Resumé Do´s & Dont´s

Résumé Do's and Don'ts - HR World

Page 1 of 2

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Résumé Do's and Don'ts By Brittany Maling on November 7, 2007

Most employers scan résumés for less than 30 seconds, so job seekers need to learn how to make that time count. Grabbing the spotlight with a page or two of information isn't easy, but luckily, there are steps you can take to ensure that your résumé is clear, comprehensive and delightfully tempting to employers. Learn how you can make yourself stand out with these do's and don'ts.

How Smart Companies Nab Creative Thinkers The Global War for Talent The Interviewing Cheat Sheet: 100 Resources for Interviewers and Candidates Fill Job Openings Faster

Do: z Make the résumé as reader-friendly as possible. Be concise and neat. Bullet points work well. In addition, put

z z z z

z z

z z z z z

together a version of your résumé that will be easy to read when you paste it into online forms and career sites; a beautifully formatted résumé may be illegible in some such instances. Include as much contact information as you can. You want to make it as easy as possible for employers to contact you, so be thorough. Have a clear aim. You need to hook your reader fast, so let them know what you're after. An easy way to do this is with an objective statement. The more specific it is, the better. Include a summary section. Title a section "Qualifications" and outline your most important qualities and skills at the beginning of your résumé, especially if it is longer. Focus on your employer's needs. This is an opportunity for you to win over your potential employer, not to showcase your favorite accomplishments. Focus on what appeals to your reader most. Study the ad listing and ensure that you provide specific experience that meet the qualifications required. List your work experience in reverse chronological order. Start with the most recent job and work backward. List your information in order of importance to the reader. For your job experience, this will usually be the position/title, the name of the employer, the location of employment and the dates of employment. For education, it is usually the degree name with the major, the university, the location, the graduation year and then any peripheral information like your minor or your GPA. Keep in mind, however, that information such as a GPA or an unrelated minor becomes trivial as you become more experienced. Use action verbs. You want your résumé to have life, so avoid the passive voice. Also, mix up your verbs. Try "collaborated," "established" or "directed." Avoid verbs such as "work" that are vague and generic. Focus on your accomplishments. These are what attract employers. Employers are familiar with job descriptions, so highlight what makes you unique. Emphasize transferable skills. It's great to have a lot of skills, but employers want to know what you can do with that talent in the position you're applying for, so tell them. Use numbers. Be specific. List the number of people you have supervised. The same goes for sales increases, clients you represented and so on. Quantitative skills are impressive. Proofread carefully. Typos, misspellings and grammar mistakes may cost you the job. One of the easiest ways to lose your reader is by having errors, so show your employer the same care and work ethic you will demonstrate on the job.

Don't: z Go more than two pages. If possible, keep your résumé to one page. z Lie. This is just a bad idea in general, but especially in résumés. Be honest; trust in your experience and skills. z Use personal pronouns. They detract from your accomplishments, distract the reader and add unnecessary words. z Go overboard with your job experience. Fifteen years is the rule of thumb. You don't want to drown employers with

information. z Emphasize jobs or skills you don't want to do. Even if they are part of your work experience or accomplishments,

if you don't want to do them again, don't emphasize them.

http://www.hrworld.com/features/resume-dos-donts-110707/

13/11/2008

Résumé Do's and Don'ts - HR World

Page 2 of 2

z Include high-school information. Quality over quantity. You want to focus on what is most important, and high-

school accomplishments just don't make the cut. z Use the title "Résumé." Although this may seem logical, it looks amateurish. Stick with just your name and contact

information at the top. z Include controversial information. Avoid mentioning religion, political affiliation or any potentially incendiary

information. z Include personal data. You want to keep your résumé business related, so avoid giving your age, height, marital

status, photograph or anything else personal. You also want to avoid the possibility of being discriminated against for these things. In addition, if you provide a URL for a personal Web site, ensure that it doesn't contain personal information or pictures that might give employers the wrong impression. Also, remember that employers can easily run a Google search on your name and find your personal information on MySpace, Facebook or similar sites. z Include hobbies or interests. Employers often see this kind of information as filler for a weak résumé. In addition, hobbies such as "reading," for instance, provide little insight. z Include salary histories or reasons for leaving previous jobs. These topics should be avoided at all costs. Money should never be discussed so early in the job process, and there's no way to come across positively when discussing why you left a job. In particular, don't bad-mouth an employer, because it speaks poorly to your professionalism. z List references. References should be offered only when requested.

All fields are required. Your E-mail will not be published.

NAME EMAIL

COMMENTS Spam Protection: Sum of 5 + 9 ?

http://www.hrworld.com/features/resume-dos-donts-110707/

13/11/2008