'Make Your Resumes Boring,' Says Ex-Google, Apple Recruiter, Debunking Myth Of Artistic Resumes

We all strive to make our resumes stand out by enhancing their design, layout, and appearance. However, a former recruiter for Google, Apple, Samsung, and Nvidia advises a different approach: keep your resumes 'boring.'

Keep resumes simple and straightforward

According to Stefanie Fackrell, who has spent around 15 years in the recruitment industry, simple and straightforward resumes are the most effective. 

Also read: Debunking Resume Myths: Recruiter Reveals What You Should Delete From Your CV

Fackrell, now an HR consultant, advises against using colors, charts, graphs, or pictures. Instead, she recommends a clean format that highlights the job seeker's accomplishments.

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"When I used to work at Google, people would always submit artistic resumes with charts and the Google colors," Fackrell shared with CNBC Make It. 

Rather than listing titles and achievements, these resumes often used columns and quadrants. However, Fackrell believes such designs can make the content harder to read.

She emphasised the importance of a resume that presents your qualifications clearly and concisely within 10 to 60 seconds.

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"A resume is showcasing you in a 10-to-60-second format on paper," Fackrell noted.

She advised telling a compelling story and ensuring the document is no longer than two pages to stand out in a competitive applicant pool.

Other dos and don'ts of a good resume

Fackrell also highlights a common mistake: listing daily tasks instead of achievements. 

Also read: 'Important To Have, Doesn't Matter If It's 2 Pages': How A Two-Page Resume Helped Woman Land Jobs At Amazon, Google

"Where a lot of people make mistakes on their resume is they’re listing out their daily job duties," she told CNBC Make It. 

Instead, resumes should showcase accomplishments mixed with some job duties. Simply listing duties leaves hiring managers wondering about your contributions and suggests a lack of effort in crafting the resume, which could reflect poorly on your potential job performance.

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Another crucial element Fackrell examines is how dates of employment are presented. Some candidates list only the years, which isn't a red flag but does raise questions.

"It makes recruiters think, 'what are they trying to get away with?'," says Fackrell.

Fackrell advises using both the month and year to provide complete information.

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