Resume Do’s and Don’ts

Acts as a sales brochure Acts as a calling card Is a reminder It’s a way to direct the interview

Why do I need a Resume?

Heading Summary Statement Key Strengths Employment History Responsibility Statements Accomplishment Statements Education Professional Development & Training Memberships Other Categories

Parts of a Resume

Determine the format of your resume◦ Chronological◦ Functional

Make sure your resume is easy to read◦ Use bullet points◦ Use a standard font◦ Neatness counts◦ Proofread carefully

Include multiple contact methods◦ Home phone◦ Cell phone◦ Personal email address

Resume Do’s

Make sure your outgoing voice mail message and email address are professional

Include your name and one contact number in upper left-corner

Have a clear, strong objective statement/ summary

Keep the overall length of your resume short, but don’t worry about keeping to one page

Resume Do’s

Discuss two or three of your most relevant strengths and illustrate them with experience/ achievement statements

Stress your past accomplishments and the skills

Quantify your accomplishments◦ Led a team of nine sales representatives◦ Negotiated lowered rates with key recruiting

firms saving the company $100,000 in fees Emphasize transferable skills

Resume Do’s

Focus on information relevant to your own career goals

Match tense Use good quality, neutral colored paper Include publications, patents,

presentations, honors, relevant volunteer experiences, professional licenses and certifications

Place education after experience if you’ve been in the workforce for more than five years

Resume Do’s

Mail your resume in a 9 x 12 envelope Limit the number of resumes Make sure your resume is computer-

friendly

Resume Do’s

Don’t include personal information or references to non-work related information◦ Age◦ Race◦ Personal Interests◦ Marital Status◦ Number of Children◦ Hobbies◦ High School

Don’t include a photo

Resume Don’ts

Don’t include references or indicate that “references are available upon request”

Don’t provide your salary history Don’t provide reasons for leaving Don’t mention harassment issues/lawsuits Don’t include references to non-work

related topics Don’t fabricate Don’t repeat the same action words

Resume Don’ts

Don’t write a book – not your autobiography Don’t limit your resume to one page Don’t mix noun and verb phrases Don’t rule out volunteer work Don’t rush through the process Don’t prepare your resume on your

employer’s time Don’t use your employer’s email address or

phone number as contact information

Resume Don’ts

Don’t use cute email addresses or voice mail

Don’t use unconventional formats or tactics such as graphics or colored paper

Don’t refer to yourself as a subject (“I helped prepare correspondence”) or in passive voice (“Was sent to Argentina to represent the firm…”)

Resume Don’ts

Write a Hard-Hitting Cover Letter Never send a resume to a potential

employer or to a recruiter without a good cover letter. The letter underscores how your skills and accomplishments, along with your career goals, make you an outstanding candidate for that particular position. It also eliminates the need to restructure a resume to match each job opening.

Cover Letters

Don’t◦ Just restate the accomplishments verbatim from the

resume. ◦ Say more than you have to◦ Comment on your salary requirements

Do◦ Start with a brisk statement that describes who you are

and what you want. ◦ Use the next few sentences - or bullets -- for your "sales"

pitch. Use Your Accomplishment Stories . ◦ Conclude with an action statement such as saying you'll

call in a few days to arrange an appointment for an interview or to answer further questions about your skills.

Cover Letter Do’s and Don’ts

Those with very diverse experiences that don't add up to a clear-cut career path. College students with minimal experience and/or experience unrelated to their

chosen career field. Career-changers who wish to enter a field very different from what all their

previous experience points to. Those with gaps in their work history, such as homemakers who took time to raise

a family and now wish to return to the workplace. For them, a chronological format can draw undue attention to those gaps, while a functional resume enables them to portray transferable skills attained through such activities as domestic management and volunteer work.

Military transitioners entering a different field from the work they did in the military. Job-seekers whose predominant or most relevant experience has been unpaid, such

as volunteer work or college activities (coursework, class projects, extracurricular organizations, and sports).

Those who performed very similar activities throughout their past jobs who want to avoid repeating those activities in a chronological job listing.

Job-seekers looking for a position for which a chronological listing would make them look "overqualified."

Older workers seeking to de-emphasize a lengthy job history.

Jobseekers who should consider a functional format:

Resume Preparation Do’s and Don’ts, Katherine Hansen, Ph.D. - http://www.quintcareers.com/resume-dos-donts.html

Writing Your Resume, - http://www.accepted.com/resume/tendos.aspx

Ground Rules for an Effective Resume, TTG Consultants - http://www.ttgconsultants.com/effective-resumes/index.html

Resume Do’s and Don’ts, Professional Resumes - http://www.professional-resume-example.com/resume-dos-and-donts.html

Basic Resume Do’s and Don’ts, WetFeet - http://www.wetfeet.com/Experienced-Hire/Resume---Cover-letter/Articles/Basic-Resume-Dos-and-Don-ts.aspx

Lee Hecht Harrison

References