My Short Take on a Resume Structure & Size.

Keep it simple when talking about the resume and its components. Start by reading it yourself from the perspective of a recruiter! Period.

A concise, keyword-focused structure is of paramount importance. Begin with a compelling summary with a focus on these 3 W's.

• Who you are?
• What qualities do you possess??
• What will you bring to the new role or to the business?

You're already shortlisted for the next selection level if you can precisely nail these 3 W's within the 3-4 short paragraphs of your resume intro. They will compel?the reader to 'want to meet you' and know more.

When talking about the resume size, the consensus is clearly?with the 1-2 pages maximum,?which is fine. If I could condense my four decades in aviation into 1 and a half pages - you could do better.?

The resume 'size dilemma' usually occurs with some of my clients who have either hopped around companies too frequently and changed jobs much too often, or with some clients who have a large list of relevant training, certifications, or similar information that they consider critical to support their employment bid.

The solution for the first group is to mention only the most critical (and relevant to the role being applied for) job responsibilities and accountabilities, for the past roles dating back 8-10 years,?also depending on the number of companies that they may have worked for during that period.

I prefer to use a maximum of 5 concisely worded key functions/responsibilities per experience.?For work experience prior to the 10 years, mention only the company name, followed by your title or the position that you held.?

For the second case, I have devised a solution that works fine for my clients who have supporting evidence that they would like to submit to the company.

Mention as much as you can within the resume constraints, using the most relevant information as a priority, and add a note to that area in your resume, indicating that a list containing more of such information or data is attached to the resume as an 'addendum'. If they are interested, they will go into it.

Finally, the importance of customizing your resume to a job can never be understated. You should feel satisfied if your resume corresponds to at least 60% of the job's requirements outlined in the JD. In this context, 75%-80% is considered ideal. Do that!