Resume Tips

Writing a resume can often be a daunting task – regardless of experience or writing ability. Remember, your resume is your most important calling card in your job search. It is just as significant in making a first impression as a face-to-face interview. And without a superb resume, chances are slim that you’ll even get an interview. The following tips—many from the MRINetwork™ and Monster Websites—and guidelines should help you create a professional, effective resume in no time.

Fatal Resume Errors

  • Poor grammar, typos, misspellings, etc. A sloppy resume says you're careless.
  • Overkill. Anything over a page-and-a-half is too long.
  • Vagueness. Quantify your results. Don't state: "Responsible for supervising 300 employees." Instead say: "Managed the marketing department, which increased revenues 82 percent in a four-year period." Don't write a job description; list what you have accomplished.
  • Plagiarism. Avoid patterning your resume after the same examples everyone else uses. Hiring authorities get bored with look-alike resumes. Be creative and different-but only to a point.
  • Colored paper. Any color other than white is unacceptable. Colored paper does not copy well-your resume will be distributed to multiple people.
  • Clichés and buzzwords. Don't use words that you think should sound "smart." Hiring authorities are not impressed with "utilize," "flexible," "team player," and "seeking an opportunity for me to grow and develop."
  • Tiresome details. If you're well into your career, skip those college summer jobs. As you advance in age and up the corporate ladder, pare down your resume. Nobody really cares that you worked your way through college waiting tables, especially when you're applying for an executive position with a securities firm.
  • Indeterminate gender. If you're Pat, Lynn, or Lee, don't keep 'em guessing. With certain names use Mr. or Ms. as a prefix.
  • Lying. First, you don't lie because it's wrong. Second, you don't lie because if you get caught, you won't get the job.
  • Omitting your job objective. State clearly what you're looking for. Ambiguity indicates you lack direction and focus.
  • Listing your job objective. Note that this contradicts the previous point. Some headhunters think a job objective limits the candidate. If the exact position isn't available within the organization, the candidate automatically eliminates himself from a job. Do your homework in advance to be sure your objective coincides with an open position before including it in the resume. If there are several positions that interest you, do not include your objective.

© Management Recruiters International, Inc.

Resume Critique Checklist

by Kim Isaacs, Monster Resume Expert

Resumes normally get less than a 15-second glance at the first screening. If someone has asked you to review his resume and you want to help him ensure it gets read -- or want to know if your own is up to par -- be sure you can answer yes to the following questions:

First Impression

  • Does the resume look original and not based on a template?
  • Is the resume inviting to read, with clear sections and ample white space?
  • Does the design look professional rather than like a simple typing job?
  • Is a qualifications summary included so the reader immediately knows the applicant's value proposition?
  • Is the length and overall appearance of the resume appropriate given the career level and objective?

Appearance

  • Does the resume provide a visually pleasing, polished presentation?
  • Is the font appropriate for the career level and industry?
  • Are there design elements such as bullets, bolding and lines to guide readers' eyes through the document and highlight important content?
  • Is there a good balance between text and white space?
  • Are margins even on all sides?
  • Are design elements like spacing and font size used consistently throughout the document?
  • If the resume is longer than a page, does the second page contain a heading? Is the page break formatted correctly?

Resume Sections

  • Are all resume sections clearly labeled?
  • Are sections placed in the best order to highlight the applicant's strongest credentials?
  • Is the work history listed in reverse chronological order (most recent job first)?

Career Goal

Accomplishments

Relevance

  • Is the information relevant to hiring managers' needs?
  • Does the resume's content support the career goal?
  • Is the resume keyword-rich, packed with appropriate buzzwords and industry acronyms?
  • Is applicable additional information, such as awards and affiliations, included, while personal information like marital status, age and nationality unrelated to the job target omitted?

Writing Style

  • Is the resume written in an implied first-person voice with personal pronouns, such as I, me and my, avoided?
  • Is the content flow logical and easy to understand?
  • Is the resume as perfect as possible, with no careless typos or spelling.

© 2007 Monster

Still stumped about creating your resume? Answer these questions to spark your memory.

Resume Questions

Answer 20 or 30 of these questions:

We guarantee that you will come up with some new ideas about your job responsibilities and skills.

  • What experience, skills, aptitudes, or traits do you have, or think you might have, that could be of some use to a future employer?
  • What skills have you developed, at least to some degree that you have never used at work?
  • Do others, at work or elsewhere, come to you for any particular kind of help? What kind?
  • Do you have military experience (including Coast Guard and Merchant Marine)? Branch, grade, specialty? Active duty, Reserves, National Guard? Discharge? Duties? Accomplishments? Medals, citations, commendations? Promotions ahead of schedule? You can treat military experience either here, as general background, or list each position as an employer in the Resume Questionnaire. Don't forget, military training can be particularly useful if it is relevant to your objective.
  • Have you ever published an article, report, or anything, even as a volunteer, even in your professional association newsletter?
  • Have you ever given a talk, speech, or presentation, or provided training to anyone at work or elsewhere? Give the specifics.
  • Computer Literacy & Computer Skills: Are you familiar with a certain type of software?
  • What foreign languages do you know at least somewhat, and what is your level of skill in each? i.e., native speaker; fluent; moderate; phrase-book; write easily for professional purposes?
  • What tools and techniques are you familiar with?
  • What Continuing Education courses have you taken?
  • What experience have you had as a manager or supervisor?
  • Do you have any special travel experience, domestic or foreign? If you studied, lived, or worked in a foreign country, how long were you there? Did you live in an American enclave?

Responsibilities, Activities:

When answering the following questions, provide specific information to measure your accomplishments.

  • How many people did you supervise? orient? hire? train?
  • How large a budget did you manage? What specific goals were achieved through the budget? How did it change?
  • Who do you report to?
  • What was the highest level in the organization that you reported to or communicated with directly?
  • Did you coordinate anything?
  • Have you served as liaison between groups or key individuals?
  • Have you mediated between groups or individuals? Resolved any conflicts? Mentored anyone?
  • Did you do, or participate in, strategic planning?
  • Did you set, evaluate or participate in the setting or evaluation of policy?
  • Did you evaluate any individual or group performance, or any task or project research?
  • Did you communicate with patients, suppliers, insurance company representatives, doctors, etc? How?
  • Did you do any surveys or other research or studies? Determine requirements?
  • Have you designed or managed any processes, systems, or projects?
  • Have you organized any events, conferences or meetings? How many?
  • Did you administer anything?
  • Have you consulted for anyone, inside or outside the organization?
  • Did you gain experience in any special use software?
  • Do you speak or are you fluent in any foreign languages?

Achievements, Accomplishments:

  • What are your academic achievements?
  • What associations or organizations did you belong to in college?
  • What did you accomplish? What goals were met?
  • Did you add any smoothness, quality, or economy of operation that noticeably improved the way things were before you assumed responsibility?
  • Are there any concrete or specific signs of the gain you achieved?
  • Did you propose or suggest any programs, changes, or improvements that were implemented, at least partly, because of your initiative?
  • What positive results occurred?
  • What did you do as a volunteer, beyond the regular duties of your position?
  • Whether you were paid for it or not, what were you particularly good at that made a difference in how the organization (job, project, assignment) progressed from day to day?

Awards, Recognition:

  • Have you received a Special Certification or Award?
  • Were you praised, recognized, or given a pat on the back for anything -- a particular assignment, a method of working, a trait of character? How? By whom?
  • Were you promoted ahead of schedule?
  • Were you selected for any special responsibilities or programs?