Top 10 Resume Writing Tips
Use the resume style that works for your particular situation.
• Are you applying for a job in a new field? Consider using a functional style resume.
• Do you want to emphasize your previous employers or job titles? Consider using a chronological style resume.
When providing an email address in your personal information section, ensure that your email sounds professional.
• Would you give a job to someone whose email address was professoroxox@mail.com?
Select every word with your reader and the job application in mind.
• What target words do your readers want to see?
Start one-liners with an action verb and stress your accomplishments rather than your duties.
• Use the SAR format to show and not tell and make sure you are using the active voice.
Prioritize and include the achievements that are linked to the requirements of the job to which you are applying.
Read your resume as well as edit and delete unnecessary words before it is submitted.
• Get a friend or a family member to review and revise. An error on a resume can and will cost you a job!
White space lets your resume breathe and gives the reader a chance to absorb information. Sometimes less is more!
A resume has a one time only use. If there are two or even three jobs in which you are interested, create two or three resumes tailored for those positions.
• Yes, you can, of course, repeat information, but your word choice, your structure, the accomplishments you highlight should be chosen with a particular position in mind.
Make it easy for the recruiter to find the information they need to see to give you an interview. The first page of a resume should show all the relevant information you need for that job.
• You may need to split up your work experience into two sections (relevant and additional work experience) to ensure that the recruiter sees the relevant work experience on the first page.
Don’t include “References Available Upon Request” at the end of your resume. What a waste of space.