Résumé Guidelines Part Three – Words, Content, Look

Words

Your résumé's language and words are critical.

  • Avoid complete sentences.
  • Don't use articles such as "an," "a" and "the."
  • Don't use pronouns such as "I," "me" or "my."
  • Skip "responsible for" and "duties include."
  • Include "buzz words," e.g., AUTOCAD for Drafters or "chip" for Marketing Managers.
  • Avoid jargon that the reader won't understand.

Content

Your résumé should contain (and avoid) certain types of information. Here are some do's and don'ts.

·         Do list city and state for each employer you've had.

·         Do list months and years for employment dates.

·         Do list jobs starting with current or most recent and moving backwards whatever your résumé format.

·         Do list your participation in activities that involve teamwork, such as sports.

·         Do focus only on the past ten to fifteen years.

·         Don't explain why you left jobs.

·         Don't repeat information.

·         Don't include personal information such as age, height, weight, marital status, religion or politics.

·         Don't mention skills that you don't want to use.

·         Don't mention high school unless you just left it.

·         Do always tailor your résumé based on your research of the company and the job you seek.

"Firms often feed résumé to scanners that seize on key words. Scour classified ads and industry newsletters for buzzwords. Use them in a key-word-packed summary." U.S. News and World Report

Look

Your résumé should look:

  • professional — on white or very light bond paper;
  • clean — no smudges or stains;
  • uncluttered — lots of blank space on it;
  • serious — with plain fonts, such as Times Roman;
  • unique — not the typical computer template;
  • easy to read — with bullet points, not paragraphs;
  • well-organized — with main points at top of page;
  • well-spaced — without justified text blocks;
  • flat — no staples and, if possible, no creases;
  • brief — one page if under ten years' experience.

DOES YOUR RÉSUMÉ PASS THE TEST?

Kim Isaacs of monster.com advises you to ask yourself three questions before you send out your résumé:

  1. Can the reader see your main skills within ten to fifteen seconds?
  2. Does important information grab the reader's attention?
  3. Do you "sell yourself" well on the top quarter of the page?

If not, go back to the drawing board!