Long gone are the days when resumes simply listed what your duties were for different jobs. Resumes were plain and neat and even had a heading of “Resume.” The section after your contact information was the famous “objective” section.

How much do you know about resumes today? Take this quiz and see if you might need a little help with the process. If so, reach out to me at chrystal@chrystalnova.com. I am here to help.

1) It is not uncommon for people to have at least two versions of their resume. True / False
2) Resumes are marketing tools and should be designed with that in mind. True / False
3) There is no difference between a networking resume and your job search resume. True / False
4) Most job seekers know how to write ATS friendly resumes. True / False
5) Most people should avoid using color on their resumes. True / False
6) Resumes for Federal Jobs are written in the same format as those used for
corporate or nonprofit positions. True / False
7) CVs and resumes are the same document. The terminology is interchangeable. True / False
8) Keywords are critical to the resume and should be used in context. True / False
9) It is not necessary to put accomplishments in the resume. You can bring them to
the interview. True / False
10) Resume templates are good to use when writing your resume. True / False

Answers

1) True… Resumes are targeted and tweaked to the different positions you seek.
2) True…They should be visually appealing and should highlight and your skills and value to an employer.
3) False… A networking resume is generally given in person and is typically a one page document that highlights your
professional life with less details.
4) False… Most job seekers do not know how to write ATS friendly resumes. The structure needs to be simple and highlight skills and accomplishments and meet a number of the criterion in the job announcement.
5) False… Most resumes can use color if desired, however, it is important to understand the implications of certain color in different segments of the workplace. Neutral colors are best such as different tones of blue.
6) False… Resumes for the Federal Government tend to be longer and more details. The resume can be quite different.
7) False… Often the words are used interchangeably but they are different. CVs are longer and literally mean “the course of one’s life.” They may include research, publications, and conference presentations for example.
8) True… Keywords are critical in the resume. In essence they let the potential employer (and the ATS) know that you are knowledgeable in a particular role and have some experience.
9) False… The potential employer wants to understand the contributions you made in a particular role. What is the value you might bring to their setting?
10) Maybe… There are templates that are ATS friendly and there are ones that will cause you not to rank and get through the ATS. They can be helpful in formatting your resumes, but there may be glitches that cause some of your information not to be read. One generally agreed upon factor, is do not use Canva to write your resume. Images and graphics as well as the way the ATS machine reads resumes is not conducive to Canva.