Keys to a Successful Resume
A resume is a selling tool outlining your skills
- Your current job should be in present tense and all previous jobs should be in past tense.
- Write your resume in first person but the pronouns ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘my’ are all understood so just write your sentences without them.
For example: “I led a team of 12 and was responsible for all our projects” should read “Led a team of 12 and responsible for all projects.”
- When detailing your responsibilities, using bullets instead of paragraphs makes it easier to read.
- Run spell-check several times plus have someone else proof your work.
- The best way to proof your final copy is to read your resume one line at a time starting at the bottom of the last page and working your way up to the top of the first page. You’ll catch more errors this way.
- Represent yourself accurately with all information (work, history, job duties and education). If you embellish or falsify information it will come to light at some point and you may lose your job as a result.
- List your contact information at the top of your resume, not in a footer.
- Check your personal information for accuracy; a prospective employer can’t reach you if your contact information is incorrect.
- Be brief in your descriptions.
- If you’re a new graduate, your resume should be 1 page. If you are a non-traditional student and have returned to school after being in the market place then it’s likely your resume will be longer than 1 page. If you already have an extensive work history, your resume should be up to 2 pages. Anything over 3 pages is too much.
- It’s okay to list the phrase “References Available Upon Request” but it’s redundant and you may need to use the space for something else.
- Don’t include your references in your resume…keep them in a separate list and provide when requested.
- If you have technical skills, list them in a “Technical Summary”. This makes it very easy for a reader to determine if you have the skills required.
