What does your resume REALLY say about you?

I look at dozens of resumes every day.  I have seen almost every kind of resume and every format imaginable.  And everytime I read a resume, I ask 2 questions:

1)  Who is this candidate?

2)  What is his experience?

3)  And how does it relate to my client's business (is he/ she qualified?)

I, and prospective employers too, can only take a moment to get an initial impression of a candidate from his resume. If it is wordy and looks like War and Peace, if it is more than 2-3 pages, it will likely go into the "not interested" pile.

There is one thing that I do not often see on resumes that I think are important:  A brief description of each company you worked for and the business they are in or products they make.

Also, you should not put your salary history on your resume, or write the reasons you left a company on your resume.  These are two topics for discussion, not inclusion in your resume.

I hope this is helpful.  More to come in the next few days.