Resume Information
Ten Tips on Improving Your Resume
Today's business environment is so competitive that most resumes receive an initial 15-second glance. To stand out from the crowd, your resume should illustrate your accomplishments which include items such as productivity increases and cost savings for which you were responsible. The resume should demonstrate (by bullet point) your skills which prospective employers are seeking. Common mistakes that quickly knock a candidate out of the running can easily be avoided. The following tips will help create a resume that stands out. These tips will cover the kind of information that should be included and how the resume should look for best results.
1. Sell your skills: The prospective employer wants to see results. Use percentages and numbers to show increases in activity or decreases and cost savings for which you were responsible. Outline the actions you took and emphasize the resulting benefits. (You may be responsible for updating a computer system which allowed for more efficient use of the data and gave management more useful reports.) In today's business environment it is also important to emphasize your computer skills as well as additional certifications received beyond the typical education.
2. Target your resume: Vague, general resumes that cover several areas of specialization often get lost among the crowd. It is important to tailor the resume to each position you pursue. It is also a good idea to highlight your specific industry experience when it is relevant.
3. Use action verbs: Descriptive words -- such as implemented, organized, prepared, streamlined, organized and established - add power to your sentences. Begin each sentence with an action verb and remember to use the proper tense. (e.g. If describing a position or task you previously completed, you should end the action verb with "ed" as in "prepared". If describing a current position or project, you should end the action verb in the present tense as in "prepare").
4. Be concise: A 10 page resume will not even receive the typical 15-second glance. Best results are achieved with a one to two page resume. A resume which is short and to the point covering the pertinent information will often pass the 15-second glance.
5. Make it inviting: Capture the readers interest by showing them what they want to see. Emphasize your skills which you believe they are looking for. A resume with too much information may seem forbidding to the reader. Make deletions where necessary in order to achieve a readable product.
6. Be complete: A good way to emphasize your professionalism is to give complete information. Spell out all abbreviations, names of schools, companies, organizations and titles.
7. Proofread and edit: You should always use spell check on your word processor, however, it is important not to rely 100% on it. The spell check will not display words which are actually spelled correctly, but do not fit into the sentence. (e.g. hear used in a sentence which should have been here.)
8. Do not include personal statistics: It is no longer considered professional to include information about age, marital status, height, weight or health on a resume. Requesting this information from candidates violates anti-discrimination laws, and most organizations will be pleased that you did not include that information.
9. Create a visually appealing resume: You can emphasize important points by using the computer to create italics, underlines, boldface type or different fonts. It is also important to check the spacing and margins used for the document. Create the document which will pass the 15-second test, but remember to keep it professional.
10. Ask for others opinions: A second opinion can be more objective and make suggestions which you wish you would have thought of. The second eye may also find errors which you overlooked.
[Download: sample-resign.pdf or sample-resign.doc]
Sample Resume
Candidate Name
Street Address
City, State
Phone
e-mail address
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Name of company (10/95 - Present)
Title of most current position held, location (city/state).
Three or four sentences that outline your overall responsibilities and duties in paragraph format.
- 4 to 5 bullet points of most notable achievements / accomplishments.
Name of last company (11/91 - 9/95)
Title of position held, location (city/state).
Two to 3 sentences outlining your overall responsibilities and duties in paragraph format.
- Three to four bullet points of most notable achievements / accomplishments.
(same format for each previous employer)
EDUCATION
Wharton School of Business, MBA, 1994 (degree, field, date)
The State University, 1991, BSBA, Economics (degree, field, date)
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
Names of organizations of which you are a member and leadership position held, dates.
(Note: Do not add personal information. References are assumed. Do not go beyond two pages.)
