Your Resume: What Employers Expect

By Sarah Roberts
Resume-Templates.com

A good piece of advice when doing any kind of writing is to gear your content towards the audience. In the case of a resume or cover letter, your audience is the potential employer. In order to gear your writing towards your audience, you need to know what they expect. So, what do employers expect from your resume?

A survey by the Association for Job Search Trainers asked recruiters various questions regarding what employers expect and prefer with resumes. One question they asked was regarding the format of a resume. The majority of respondents wanted to see a chronological resume, which is a standard resume with your name, objective, employment history and education, but this is changing. More and more employers would like a combination of a chronological and functional resume. A functional resume lists your experience in skill clusters.

Employers also expect your resume to be your best work. The quality of work done on your resume is considered an indication of the quality of work you will do for the employer. Spelling and grammar mistakes will hurt your resume. Imagine getting through all the interviews. The competition for the job is down to two people. The employer is sitting, trying to decide between the two candidates, and he or she notices a typo on your resume. Don't let proofreading keep you from getting the job you want.

Do not lie or even stretch the truth on your resume. It can get you in trouble later on. Many people believe that they can lie on their resume because no one ever checks the facts. If you think that you can lie and not get caught, you're wrong. Eighty-two percent of employers check the background of their employees before they hire them. Many of them outsource this work to employment screening agencies. Common things that employers verify are employment (including dates, position, and salary), education, criminal records, driving records, and credit. Employers expect you to tell the truth on your resume.

When you send an employer a resume, don't forget to send them a well-written cover letter. They expect it! If you don't know how to write a cover letter, you can find helpful information and over 150 samples in the Resume Templates Premium Package. In your cover letter you should ask for an interview and let the employer know how they can get in contact with you.

Don't forget to keep the audience in mind when creating a resume. Don't make the mistake of sending the same resume to every employer. Figure out what they will expect and make sure that it is included. Understanding the expectations of employers will increase you job hunting success.

More information on writing resumes that get interviews can be found in our Resume Template Package.

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