44 Resume Writing Tips

by Daniel Scocco
http://www.dailywritingtips.com/resume-writing-tips/

Having a solid and effective resume can greatly improve your chances of landing that dream job. That
is beyond discussion. How does one make sure that his resume is top notch and bullet proof,
however? There are several websites with tips around the web, but most bring just a handful of them.
We wanted to put them all together in a single place, and that is what you will find below: 44 resume
writing tips.

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.
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.

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..

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.