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Resume Do's and Don'ts |
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DO’s
- Create a document which is clear, concise and easy to read.
- Strive to limit the length to one, no more than two pages.
- Emphasize your strongest qualifications and position towards the top
and left margins.
- Share your degrees and credentials up front following your name.
- Facilitate communication by sharing both your home/office telephone
numbers and your email address.
- Highlight your strengths by beginning with a
Summary/Achievements/Accomplishments section.
- Utilize bulleted statements with action verbs and stress supportive
facts and figures.
- Expedite resume review by the reader by sharing your recent job
experience first. List positions in reverse chronological order.
- Support your education and credentials with institutions, years
achieved. Avoid dates over 25 years old to minimize age discrimination.
- Presentation is critical! Use word processing, spell checkers, etc...
A poor resume is a reflection of the one who prepared it.
DON’Ts
- Refrain from the title "Resume" and the ending "References Furnished Upon
Request." They waste valuable space.
- Avoid the use of an "Objective Statement." They are generic in content and
self-limiting.
- Steer clear of overlapping dates of employment, without providing statements of
clarification.
- Abstain from sharing your salary history or reasons for leaving previous employment.
- Do Not stretch the truth! Misinformation or untruthful statements will inevitably come
back to haunt you.
- Shy away from providing more than 10 -20 years of previous work experience. It takes
space, will date you and is likely no longer pertinent.
- Avoid personal sections, activities and memberships which are not business related.
- Fight the tendency to allow your resume to become outdated. You never know when
opportunity may knock and you want to be prepared.
- Fax or mail your resume if email is not an option. Email
provides virtually instant delivery and demonstrates your
technological
savvy.
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