Resume Tips

How to Write a Resume « Back

Resumes are a marketing tool to sell your experience and qualifications to potential employers.

The resume is a personal statement of your education and experience, as well as your career direction for the future. It should highlight your relevant qualifications and accomplishments as they relate to the employer’s current needs.

Dos

Begin with a clear objective tailored to the specific job for which you are applying.
Start sentences with action verbs.
Quantify your experience whenever possible, citing figures that demonstrate progress due directly to your work.
Limit your resume to no more than two pages.
Organize education and employment in reverse chronological order.
List accomplishments whenever possible rather than just describing duties.
Give attention to the attractiveness and clarity of the resume.
Proofread it numerous times.

Don'ts

Sell yourself short.
Include personal information such as: social security number, marital status, health, citizenship, age, children or religion.
Provide irrelevant information such as travel history, previous pay rates, reasons for leaving jobs, irrelevant awards, associations and memberships. Or the phrase “References upon request.”
List references with your resume. Prepare a separate list to be offered at interview time.
Make it a biography of everything you have ever done.
Use introductory phrases such as “My duties included” or “I was responsible for.”
Use unusual font types, underlines, italics, shading, graphics, and adjusted spacing. This will prevent your resume from being easily accessed by different computer programs.

Resume Cover Letter

The Cover Letter briefly describes what you can do for the Employer.