Resume Tips: Do’s & Don’ts

Do’s

    Detailed Contact Information

    Make sure your résumé includes:

      • your name
      • mailing address,
      • phone number(s),

    In case your résumé gets separated from your cover letter; a potential employer will have another way to contact you.

    Use Strong, Energetic Words

    To grab the attention of potential employers, try to be as descriptive as possible. Give the employer a good idea about the nature of your past work experiences. Be clear and concise about your duties and responsibilities, and highlight your accomplishments.

    Format or Layout of your Resume

    When formatting your past work experience, make sure to use words in the past-tense.  Example: Prepared monthly reports
    If you are presently working at your most recent employer, use present-tense wording. Example: Preparing monthly reports
    Also, use one writing style or technique. Have consistency in your text throughout your resume. Example: Keep the dates in the same format; September 2009, Sept 09, 09/09 etc.

    Get to the Point

    You want to quickly capture an employer's attention with easy to read information. Consider beginning your résumé with a specific, highly condensed summary of your professional background, skills, and attributes. A summary also helps to give your résumé focus.

    Edit and Proofread Very Carefully

    The importance of proofreading your résumé for typos, misspelled words, and grammatical errors is very important. Have several other people go over your resume. Even small mistakes can lead a potential employer to believe that you might not make a very careful or conscientious employee. Any obvious mistakes will hurt your credibility.

    Customize and be Specific

    If you have a broad range of experience, you may want to consider having more than one résumé, each targeted to a specific industry or job.

    State your Aim

    It's important to be clear about your goals and objectives, as well as the industry or position that is of interest to you. An employer should be able to take a glance at your résumé and have a good idea of what you want to do.

    Emphasize Achievements

    Employers are interested in your accomplishments or ways you added value.
    For example: The fact that you implemented cost-cutting measures that reduced your department's expenses by 15 percent is far more meaningful than simply stating you oversaw a budget.
    Quantify your achievements in terms of percentages, dollar amounts, or time frames to make your accomplishments more solid.

    Put Education in the Right Place

    If you are a recent graduate who does not yet have much work experience, make sure to put the emphasis on your education. In addition to listing the school you attended, include information on degrees earned, majors and minors, grade point average, date of program completion, and any scholarships or honors received. Once you have got several years of work experience under your belt, this education information can move to the end of the résumé.

    Include References

    Instead of presenting references "upon request," it's a good idea to include a list of references up front or at least have the list readily available. Make sure it's a list of professional associates that you trust to speak well of your skills and past accomplishments to prospective employers.


Don’ts

Long List of Duties

Avoid the use of phrases such as "responsibilities included" or "duties included". Followed by a job description employers want to hear about your accomplishments, not just a list of your assigned duties. Also avoid using the pronouns “I” or “me”.

Be Misleading

Make sure not to include any misleading or false information on your résumé. Chances are your "inaccuracies" will eventually be discovered, and you'll lose credibility with your prospective employer.

No Pictures

You should avoid attaching your picture to the resume, unless specifically requested by the employer.

List of Work Experiences

If you have job experiences that are not relevant to the current opportunity, you should omit them or only briefly mention the position. There is no need to list all your work experience, if you apply for an executive position; mentioning that you used to sell burgers 10 years ago may not help you get it.

No hobbies

Only list hobbies if you believe there is a link to the position you are seeling

Resume Templates: It’s the Message, Not the Media

Your resume says a lot about you and the time and effort you put into creating it. Using resume templates is a good way to ensure you get the right information in the right places, where the interviewer is expecting the find it. If you have the ability to differentiate the appearance of your resume, go for it, but keep it professional. The content of the resume should be the most important aspect of your resume and the wow factor.