Your resume is an important tool in your job search. While even the best-written resume alone won’t get you your dream job, it can go a long way towards getting you an interview.
Your resume should give the reader an overview of your professional skills and accomplishments in an easy to read and understand format. Here are some tips that can help you whether you’ve been working as a permanent employee for the same company for the last 25 years or have been working as contractor, with a new assignment every six months.
Make sure your resume is easy to read. Bullet points and readable fonts go along way in enhancing your resume's readability. Avoid long narrative paragraphs. Arial and Times New Roman are clear and easy on the eye. Make sure the characters are at least 10 point.
Organize your resume in a logical order. Whether you choose reverse chronological, functional or combination, be sure that your resume has some structure.
Have a separate section that includes a list of your technical skills. This should appear early in the resume. Recruiters use keyword searches to find resumes both on job boards and on the internet. Listing your skills and areas of expertise will help ensure that your resume comes up during these searches. Some search tools take into consideration the location of the key words in the resume as well as how often they appear. If your skills are listed in the beginning of your resume and you have also included those skills in the body of your resume, you have a better chance of your resume rated higher in the search results
For each position listed, be sure to include:
The main business of the company for which you worked
The goal of the project
Brief description of your role(s) in the various projects
Tools/technologies used to accomplish the tasks Remember to indicate the languages, tools, platforms, technologies, etc. that you used at each company or on each assignment.
When applying online, be sure to comply with the company’s preferred format. Some applicant tracking systems are very particular about which format the resume is in and your resume may be garbled or not appear at all.
Is your resume on your personal web site or My Space or Face Book page? If so, you may want to consider the content of your site. There is certainly nothing wrong with expressing your views for all the world to see. However, if your views and or your site are controversial or just plain bizarre, watch out. The recruiter or hiring manager may decide to look elsewhere for a candidate. Consider setting up a separate site upon which to post your resume.
Don’t limit yourself to one page. If you have been in the workforce for more than 5 years or if you are a consultant, there is a good chance that you are leaving out important information about your experience and expertise if you limit yourself to a one page resume. As long as it contains pertinent information, there is nothing wrong with having a 3 or 4 page resume.
Don’t list your salary on your resume.
Don’t include your reasons for leaving any of the jobs on your resume.
Be careful when listing your objective. Many companies pass your resume around to a number of different departments. Even if you initially applied for a position in one department, your resume may wind up on the desk of a hiring manager in another department. A very narrowly focused objective may work against you. Instead, consider using a summary. The summary says who you are and what you can do. It can be a powerful focal point for your resume.
When listing your education, be sure to include relevant seminars, workshops and continuing education classes. Mention any college and technical school attendance, even if you didn’t earn a degree. However, if you have not earned a degree, don’t jeopardize your chances for employment by lying. Many companies verify educational information. Don’t get caught in a lie!
Be sure to list any and all security clearances that you have ever held.
Include your involvement in all relevant organizations and any activities that you engage in to advance yourself and stay current in your area(s) of expertise. If you attend user groups or are involved in an open source project, include it in your resume.
Last, but by no means least, proofread your resume. Take the time to run spell check. Ideally, ask a trusted friend to review your resume to be sure that it flows and makes sense.