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1. Know the purpose of
your resume
Some people write a resume as if the purpose of the document was to land a
job. As a result they end up with a really long and boring piece that makes
them look like desperate job hunters. The objective of your resume is to
land an interview, and the interview will land you the job (hopefully!).
2. Back up your qualities and strengths
Instead of creating a long (and boring) list with all your qualities
(e.g., disciplined, creative, problem solver) try to connect them with real
life and work experiences. In other words, you need to back these qualities
and strengths up, else it will appear that you are just trying to inflate
things.
3. Make sure to use the right keywords
Most companies (even smaller ones) are already using digital databases to
search for candidates. This means that the HR department will run search
queries based on specific keywords. Guess what, if your resume doesn't have
the keywords related to the job you are applying for, you will be out even
before the game starts.
These keywords will usually be nouns. Check the job description and
related job ads for a clue on what the employer might be looking for. You
can read more about resume keywords on the article Tapping the Power of
Keywords to Enhance Your Resume's Effectiveness<http://www.
.
4. Use effective titles
Like it or not, employers will usually make a judgment about your resume
in 5 seconds. Under this time frame the most important aspect will be the
titles that you listed on the resume, so make sure they grab the attention.
Try to be as descriptive as possible, giving the employer a good idea about
the nature of your past work experiences. For example:
Bad title: Accounting
Good title: Management of A/R and A/P and Recordkeeping
5. Proofread it twice
It would be difficult to emphasize the importance of proofreading your
resume. One small typo and your chances of getting hired could slip.
Proofreading it once is not enough, so do it twice, three times or as many
as necessary. If you don't know how to proofread effectively, here are 8
tips that you can use<http://www.
.
6. Use bullet points
No employer will have the time (or patience) to read long paragraphs of
text. Make sure, therefore, to use bullet points and short sentences to
describe your experiences, educational background and professional
objectives.
7. Where are you going?
Including professional goals can help you by giving employers an idea of
where you are going, and how you want to arrive there. You don't need to
have a special section devoted to your professional objectives, but overall
the resume must communicate it. The question of whether or not to highlight
your career objectives on the resume is a polemic one among HR managers, so
go with your feeling. If you decide to list them, make sure they are not
generic.
8. Put the most important information first
This point is valid both to the overall order of your resume, as well as
to the individual sections. Most of the times your previous work experience
will be the most important part of the resume, so put it at the top. When
describing your experiences or skills, list the most important ones first.
9. Attention to the typography
First of all make sure that your fonts are big enough. The smaller you
should go is 11 points, but 12 is probably safer. Do not use capital
letters all over the place, remember that your goal is to communicate a
message as fast and as clearly as possible. Arial and Times are good
choices.
10. Do not include "no kidding" information
There are many people that like to include statements like "Available for
interview" or "References available upon request." If you are sending a
resume to a company, it should be a given that you are available for an
interview and that you will provide references if requested. Just avoid
items that will make the employer think "no kidding!"
11. Explain the benefits of your skills
Merely stating that you can do something will not catch the attention of
the employer. If you manage to explain how it will benefit his company, and
to connect it to tangible results, then you will greatly improve your
chances.
12. Avoid negativity
Do not include information that might sound negative in the eyes of the
employer. This is valid both to your resume and to interviews. You don't
need to include, for instance, things that you hated about your last
company.
13. Achievements instead of responsibilities
Resumes that include a long list of "responsibilities included…" are plain
boring, and not efficient in selling yourself. Instead of listing
responsibilities, therefore, describe your professional achievements.
14. No pictures
Sure, we know that you are good looking, but unless you are applying for a
job where the physical traits are very important (e.g., modeling, acting
and so on), and unless the employer specifically requested it, you should
avoid attaching your picture to the resume.
15. Use numbers
This tip is a complement to the 13th one. If you are going to describe
your past professional achievements, it would be a good idea to make them
as solid as possible. Numbers are your friends here. Don't merely mention
that you increased the annual revenues of your division, say that you
increased them by $100,000, by 78%, and so on.
16. One resume for each employer
One of the most common mistakes that people make is to create a standard
resume and send it to all the job openings that they can find. Sure it will
save you time, but it will also greatly decrease the chances of landing an
interview (so in reality it could even represent a waste of time). Tailor
your resume for each employer. The same point applies to your cover letters.
17. Identify the problems of the employer
A good starting point to tailor your resume for a specific employer is to
identify what possible problems he might have at hand. Try to understand
the market of the company you are applying for a job, and identify what
kind of difficulties they might be going through. After that illustrate on
your resume how you and your skills would help to solve those problems.
18. Avoid age discrimination
It is illegal to discriminate people because of their age, but some
employers do these considerations nonetheless. Why risk the trouble? Unless
specifically requested, do not include your age on your resume.
19. You don't need to list all your work experiences
If you have job experiences that you are not proud of, or that are not
relevant to the current opportunity, you should just omit them. Mentioning
that you used to sell hamburgers when you were 17 is probably not going to
help you land that executive position.
20. Go with what you got
If you never had any real working experience, just include your summer
jobs or volunteer work. If you don't have a degree yet, mention the title
and the estimated date for completion. As long as those points are relevant
to the job in question, it does not matter if they are official or not.
21. Sell your fish
Remember that you are trying to sell yourself. As long as you don't go
over the edge, all the marketing efforts that you can put in your resume
(in its content, design, delivery method and so on) will give you an
advantage over the other candidates.
22. Don't include irrelevant information
Irrelevant information such as political affiliation, religion and sexual
preference will not help you. In fact it might even hurt your chances of
landing an interview. Just skip it.
23. Use Mr. and Ms. if appropriate
If you have a gender neutral name like Alex or Ryan make sure to include
the Mr. or Ms. prefix, so that employers will not get confused about your
gender.
24. No lies, please
Seems like a no brainer, but you would be amused to discover the amount of
people that lie in their resumes. Even small lies should be avoided. Apart
from being wrong, most HR departments do background checks these days, and
if you are buster it might ruin your credibility for good.
25. Keep the salary in mind
The image you will create with your resume must match the salary and
responsibility level that you are aiming for.
26. Analyze job ads
You will find plenty of useful information on job ads. Analyze no only the
ad that you will be applying for, but also those from companies on the same
segment or offering related positions. You should be able to identify what
profile they are looking for and how the information should be presented.
27. Get someone else to review your resume
Even if you think you resume is looking kinky, it would be a good idea to
get a second and third opinion about it. We usually become blind to our own
mistakes or way of reasoning, so another people will be in a good position
to evaluate the overall quality of your resume and make appropriate
suggestions.
28. One or two pages
The ideal length for a resume is a polemic subject. Most employers and
recruiting specialists, however, say that it should contain one or two
pages at maximum. Just keep in mind that, provided all the necessary
information is there, the shorter your resume, the better.
29. Use action verbs
A very common advice to job seekers is to use action verbs. But what are
they? Action verbs are basically verbs that will get noticed more easily,
and that will clearly communicate what your experience or achievement were.
Examples include managed, coached, enforced and planned. Here you can find
a complete list of action verbs divided by skill category<http://www.
.
30. Use a good printer
If you are going to use a paper version of your resume, make sure to use a
decent printer. Laser printers usually get the job done. Plain white paper
is the preferred one as well.
31. No hobbies
Unless you are 100% sure that some of your hobbies will support you
candidacy, avoid mentioning them. I know you are proud of your swimming
team, but share it with your friends and not with potential employers.
32. Update your resume regularly
It is a good idea to update your resume on a regular basis. Add all the
new information that you think is relevant, as well as courses, training
programs and other academic qualifications that you might receive along the
way. This is the best way to keep track of everything and to make sure that
you will not end up sending an obsolete document to the employer.
33. Mention who you worked with
If you have reported or worked with someone that is well known in your
industry, it could be a good idea to mention it on the resume. The same
thing applies to presidents and CEOs. If you reported to or worked directly
with highly ranked executives, add it to the resume.
34. No scattered information
Your resume must have a clear focus. If would cause a negative impression
if you mentioned that one year you were studying drama, and the next you
were working as an accountant. Make sure that all the information you will
include will work towards a unified image. Employers like decided people.
35. Make the design flow with white space
Do not jam your resume with text. Sure we said that you should make your
resume as short and concise as possible, but that refers to the overall
amount of information and not to how much text you can pack in a single
sheet of paper. White space between the words, lines and paragraphs can
improve the legibility of your resume.
36. Lists all your positions
If you have worked a long time for the same company (over 10 years) it
could be a good idea to list all the different positions and roles that you
had during this time separately. You probably had different
responsibilities and developed different skills on each role, so the
employer will like to know it.
37. No jargon or slang
It should be common sense, but believe me, it is not. Slang should never
be present in a resume. As for technical jargon, do not assume that the
employer will know what you are talking about. Even if you are sending your
resume to a company in the same segment, the person who will read it for
the first time might not have any technical expertise.
38. Careful with sample resume templates
There are many websites that offer free resume templates. While they can
help you to get an idea of what you are looking for, do not just copy and
paste one of the most used ones. You certainly don't want to look just like
any other candidate, do you?
39. Create an email proof formatting
It is very likely that you will end up sending your resume via email to
most companies. Apart from having a Word document ready to go as an
attachment, you should also have a text version of your resume that does
not look disfigured in the body of the email or in online forms.
Attachments might get blocked by spam filters, and many people just prefer
having the resume on the body of the email itself.
40. Remove your older work experiences
If you have been working for 20 years or more, there is no need to have 2
pages of your resume listing all your work experiences, starting with the
job at the local coffee shop at the age of 17! Most experts agree that the
last 15 years of your career are enough.
41. No fancy design details
Do not use a colored background, fancy fonts or images on your resume.
Sure, you might think that the little flowers will cheer up the document,
but other people might just throw it away at the sight.
42. No pronouns
You resume should not contain the pronouns "I" or "me." That is how we
normally structure sentences, but since your resume is a document about
your person, using these pronouns is actually redundant.
43. Don't forget the basics
The first thing on your resume should be your name. It should be bold and
with a larger font than the rest of the text. Make sure that your contact
details are clearly listed. Secondly, both the name and contact details
should be included on all the pages of the resume (if you have more than
one).
44. Consider getting professional help
If you are having a hard time to create your resume, or if you are
receiving no response whatsoever from companies, you could consider hiring
a professional resume writing service. There are both local and online
options are available, and usually the investment will be worth the money.
Some people write a resume as if the purpose of the document was to land a
job. As a result they end up with a really long and boring piece that makes
them look like desperate job hunters. The objective of your resume is to
land an interview, and the interview will land you the job (hopefully!).
2. Back up your qualities and strengths
Instead of creating a long (and boring) list with all your qualities
(e.g., disciplined, creative, problem solver) try to connect them with real
life and work experiences. In other words, you need to back these qualities
and strengths up, else it will appear that you are just trying to inflate
things.
3. Make sure to use the right keywords
Most companies (even smaller ones) are already using digital databases to
search for candidates. This means that the HR department will run search
queries based on specific keywords. Guess what, if your resume doesn't have
the keywords related to the job you are applying for, you will be out even
before the game starts.
These keywords will usually be nouns. Check the job description and
related job ads for a clue on what the employer might be looking for. You
can read more about resume keywords on the article Tapping the Power of
Keywords to Enhance Your Resume's Effectiveness<http://www.
.
4. Use effective titles
Like it or not, employers will usually make a judgment about your resume
in 5 seconds. Under this time frame the most important aspect will be the
titles that you listed on the resume, so make sure they grab the attention.
Try to be as descriptive as possible, giving the employer a good idea about
the nature of your past work experiences. For example:
Bad title: Accounting
Good title: Management of A/R and A/P and Recordkeeping
5. Proofread it twice
It would be difficult to emphasize the importance of proofreading your
resume. One small typo and your chances of getting hired could slip.
Proofreading it once is not enough, so do it twice, three times or as many
as necessary. If you don't know how to proofread effectively, here are 8
tips that you can use<http://www.
.
6. Use bullet points
No employer will have the time (or patience) to read long paragraphs of
text. Make sure, therefore, to use bullet points and short sentences to
describe your experiences, educational background and professional
objectives.
7. Where are you going?
Including professional goals can help you by giving employers an idea of
where you are going, and how you want to arrive there. You don't need to
have a special section devoted to your professional objectives, but overall
the resume must communicate it. The question of whether or not to highlight
your career objectives on the resume is a polemic one among HR managers, so
go with your feeling. If you decide to list them, make sure they are not
generic.
8. Put the most important information first
This point is valid both to the overall order of your resume, as well as
to the individual sections. Most of the times your previous work experience
will be the most important part of the resume, so put it at the top. When
describing your experiences or skills, list the most important ones first.
9. Attention to the typography
First of all make sure that your fonts are big enough. The smaller you
should go is 11 points, but 12 is probably safer. Do not use capital
letters all over the place, remember that your goal is to communicate a
message as fast and as clearly as possible. Arial and Times are good
choices.
10. Do not include "no kidding" information
There are many people that like to include statements like "Available for
interview" or "References available upon request." If you are sending a
resume to a company, it should be a given that you are available for an
interview and that you will provide references if requested. Just avoid
items that will make the employer think "no kidding!"
11. Explain the benefits of your skills
Merely stating that you can do something will not catch the attention of
the employer. If you manage to explain how it will benefit his company, and
to connect it to tangible results, then you will greatly improve your
chances.
12. Avoid negativity
Do not include information that might sound negative in the eyes of the
employer. This is valid both to your resume and to interviews. You don't
need to include, for instance, things that you hated about your last
company.
13. Achievements instead of responsibilities
Resumes that include a long list of "responsibilities included…" are plain
boring, and not efficient in selling yourself. Instead of listing
responsibilities, therefore, describe your professional achievements.
14. No pictures
Sure, we know that you are good looking, but unless you are applying for a
job where the physical traits are very important (e.g., modeling, acting
and so on), and unless the employer specifically requested it, you should
avoid attaching your picture to the resume.
15. Use numbers
This tip is a complement to the 13th one. If you are going to describe
your past professional achievements, it would be a good idea to make them
as solid as possible. Numbers are your friends here. Don't merely mention
that you increased the annual revenues of your division, say that you
increased them by $100,000, by 78%, and so on.
16. One resume for each employer
One of the most common mistakes that people make is to create a standard
resume and send it to all the job openings that they can find. Sure it will
save you time, but it will also greatly decrease the chances of landing an
interview (so in reality it could even represent a waste of time). Tailor
your resume for each employer. The same point applies to your cover letters.
17. Identify the problems of the employer
A good starting point to tailor your resume for a specific employer is to
identify what possible problems he might have at hand. Try to understand
the market of the company you are applying for a job, and identify what
kind of difficulties they might be going through. After that illustrate on
your resume how you and your skills would help to solve those problems.
18. Avoid age discrimination
It is illegal to discriminate people because of their age, but some
employers do these considerations nonetheless. Why risk the trouble? Unless
specifically requested, do not include your age on your resume.
19. You don't need to list all your work experiences
If you have job experiences that you are not proud of, or that are not
relevant to the current opportunity, you should just omit them. Mentioning
that you used to sell hamburgers when you were 17 is probably not going to
help you land that executive position.
20. Go with what you got
If you never had any real working experience, just include your summer
jobs or volunteer work. If you don't have a degree yet, mention the title
and the estimated date for completion. As long as those points are relevant
to the job in question, it does not matter if they are official or not.
21. Sell your fish
Remember that you are trying to sell yourself. As long as you don't go
over the edge, all the marketing efforts that you can put in your resume
(in its content, design, delivery method and so on) will give you an
advantage over the other candidates.
22. Don't include irrelevant information
Irrelevant information such as political affiliation, religion and sexual
preference will not help you. In fact it might even hurt your chances of
landing an interview. Just skip it.
23. Use Mr. and Ms. if appropriate
If you have a gender neutral name like Alex or Ryan make sure to include
the Mr. or Ms. prefix, so that employers will not get confused about your
gender.
24. No lies, please
Seems like a no brainer, but you would be amused to discover the amount of
people that lie in their resumes. Even small lies should be avoided. Apart
from being wrong, most HR departments do background checks these days, and
if you are buster it might ruin your credibility for good.
25. Keep the salary in mind
The image you will create with your resume must match the salary and
responsibility level that you are aiming for.
26. Analyze job ads
You will find plenty of useful information on job ads. Analyze no only the
ad that you will be applying for, but also those from companies on the same
segment or offering related positions. You should be able to identify what
profile they are looking for and how the information should be presented.
27. Get someone else to review your resume
Even if you think you resume is looking kinky, it would be a good idea to
get a second and third opinion about it. We usually become blind to our own
mistakes or way of reasoning, so another people will be in a good position
to evaluate the overall quality of your resume and make appropriate
suggestions.
28. One or two pages
The ideal length for a resume is a polemic subject. Most employers and
recruiting specialists, however, say that it should contain one or two
pages at maximum. Just keep in mind that, provided all the necessary
information is there, the shorter your resume, the better.
29. Use action verbs
A very common advice to job seekers is to use action verbs. But what are
they? Action verbs are basically verbs that will get noticed more easily,
and that will clearly communicate what your experience or achievement were.
Examples include managed, coached, enforced and planned. Here you can find
a complete list of action verbs divided by skill category<http://www.
.
30. Use a good printer
If you are going to use a paper version of your resume, make sure to use a
decent printer. Laser printers usually get the job done. Plain white paper
is the preferred one as well.
31. No hobbies
Unless you are 100% sure that some of your hobbies will support you
candidacy, avoid mentioning them. I know you are proud of your swimming
team, but share it with your friends and not with potential employers.
32. Update your resume regularly
It is a good idea to update your resume on a regular basis. Add all the
new information that you think is relevant, as well as courses, training
programs and other academic qualifications that you might receive along the
way. This is the best way to keep track of everything and to make sure that
you will not end up sending an obsolete document to the employer.
33. Mention who you worked with
If you have reported or worked with someone that is well known in your
industry, it could be a good idea to mention it on the resume. The same
thing applies to presidents and CEOs. If you reported to or worked directly
with highly ranked executives, add it to the resume.
34. No scattered information
Your resume must have a clear focus. If would cause a negative impression
if you mentioned that one year you were studying drama, and the next you
were working as an accountant. Make sure that all the information you will
include will work towards a unified image. Employers like decided people.
35. Make the design flow with white space
Do not jam your resume with text. Sure we said that you should make your
resume as short and concise as possible, but that refers to the overall
amount of information and not to how much text you can pack in a single
sheet of paper. White space between the words, lines and paragraphs can
improve the legibility of your resume.
36. Lists all your positions
If you have worked a long time for the same company (over 10 years) it
could be a good idea to list all the different positions and roles that you
had during this time separately. You probably had different
responsibilities and developed different skills on each role, so the
employer will like to know it.
37. No jargon or slang
It should be common sense, but believe me, it is not. Slang should never
be present in a resume. As for technical jargon, do not assume that the
employer will know what you are talking about. Even if you are sending your
resume to a company in the same segment, the person who will read it for
the first time might not have any technical expertise.
38. Careful with sample resume templates
There are many websites that offer free resume templates. While they can
help you to get an idea of what you are looking for, do not just copy and
paste one of the most used ones. You certainly don't want to look just like
any other candidate, do you?
39. Create an email proof formatting
It is very likely that you will end up sending your resume via email to
most companies. Apart from having a Word document ready to go as an
attachment, you should also have a text version of your resume that does
not look disfigured in the body of the email or in online forms.
Attachments might get blocked by spam filters, and many people just prefer
having the resume on the body of the email itself.
40. Remove your older work experiences
If you have been working for 20 years or more, there is no need to have 2
pages of your resume listing all your work experiences, starting with the
job at the local coffee shop at the age of 17! Most experts agree that the
last 15 years of your career are enough.
41. No fancy design details
Do not use a colored background, fancy fonts or images on your resume.
Sure, you might think that the little flowers will cheer up the document,
but other people might just throw it away at the sight.
42. No pronouns
You resume should not contain the pronouns "I" or "me." That is how we
normally structure sentences, but since your resume is a document about
your person, using these pronouns is actually redundant.
43. Don't forget the basics
The first thing on your resume should be your name. It should be bold and
with a larger font than the rest of the text. Make sure that your contact
details are clearly listed. Secondly, both the name and contact details
should be included on all the pages of the resume (if you have more than
one).
44. Consider getting professional help
If you are having a hard time to create your resume, or if you are
receiving no response whatsoever from companies, you could consider hiring
a professional resume writing service. There are both local and online
options are available, and usually the investment will be worth the money.
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