One Sheet: What it is and How it Helps You Ace an Interview
If you go into Google and search for examples of resumes, what’s going to come up are these really pretty documents that are really structured, contain graphics and are presented in a way that is usually not chronological. While they are quite beautiful and look really nice- those are actually one sheets and not resumes.
If you were to use one of those one sheets pictured to apply for a position online it wouldn’t work very well, as they wouldn’t be likely to make it through the applicant tracking system (ATS). If you were to physically hand out your resume to someone, a one sheet may be a good option but generally they don’t usually include enough information necessary for the interviewer to make their decision during the first interview.
There are two instances during which I would suggest using a one sheet.
1.Networking- You can customize your one sheet for that particular networking event to highlight the specific skills and experience relevant to that industry for you to pass out.
2. Before/After an Interview- As previously mentioned, employers typically do not like it when a resume is submitted that is not formatted in chronological order so it is important to make sure that the resume submitted is in chronological order. However, One sheet information can be structured in other ways such as by category, by results, more like a marketing piece which markets you and your background to potential employers. During the interview process, you can customize your one sheet for that specific job, showing how you meet those criteria and how you have all of these skills that will benefit the organization and it looks really nice, formatted and well-prepared. You can distribute your one sheet during your interview if it is in person, or if your interview is scheduled over Zoom, you can either email it to the interviewer beforehand or include it as part of the follow up process.
Many of my clients have had great success with this as it takes a lot of connecting the dots out of the hiring process for the interviewer because the one sheet specifically explains how they meet or exceed all of the criteria for the job they are applying for.
If you need help determining if a one sheet would be beneficial for you in your job searching journey or need help knowing what to put on or how to create your one sheet, schedule a free call at www.morleycareersolutions.com/career or by calling/texting 708-730-4694.