Resume Writing Tips

As your resume is your sell sheet, it should be exquisitely written, demonstrating how well you think on paper. It must be a well-crafted stand-alone writing sample that immediately evidences that you are a strong writer and a clear/clean thinker.

A resume sets the agenda for the interview. As it prompts the interviewer's questions, it ought to suggest to him/her WHAT he/she should ask you and SET YOU UP as the expert. It should be interesting and truthfully titillating.

Always remember who your reader could be: An older person who wears reading glasses or a young HR type who has never heard of your employers.

Thus, don't assume everyone knows about the companies you mention. Give corporate descriptions or epithets. Never forget to mention exactly which product lines/products you work(ed) on. If you've been agency side, mention by name the accounts you handled and what precisely you did per each significant client.

Don't simply give the general job description of an account executive – detail what you accomplished for each important client in such a manner that the reader instantly “gets” the scope and magnitude of your responsibilities.

Bland HR-type job descriptions won't get you anywhere – for anyone reading the resume already understands any job description you could possibly provide. A resume is NOT a compilation of job descriptions but rather a compelling document that catalyzes interest in you.

Use ONLY Arial 11 point typeface as it is sans serif and easy for older/reading glasses eyes to read. Except for newspaper/book titles, etc, don't use italics. I mean this – many older people will simply throw out a resume they can't make out. You, too, will have older eyes one day.

ALL resumes should be reverse chronological – never functional. HR professionals and recruiters detest functional resumes because they obfuscate job histories, and force the reader to place your accomplishments under the appropriate employer.

If you were reading hundreds of resumes, you, too, would delete those that make you work too hard to understand. A resume should be so clear, and the information so obvious, that the reader automatically understands exactly what you did where and when.

Include month/year for all degrees, and month/year for start/finish of all positions held. Use numerals such as 7/98 - 2/03.

Each bullet under each employer should begin with a strong, descriptive action verb, and be more anecdotal than job description-y. Use “crafted” instead of “wrote” or “polished” instead of “edited”. Never use that hideous cop out verb, “responsible for”. Don't bore the reader by overusing words such as managed, development, wrote, or assisted. Click here for a list of action verbs.

Never ever use personal pronouns or too many self-descriptive adjectives – the interviewer will decide how “dynamic” you are. Don't tell him that you think you are.

Do not use the words “executive” or “senior executive” to describe yourself unless you wish to turn off the HR professionals who are screening applicants. When they see those words, they automatically think you are a “prima dona”. Not a good idea!

Your objective should be employer centered, not self-centered – what's in it for the employer, what will you do for him and his company? What's in it for you is obvious and trite.

Example: To use my education, skills and talents in a challenging position at a growth-oriented company.

Solution: To positively impact an employer's bottom line by contributing superior problem solving skills, business acumen and stellar writing to your corporate communications department.

Your resume should be as long as necessary to demonstrate all your experience and abilities. Two, three or four pages is OK if you have what to say. It should engage the reader, and make him immediately pick up the phone and invite you in for an interview. It should not be pompous nor should it exaggerate anything whatsoever.

Most companies run thorough background checks on candidates so don't stretch dates or responsibilities because at some point you will be found out, and terminated for cause. If that happens, you'll have bad references and no job or compensation, word will get out about what you did, and you'll be embarrassed to attend professional meetings.

Never offer your references up front. When you establish that you want the job or if you fill out an application form, offer the references at that point. Do not take gross advantage of those good-hearted people who offered to serve as references. They should not be receiving any reference calls until you have decided that you want the job.

Also, it is not necessary to give away this type of extra information before the second interview. You should be guarding the time and privacy of your references. So, do not put “references available” at the bottom of the resume.

If your resume establishes you as a stellar thinker and gifted writer, someone will contact you for an interview. If your resume is boring, trite or pompous, you will continue to look for a job. Follow these tips for best results. Good Luck.

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