Q.: How long should a resume be? Do you think it is important to include things like hobbies, interests and personal achievements, and if so, how much space should they use up? And what order should work experience, education, skills and interests come?

A.: Writing a resume is the first step to any career. A resume should be no longer than two pages and not burdened with too many details. It should be concise and clearly demonstrate what a person has achieved professionally and personally.

First of all, it should clearly present your educational and professional background, along with a clearly indicated job objective.

When describing your previous experience, it is not only important to show where you’ve worked and the positions you’ve occupied, but also to give a detailed outline of your job responsibilities for each job.

As for hobbies and personal interests, they may be included at the very end of your resume, but that kind of information is rarely of crucial interest to a potential employer.

Nevertheless, mentioning some interests, such as sports, can be advantageous as it reflects an active approach to life. But remember, hobbies that are too extraordinary can sometimes ruin an impression and distract attention from your more important attributes.

Generally speaking, a resume should let a potential employer know that you are the right person for the job.



Q.: I find my immediate boss very difficult to work for. She is very power hungry and is always looking for opportunities to make me feel bad or to make me look bad in front of others. What is the best way to deal with this? Should I speak to someone above her about the problem, confront her about it, try to change roles or look for another place of work altogether?

A.: Unfortunately, problems in communicating with an immediate boss are quite common, and it can be a very frustrating experience.

Quite often, those who attain a degree of power in a company are not mature enough to deserve it, or lack the right managerial skills to handle employees.

There aren’t any rules to follow when such problems arise. This is something that must be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

The best thing I can say is don’t be afraid to articulate your feelings when such problems arise. Often, these kinds of difficulties arise out of improper communication.

Please contact The Leader at editor@theleader.ru if you have any work-related questions that you would like a recruitment expert to answer. The questions will be published anonymously.