Resume Tips
These resume-writing guidelines apply to every individual, regardless of the industry, professional level or job of interest.
You should …
Customize your resume o Tailor resume for each position. o Focus on employer's needs, identifying how individual skills & accomplishments meet/exceed their requirement. Practice brevity - keep it short o Make resumes one to two pages long. o Write qualifications & accomplishments in concise bullet points that can be read quickly. o Select words with care and avoid run-on sentences. Read every sentence out loud. If you find yourself gasping for breath, break the sentence in two. Showcase your achievements o Mention at least two or three of your top achievements within the top third of page one–this is the most valuable real estate on your resume. Use action words o To add life to your resume, use bulleted sentences that begin with action words like prepared, developed, monitored, presented, etc. Match your resume with the position o Review want ads for positions that interest you. Use the key words listed in these ads to match them to bullets in your resume. Make it readable o Select an easy-to-read font & type size–no less than 11 points. o Leave some white space, rather than a full page of text, with no breaks. o Use a standard font if sending resume via e-mail. And, to preserve formatting, send the resume as an attachment, rather than cutting and pasting into the e-mail text box. Edit & proof your resume o Read resumes carefully–check spelling, grammar and punctuation. o Send to friends, a mentor or a career counselor to review. Think quality o Use good quality paper stock. o Select white or cream-colored paper.