Résumé Do's and Don'ts

Résumé writing is sales! You are the product. Well-written resumes are successful marketing tools that attract the attention of potential employers by commu-nicating your value to them. They include specific accomplishments or success stories that demonstrate your contributions in similar situations in the past.

Do’s

* Do present yourself accurately and positively.
* Include only enough information to encourage the employer to find out more about you.
* Use action verbs to describe your contributions.

Examples: “created,” “directed,” “established,” “negotiated,” and so on.
* Stress specific accomplishments and quantify the outcomes.
Example: “cross-trained staff, increasing productivity by 12% within three months.”
* Use keywords to describe your skills and experience.
Examples: “Word,” “product launch,” “financial analysis,” and “program management.”
* Include some industry buzzwords to show your familiarity with the business — but don’t go overboard to the point of making your résumé hard to read or understand.
* List recent information and experience. The general rule of thumb is to show only the last ten to twelve years of experience.
* Allow plenty of white space. Use a 12-point, non-decorative font.
* Proofread your résumé at least three times and ask a friend to proof it as well.

Don’ts

* Do not use pronouns such as “I,” “me,” “we,” or “our.”
* Do not include salary requirements.
* Do not include references or the phrase “References furnished upon request.” It goes without saying that you will be happy to provide references when asked.
* Do not include personal information such as race, marital status, age, political affiliation, or interests (golf, sky diving, and so on).
* Do not overdo the use of capital letters and bold type.
* Do not crowd the margins or use type smaller than 12 point.
* Do not use italics, underlining, or shading because these do not scan well.

Copywrite. Mary Jeanne Vincent