Top 5 Resume Do's and Don'ts

by Miriam Salpeter, Keppie Careers www.keppiecareers.com

In her blog, Hire Someone to Write Your Resume, career advice blogger and author Penelope Trunk refers to a resume as a "complicated sales document and also a piece of direct mail."

There is a lot to consider when writing such a complex and crucial document. You don't want to miss an opportunity for an interview by offering a less than stellar resume. That said, here are my top 5 Resume Do's and Don'ts...

DO

1. Remember that your resume is a marketing piece, not a laundry list. Sell yourself; don’t just list what you’ve done.
2. Focus on transferable skills and quantifiable accomplishments. Determine the employer’s key words and incorporate them. Include soft skills, otherwise known as emotional intelligence. Use strong, active language that helps the reader picture you working for them.
3. Design your resume to be easy to read and scan – both with software and the eye. Remember that the typical first read allows a 10-second glance. (Some say 7 seconds is all you get!) Make it count by using white space, bullet points and bold, appealing design elements. Ensure that your resume is error free.
4. Target your resume to the employer. Do NOT zap your generic resume to 100 different online job postings. If you do not personalize your resume to include key words, you may be wasting your time sending it at all.
5. Be precise. Although the “one-page” rule no longer applies for all employers, it is important to narrow your information to include the most important material. (Typically, two pages are plenty.) Employers do not want to wade through a lot of extraneous information.

DON’T

1. Use "I, me or my" in your resume. The first-person is implied. Don’t use the phrase “responsibilities included” or “responsible for.” These are passive ways to structure your information.
2. Don’t use an objective. Your objective is to get the job, so you are wasting space in the very important real estate of your resume – the top! Attract readers with a targeted “Accomplishments,” “Highlights,” or similarly named section. Don’t list “References upon request.” This is assumed.
3. Don’t include ANY personal information such as age, gender, religion, marital status, social security number, weight, etc. This is inappropriate and will make you seem dated and unaware of correct resume etiquette.
4. Don’t rely on standard resume templates, especially from your word processing program. Don't copy text from sample resumes posted on the web. You are unique; your resume should be distinctive.
5. Don’t ever lie on a resume. Present the best possible image consistent with the truth.

Keppie Careers will design and write a resume that captures your skills and accomplishments and sells you!

Read more about us at www.keppiecareers.com.

For more information and tips to guide your job search and resume writing, visit our blog: www.keppiecareers.wordpress.com.