Testing : What makes a good resume?

On the subject of resumes, there seems to be an unending discussion
of whether you should or shouldn't have a one-page resume. The
followings are some of the comments I have personally heard: "Well,
Joe Blow (car salesman) said I should have a one-page resume." "Well,
I read a book and it said you should have a one page resume." "I can't
really go into what I really did because if I did, it'd take more than
one page on my resume." "Gosh, I wish I could put my job at IBM on my
resume but if I did it'd make my resume more than one page, and I was
told to never make the resume more than one page long." "I'm confused,
should my resume be more than one page? I feel like it should, but I
don't want to break the rules." Or, here's another comment, "People
just don't read resumes that are longer than one page." I have heard
some more, but we can start with these. So what's the answer? There is
no scientific answer about whether a one-page resume is right or
wrong. It all depends on who you are and how much experience you have.
The first thing to look at here is the purpose of a resume. The
purpose of a resume is to get you an interview. If the resume is
getting you interviews, then it is considered to be a good resume. If
the resume isn't getting you interviews, then you should change it.
The biggest mistake you can make on your resume is to make it hard to
read. Why? Because, for one, scanners don't like odd resumes. Small
fonts can make your resume harder to read. Some candidates use a
7-point font so they can get the resume onto one page. Big mistake.
Two, resume readers do not like eye strain either. If the resume is
mechanically challenging, they just throw it aside for one that is
easier on the eyes. Three, there are lots of resumes out there these
days, and that is also part of the problem. Four, in light of the
current scanning scenario, more than one page is not a deterrent
because many will scan your resume into their database. Once the
resume is in there and searchable, you have accomplished one of the
goals of resume distribution. Five, resume readers don't like to guess
and most won't call you to clarify what is on your resume. Generally
speaking, your resume should tell your story. If you're a college
graduate looking for your first job, a one-page resume is just fine.
If you have a longer story, the resume needs to be longer. Please put
your experience on the resume
so resume readers can tell when and for whom you did what. Short
resumes -- for people long on experience -- are not appropriate. The
real audience for these short resumes is people with short attention
spans and low IQs. I assure you that when your resume gets into the
right hands, it will be read thoroughly.