• It should be no more than two pages long, and a single page is better. To keep it concise, every word should count. Recruiters spend on average about ten seconds reading each new resume, so it needs to be broadly compelling, leaving details for the interview.
• It should include a brief personal statement of what only the applicant and no one else can bring to the job. Link it to accomplishments and achievements on previous jobs.
• It should include no mistakes. Always check for correct spelling and grammar. Do not trust spell check to catch every mistake, as a spelling may correct for the wrong word. Recruiters have very low tolerance for mistakes; they go quickly to the next resume.
• It should be as visually attractive as possible. What attracts the eye keeps the eye. Bullet points, short sentences, and good text spacing make it easy to read and hold the recruiter’s attention.
• It should use keywords. Recruiters often find resumes via keyword searches through online databases, so use the most appropriate industry standard job titles, sectors, and project names. Because employers sometimes track keywords to find candidates, use of several resumes with variable keywords depending on the position, company, and area of oil and gas work may be a good idea.
• It should be relevant. For a job with certain skills or experience, tailor the resume to make the applicant’s skills align to job requirements and attractive to employers.
• It should include interesting facts. Everybody loves statistics, even recruiters, so include some facts and figures about past projects, Norway jobs, for instance. These tangibilities illustrate the applicant’s achievements and value to employers.
• It should be in Microsoft Word document format, the industry standard that recruiters prefer for file handling. Downloading large portable document format files with lots of photos annoys them, so they move on without opening the resume. They have no shortage of resumes to look and won’t see any that keep them waiting.
Chronological and Functional Resumes
Stick with a consistent format, whether chronological or functional, throughout the resume document. The chronological resumes lists previous employments in reverse chronological order, the most recent first. This format showcases the details of roles and responsibilities that led to the job search in oil and gas. One disadvantage is that it highlights holes in employment histories. Functional resumes visually underscore skills, a feature that can be helpful in stressing those transferable to the oil and gas industry, particularly if the applicant has not worked there before.
The resume should be clear and intelligible to anyone in oil and gas especially if the applicant seeks a job as a newcomer to the field. This resume variation should emphasize the applicant’s abilities to fulfill the employer’s requirements. The functional format is not easy to skim, however, and some recruiters won’t take the time to piece background and experience together. An employment summary at the top of the resume may help and encourage them to read it through.
Advisory Conclusion
A resume should be an ever-evolving document that quickly and clearly illustrates the applicant’s specific talents for the job. The applicant should review it regularly to keep it dynamic with updated information and new ideas.