Resume
Tips
1. Not only is your resume the first
thing an employer sees from you -- it is what the employer will use to decide
whether you move on to the next stage of the employment process. Make your first
impression count.
2. Be concise. Limit yourself to
one printed page. A two-page resume is only acceptable when you have lots of experience
to emphasize -- and even then it may be too much for an employer to browse.
3.
When you are finished writing your resume, give it to other people to proofread.
Typos and grammatical errors are inexcusable. Mistakes in your resume will cost
you the opportunity to advance in the employment process.
4.
Keep your contact information current. Reprint your resume if you move or get
a new phone number or e-mail address.
5. If you are
interested in posting your resume online, read through some specific information
about electronic resumes, as they require a different type of formatting.
Proofreading
Checklist
- Spelling Mistakes
- To avoid spelling mistakes:
- __ Don't
use words with which you aren't familiar.
- __ Use a dictionary
as you write.
- __ Perform a spell check on your finished
resume.
- __ Carefully read every word in your resume.
If you write "from" instead of "form," your spell check will
be unable to detect your mistake.
- __ Have a friend or
two proofread your resume for you.
-
- Punctuation Mistakes
- Things to
look for:
- __ Periods at the end of all full sentences.
- __ Be consistent in your use of punctuation.
- __
Always put periods and commas within quotation marks. (i.e., Won awards including
the "John H. Malcom Memorial Service Award.")
- __
Avoid using exclamation points.
-
- Grammatical
Mistakes
- Grammar hang-ups to watch for:
- __
Do not switch tenses within your resume. The duties you currently perform should
be in present tense (i.e., write reports), but ones you may have performed at
past jobs should be in past tense (i.e., wrote reports).
- __
Capitalize all proper nouns.
- __ When expressing numbers,
write out all numbers between one and nine (i.e., one, five, seven), but use numerals
for all numbers 10 and above (i.e., 10, 25, 108).
- __
If you begin a sentence with a numeral, spell out that numeral (i.e., Eleven service
awards won while employed.).
- __ Make sure your date
formats are consistent (i.e., 11/22/96 or November 22, 1996, or 11.22.96. Choose
one and stick with it.).
-
- Choose
Your Words Carefully
- Phrase yourself well:
- __ Be on the lookout for the following easily confused words:
accept (to receive), except (to exclude), all right (correct),
- alright
(this is not a word), affect (to bring about change), effect (result), personal
(private), personnel (staff members), role (a
- character
assigned or a function), roll (to revolve).
- __ Use action
words (i.e., wrote reports, increased revenues, directed staff).
-
- Other Potential Mistakes
- Don't
forget to check:
- __ Dates of all prior employment.
- __ Your address and phone number -- are they still current
and correct?
- __ The number of returns separating your
categories: are they consistent?
- __ Abbreviation of
state names. All state abbreviations are two letters -- no periods. For example,
New York is abbreviated NY, California is CA, and Florida is FL. Look up other
state abbreviations.
-
- Design
Is Important
- Keep the following tips in mind:
- __ Don't overcrowd your resume; allow for plenty of white space.
- __ Keep your resume to one page whenever possible.
- __
Keep the number of fonts you use to a minimum -- two at the most.
- __
Use a font that is easy to read. Times Roman works well.
- __
Do not justify the lines of type on your resume. Allow the right side of the page
to "rag."
- __ Do not overuse capitalization,
italics, underlines, or other emphasizing features.
- __
Make sure your name, address, and a phone number appear on your resume and all
correspondence, preferably at the top of the page.
- __
Print your resume on white or cream paper using a good-quality printer. Second-
and third-generation photocopies are a no-no.
- __ Print
on one side of the paper only.
-
- What
To Omit
- Do not put any of the following on your
resume:
- __ Salary history.
- __
Sex, age, race, marital status, or other similar personal information.
- Click here to download this check list
in MS Word97 format
Click
Here to see samples of each type of resume.
- Back
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