Resume Writing Tips

Formatting

Resumes should always be drafted using a word processor. Hiring authorities want to know a candidate’s organizational skills and this is their first chance to see.  Be sure to check for spelling and grammatical errors and have someone else proof read your resume before sending it out.

Follow formatting in order as follows:

Personal Information

Should only include your name, address, email address and telephone number.

Objective

Be specific – a vague objective does not help a hiring manager.

Targeted for job opening – helps clarify job expectations .

Should be 1 sentence in length.  

Experience

Use strong verbs describing responsibilities.

Show leadership and qualifications in chronological order.

Show relevance in numbers/budget – schedule – bottom line – performance.

How you increased productivity.

How you decreased costs.

How you saved the company money.

How you kept project under schedule.

Use bullet points instead of writing a story.

Don’t ever lie on your resume – Nothing can make you fail an interview faster.

Be prepared for reference checks – tell your reference a consistent message.

Try to show progression and variety of experience.

Show interpersonal skills, technical skills, decision making abilities and computer literacy. 

Education

Show your highest degree(s) first.

Leave out quality of grade if average or poor.

Certifications and Professional Affiliations

List the most important to your profession first.

Interests and Achievements

Most recent achievements.

Don’t oversell yourself.

Do not include references – provide them when requested.