A resume is one of the most important pieces of material you will
ever write. Who would have thought that one small piece of paper could
lead you to your future career. It can get you that first interview! If
written poorly, your resume just might end up in a crumpled pile of
papers in the nearest trash bin. Employers read through an obscene
amount of resumes on a daily basis, so you want yours to stand apart
from all the rest, or at least go into the 'maybe' pile. Below are a few
ideas to give your resume an extra boost:
Format
- Name at the top - large font
- Repeat the header on all pages
- Page numbers
- Aligned columns
Content
- Objective - what is your career goal?
- Work experience
- Use present tense for current job
- Use past tense for past jobs
- Less is more, don't go overboard with descriptions
- List most relevant job duties first
- Use key words that relate to the job you are applying for
- Do you manage and train other people?
- What are your best qualities?
- Other relevant skills
- Computer programs
Helpful Tips and Tricks
- Avoid using 'I' - the employer knows it is your resume
- Use a dictionary - spelling and grammatical errors are two of the main reasons a resume is tossed
- Use a Thesaurus!
- When listing accomplishments, make sure you have examples to back them up
- Don't have enough experience? - summer jobs and internships can include daily responsibilities and your success with those tasks
- Too much experience in one job? - separate job duties into categories such as Marketing, Design, Sales and Inventory Control, etc