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Resume Writing Tips
 

• Always keep the reader of the resume in mind. Make the layout clear, concise and attractive. Separating sections with lines is most helpful.

• Don't limit yourself by making a career Objective section. If your objective doesn't fit the open position, they won't even look further at the resume. Instead, use a Career highlights section that emphasizes your strengths- feel free to bold type certain things you want to stand out.

• List your job title before your company name. Most recruiters are looking for the roles you played rather than the companies you worked for. Make it easy for them to find.

• USE BULLETS. Recruiters have to scan hundreds of resumes. Bullets are so much easier to scan through than paragraphs. There is nothing unprofessional about bullets.

• Don't mention political or religious affiliations in the Personal section. The recruiter may be turned off, for instance, if they're a Democrat and you list the Young Republicans as an affiliation.

• Definitely mention hobbies or interests. If a recruiter shares one of these, they may be more drawn to your resume.

• Whenever possible, illustrate an increase in job responsibilities within a certain job. This shows you were an asset and were moving up in the company, even if your job title wasn't changing.

• Include a "significant accomplishments" section for each job. This will pop out to a recruiter as things you did above and beyond your standard duties.

• Describe your experience with action verbs; Developed, Coordinated, Worked with, Participated in, Led efforts to). These portray a go-getter. Don't simply list the job duties for that position. The recruiter probably already knows the job duties. They want to know what made you stand out as an employee.

• For your cover letter, again use bullets, this time to highlight specific qualifications that were listed in the job posting that you have. Most cover letters aren't read carefully, but the bullets will make those things stand out.

• Use only white, light gray, or cream color paper. Use the best quality paper you can find. The envelope should match the resume and cover letter perfectly.

• SPELLCHECK! SPELLCHECK! SPELLCHECK! Even a slight mistake can get your resume excluded from consideration.

• Follow up with a call or email after sending a resume. If you don't have a specific name, simply call the company and ask for the person doing the hiring for the specific job. Even if you are sent to voice mail, leave a message. This shows you are efficient and interested.