Resume 101 TipsYour Instructor: Mrs. Evans

Make a Good Impression

• Employers will usually make a judgment about your resume in 5 seconds!

Use Effective Titles

• Titles are important• Titles should grab the employer’s attention• Be descriptive

Use Effective Titles

• Bad title: Accounting• Good title: Management of A/R and A/P and

Recordkeeping

Use Bullet Points

• Use bullet points and short sentences or phrases• DO NOT use long paragraphs• Describe your experiences• Describe your educational background

Place Important/Stand-Out Info at the Top

• Previous work experience is usually the most important part of a resume• When describing experiences or skills, list the

most important ones first

Explain the Benefits of Your Skills

• Explain how your skills will benefit the company you are applying to

Tailor Your Resume for Each Employer

• Don’t create a standard resume for every job application• Research and understand the market you are

applying for a job• Identify what problem a prospective employer

might have in his company and tailor your resume to show how your skills would help solve those problems

Resume Beginner Tips

• If you never had any real working experience, include summer jobs or volunteer work• If you don’t have a degree yet, mention the title

and the estimated date for completion• Make sure experience outlined is relevant to the

position

Use Action Verbs

• Verbs that clearly communicate your experience and achievements• Examples: managed, coached, planned

• http://www.quintcareers.com/action_skills.html• Refer to a list of action verbs by skill category

Use White Space

• DO NOT fill every inch of the page with text• White space between words, lines and

paragraphs will improve legibility

Remove Older Work Experience

• List the last 15 years of your career if you have been working for 20+ years

Use Keywords

• Many companies use digital databases to search for job candidates

• Many resumes are now searched for job-specific keywords

• Include keywords related to the job you are applying for

• Keywords are usually nouns• The “what” that you performed in a job• Coordinated marketing campaigns and special events• Managed customer database, product updates, and upgrades

• Refer to job ad or job description for relevant keywords

Keep it Short and Simple

• Keep your resume limited to 2 pages maximum!

Sources Cited

• “44 Resume Writing Tips” by Daniel Scocco <http://www.dailywritingtips.com/resume-writing-tips/>