Employers provided feedback on resumes through a survey conducted by The Career Center at Seminole Futures and Engineering Day career fairs. Most employers said resume format and layout is very important and prefer a simple, one-page resume in Times New Roman or Calibri font. They look at resumes for 15-30 seconds so the most important elements are keywords from job descriptions, concrete skills and examples, and quantifiable results. Employers advise highlighting language, soft, computer and transferable skills and including a GPA above 3.0, but not unrelated experiences or additional certifications. They recommend having the Career Center review resumes to fix issues like misspellings, disorganization, and missing dates or details.

1. WHAT EMPLOYERS SAY ABOUT
Employers are the ones with hiring power, so how about going right to the source? It seems that everyone has something
different to say about résumés. In January 2017,The Career Center surveyed employers at Seminole Futures and Engineering
Day career fairs to get their feedback about resumes.
113 employers completed the survey
How important are the format and
layout of résumés?
61% 37%
VERY IMPORTANT
2%
NOT IMPORTANT
What would you suggest for students who have
many job-relevant experiences on their résumé?
44% Fit everything on one page with little white
space.
22%
A two page résumé that highlights all
experiences.
22%
Take off some related experiences so it fits
on one page
38%
11 pt
28%
12 pt
19%
10 pt
Font Size Preferred
TIMES NEW
ROMAN27%
12%
12%
CALIBRI
OTHER
ARIAL
Font
Preferred
Most important
element on a résumés
in terms
of design?
SIMPLICITY
The Most Important Thing on a Résumé
1. Words from a job description
2. Skills Learned
3. Concrete examples
4. Quantifiable
5. Information/Results
Preferred Organizational Format
50%
Chronological 53%
Functional & Chronological 39%
Functional 6%
Other 2%
75% of employers prefer to see dates written out: September 2017 - April 2018.
RÉSUMÉS
SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT
DESIGN AND LAYOUT
FORMAT

2. Employers agree that career objectives are not
usually helpful.
UNLESS CONCRETE SKILLS ARE INDICATED.
URLS TO INCLUDE
Personal
Website
Social
Media
WHAT SHOULD YOUR EXPERIENCES HIGHLIGHT?
1. Basic language skills
2. Soft Skills (communication, interpersonal
skills, leadership)
3. Basic computer skills
SHOULD YOU INCLUDE GPA ON A RÉSUMÉ?
43% 40% 11% 6%
If above
3.0
Always Don’t
include
Other
SHOULD YOU INCLUDE
UNRELATED EXPERIENCES?
SHOULD YOU INCLUDE
ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATIONS?
A majority of employers spend 15 TO 30 SECONDS REVIEWING A RÉSUMÉ.
REASONS FOR RÉSUMÉ REJECTION
1. Misspelled words
2. Unorganized format
3. Lack of identifiable skills
4. Dates are missing
5. No detailed description
of positions
Employers advise students to visit THE CAREER CENTER for résumé critiques and feedback.
Visit CAREER.FSU.EDU or call 850-644-6431.
Keep in mind
S4 Method: Simple, Smart, Specific, Skillful.
SIMPLE “Less is always more”
SMART “Sell yourself by showing what you learned”
SPECIFIC “Quantify your accomplishments”
SKILLFUL “Focus on transferable skills”
YES
49%42%
9%
NO
59% NO
PREFERENCE
22%
YES
19%
NO
71% of employers say it is helpful to include a Summary/Profile of Qualifications.
A majority of employers prefer receiving résumés by email or website application.
SKILLS AND CONTENT
REVIEW AND DELIVERY
NO
PREFERENCE