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16 Tips for Writing Resumes
- Use reverse chronological format—so-called "functional" formats are viewed as problem resumes by recruiters.
- Don't leave gaps in your chronology—missing dates or jobs can be a major red flag.
- A two-page resume is fine if you have the experience to support it. But sell yourself on page one!
- Write a clear objective—best is a job title or professional title. Companies won't try to guess the job you want!
- Support your objective with a three or four line qualifications summary.
- When creating resume variants, remember the Pyramid structure—what's above must be supported by what's below.
- When writing about your experience, quantify, quantify, quantify! Provide names, numbers and definitions—all these add to your credibility.
- Don't miss the opportunity to demonstrate your promotions within an organization.
- Tell stories to demonstrate your hard and soft skills—describe major projects that separate you from the competition.
- List bottom-line achievements: "Increased sales by 25% in first quarter….." "Saved 10% in packing costs..…"
- Use action verbs, never use the passive voice (e.g., "10% was saved").
- Leave out unnecessary words like "I", "the" and "a".
- Keep your sentences as short as possible. Write high-impact, one-line statements.
- Leave plenty of white space and use bullets, underlining, and bold type for emphasis—but don't overdo graphics.
- Employ non-justified type and "gaze motion" (smooth curves on the right margin) so the eye moves comfortably down the page.
- Always have someone else proofread your resume before you send it out.
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| Quotes |
“The things you said got me through what could have been a very difficult time. Instead, it was a rather pleasant respite between jobs with only occasional moments of panic and depression.”
Administrative Manager,
Manufacturing
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