Resume DOs and DON'Ts

If you're like most people I know, putting together a resume, cover letter, job application, etc. is a dreaded and evil task. Especially if it's been awhile since you've dusted off your resume.

Recently, I've taken on a little side job doing some resume edits and rewrites. This started out as something friends and family would hit me up for every now and then.

"Hey, Colleen, if I send you my resume will you take a look at it for me?"

You see, once upon a time, when I was a contributing member of society, I worked as a Human Resources Generalist and was responsible for staffing and recruiting at a couple of different companies. I saw a lot of resumes. I saw a lot of bad resumes. And I interviewed a lot of people who looked great on paper but couldn't hold a conversation to save their lives.  

I also worked in a college career center and have both an MBA in Human Resource Management and a PHR certification. Resumes are kind of my thing. I think I might be among the 3 people on earth who actually enjoy putting a resume together; whether it's for myself or someone else. 

I was always happy to take a look at someone's resume or listen to their tales of woe about how their boss is an a-hole and they don't know what to do and can I give them some advice.

In all seriousness, I really do enjoy doing this and would never tell someone to go drown their job sorrows in a beer. Well, almost never.

In my years of resume review, I have come across some things you can do to make your resume more appealing to recruiters and hiring managers. I've also come across things that a lot of people do, but really shouldn't. Here is a basic do and don't list to guide you in your resume writing:


Do…

…try to keep a decent amount of white space on your resume – this makes it easier for recruiters to see key pieces of information.

…spell check!

…keep bullet points concise and succinct.

…try to limit your resume to one page unless you have been working for several years (I’m talking 10+ years, if not more).

…consider keeping different versions of your resume if you have worked in several different industries or are looking for different types of positions.

…spell check it again! And review for content and readability. I highly suggest reading your resume out loud to yourself or someone else. This is a really easy to way to find out if something you’ve said doesn’t make sense.

…add the same heading to your resume, cover letter, and any other application materials you submit. Not only does this look professional, but it will make it easier for recruiters to locate your application documents, which often need to be sent out to several people.

…read it over for grammatical mistakes. Spell check is not going to pick up on the incorrect use of there/their/they're, incorrect capitalization, etc. Mistakes, especially obvious ones, will pretty much guarantee that your resume ends up in the garbage.

…list any degrees or certifications that you are working towards. Just make sure you list them as just that – things you are in the process of earning but have not yet completed. You should also give an estimated completion date.

Have you spell checked it yet? And read it over? And had someone else read it over? Do it. And then do it again.

Don’t…

…write your professional life story. Only list the highlights. The resume is simply your admission ticket to the main event (the interview). It's not a story and it's definitely not your job description and it should not read as such. In other words, don't copy your job description onto your resume and call it a day. These are two completely different documents that serve different purposes. I see this all.the.time.

...list irrelevant or outdated information. While impressive, recruiters don’t need to know (and don’t care) that you were all-state in lacrosse. Unless you’re applying to a job with the US Lacrosse Organization.That being said...

...leave out work experience just because it's not in the same field as the job you're applying for - especially if this will leave a gap in your work history. It's always good to show continuity of employment. There are a couple of ways to address this (does anyone else sense an idea for a new blog post??).

…list your education at the top of your resume unless you just graduated and even then, it’s not really necessary. Put this section after work experience.

…use margins smaller than 0.5” or a font smaller than 10pt. If you are having trouble condensing everything to one page, it’s probably time to cut some stuff.

…list your GPA. Employers are interested in what type of employee you're going to be, not what type of student you were. This is also measured differently depending on what school you attended. If you absolutely feel you must include this information, be sure to list the scale your GPA was measured against; e.g. 3.7/4.0 or 3.7/5.0.

…use a font other than one of the basics. For one, this doesn’t look professional. Second, if the receiving party’s computer doesn’t accept the font, your formatting could be completely thrown off, making your resume look like a 6 year old put it together. Stick to Times New Roman or Arial and you should be ok.

…lie. Lying is obviously not a good way to start out a relationship with your (potential) future employer. Lying can also quickly get you into a position where you are being sent out the door with a cardboard box full of your personal belongings because you actually  can't, in fact, "manage a team of 8". If your boss told you to keep an eye on things while he/she took off early on Fridays, do not say that you managed a department. A good hiring manager will be able to sniff out your lack of experience during an interview, regardless of what your resume says. If they don’t and you manage to get the job anyway, your new employer will have expectations that are far beyond what you’re comfortable doing.

…put your picture on your resume. Yes, I’ve seen this before and it’s weird.

…include any sort of clip art, pictures, borders, colors, etc. The resume is not the place to show off your Photoshop skills...unless you’re applying for a job in graphic design, marketing, or possibly as a preschool teacher.

…include personal interests like reading, white water rafting, or cooking. This may sound harsh but again, the resume is your admission ticket for a job not your tell-all autobiography. 

Keep in mind, this is not an all-inclusive list and every resume is different. If you have questions about any of the above or you're interested in sending me a resume for review, email me at:

mbatomommy(at)gmail(dot)com

Please attach your resume and include information on what type of assistance you are looking for (reformatting, editing, a complete re-write, etc.). If you don't have a resume and are looking to build one from scratch, please explain this in the body of the email.*

You can also send me a message on LinkedIn. Connect with me via the LinkedIn button on the sidebar under my picture and send an inbox message saying that you found me via my blog.

*Please note that I do charge a fee for a complete resume build or re-write and that both are very interactive processes (meaning I will need to communicate with you regularly for information gathering and clarification). On average, this process takes about a week. Fees vary depending on how much work is needed and an estimate will be given before work begins. All billing is done via PayPal.