conversation during the interview or you can potentially end the interview as well.”
Scott also shares that any acronyms or jargon from your field should be explained in detail or translated on your resume. This applies for all fields in higher ed. There very well may be someone on the hiring committee that is not familiar with your field and the jargon, but this is also very important for any veterans transitioning into civilian roles. Scott a veteran himself says, “we use a lot of jargon, we use a lot of acronyms, and it is very hard for somebody who hasn’t been in that world to read resumes that are just the bullets taken from your latest military evaluation and slapped onto a resume.”
Check out the full episode for many more tips and advice on the dos and don’ts of resume writing.
Disclaimer: HigherEdJobs encourages free discourse and expression of issues while striving for accurate presentation to our audience. A guest opinion serves as an avenue to address and explore important topics, for authors to impart their expertise to our higher education audience and to challenge readers to consider points of view that could be outside of their comfort zone. The viewpoints, beliefs, or opinions expressed in the above piece are those of the author(s) and don’t imply endorsement by HigherEdJobs.
