An effective resume will answer those questions with a minimal amount of effort and, as with any effective marketing tool, it will also leave the reader wanting to know more.  You want to give them just enough info to prompt them into action. That’s when they pick up the phone and call you for an interview!

So your resume is your professional introduction.  It's your only chance to make a memorable first impression and I can tell you right now that if you do not take your resume seriously, then your resume will never be TAKEN seriously.  It really is that simple.

Now, if you feel you are capable and qualified to write a compelling and dynamic resume, then by all means give it a shot.  However, if you’re not extremely confident in your skills as a writer and/or marketer, I would sincerely recommend you hook up with a professional resume writer to help you craft the perfect resume for you.  A seasoned veteran in these matters can be an invaluable resource.  After all, I trust my mechanic to work on my car because he works on cars all day, every day.  Well there are people out there who work on resumes all day, every day…so trust us!

For those who are convinced they have what it takes, this article should help you with some of the finer points.  Although job markets and technologies are always changing, there are some things which are fairly universal and constitute the basic principles of a winning resume. 

To guide you along, I have compiled a comprehensive list of resume writing Do’s and Don’ts, complete with secret tricks of the trade as well as a collection of common mistakes people make.  So pay close attention, take my advice into consideration, and you’ll be on your way to landing that dream job in no time!

Read about the "do's"

1. Misrepresent the Truth – Lying on your resume is never a good idea.  You don’t want to start a professional relationship based on the misrepresentation of facts.  Just as you would hope the employer is not lying to you about the job requirements, salary, etc, they expect you are not lying to them about your background and/or skill sets.  It’s the decent and respectable way to conduct yourself and there is no room for dishonesty in the workplace because , sooner or later, these things always have a tendency to come to the surface.  Remember:  The truth shall set you free!
2. Use Slang or Jargon – You need to be as professional as possible in the context of your resume if you expect to be taken seriously as a professional.  For this reason, you should avoid using familiar lingo, slang, or jargon in your resume.  The exception to this rule is when using very industry-specific terminology to describe your particular skills.  This can actually help to lend you credit as a knowledgeable individual and an expert in your field, but your such terms wisely and tactfully. 
   
3. Include a Picture – Unless you’re a model or in a professional dependent on physical attributes, I always advise against putting your picture on your resume.  In my experience, it can do more harm than good.  So keep the formatting of the resume simple and let the hiring manager use their imagination until they call you in for an interview.  Plus, your looks should have nothing to do with your professionalism or the credentials qualifying you for the position.  In the business world (even legally), your appearance should have no value as a selling point for you as a competent job candidate.
4. Include Irrelevant Info (AKA “Fluff”) - If it’s not important, don’t add it to your resume.  If you were a cook 10 years ago but now you’re looking for a job in retail management, don’t clutter up your resume with irrelevancy.  Try to put yourself in the shoes of the hiring manager and ask yourself what they would see as important.  How does your background correspond with their needs as an employer?  Anything else is fluff.  Don’t add your hobbies to your resume.  Don’t add your references (if they want them, they’ll ask at the appropriate time).  And don’t include your high school education either.  Finally, don’t be redundant and repeat yourself throughout the context of your resume.  It’s OK to reinforce themes, but don’t push it.  If your title has been Branch Manager at each of your past three companies, find a way to differentiate each of these positions and highlight your most notable accomplishments.  Don’t just copy and paste the line “Managed a team of branch employees” three times.  That will get you nowhere.
5. Include a Core Competencies Section – I find Core Competency sections to be fairly worthless in a professional resume and I’ll tell you why:  It doesn’t matter if you’re a waitress, an administrative assistant, a nurse, a teacher, or a sales executive – it doesn’t matter what kind of background you have – anyone can describe themselves as “Self-Motivated”.  Anyone can say they are “Goal Oriented” and “Results-Driven” and everyone has “Strong Verbal and Written Skills” when they’re applying for a job.  I can say with some degree of certainty that the majority of hiring managers and HR administrators skip right past a Core Competencies section and with good reason.  The key to a successful resume is in SHOWING a manager how you are “Results-Driven” and “Goal Oriented” instead of just TELLING them!  Your accomplishments speak volumes, let them do the talking.  If you are going to include a Core Competencies section, make sure it’s unique and adds value.  Again, vagueness will often work against you here because it cheapens the experience of reading your resume.
6. Rely on Templates or Sample Resumes – If you are surfing the web and looking for a good resume sample or template to use as a guideline for your own resume, make sure the sample you settle on is appropriate considering your background, the industry you’re in, and your career intentions.  Because when it comes right down to it, different styles of resumes should be employed in different industries. By way of illustration, a computer programmer’s resume will vary greatly from that of a sushi chef. They both have very different skill sets which need to be highlighted in very different ways in order to be effective. If both those individuals tried to write their resumes in the same format, it would be a disaster. Hiring authorities, respectively, each have their own expectations and some resume formats are better than others at addressing those individual expectations.
7. Write a Novel and Call it a Resume – I repeat:  Do NOT write a novel and call it a resume.  Too many people make this mistake. They want to write this wordy, drawn-out thesis outlining their life story and their career aspirations. They have all these skills and accomplishments and they want to include them all in there somewhere, but the problem is most people just don’t know when to stop.  Don’t be afraid to leave out some of the details and explore those further in the interview process.  My advice is to highlight only those aspects of your background which are most applicable for the job, or types of jobs, you are planning to apply for.
8. Limit Yourself to One Page – In contrast to the last point, you may not want to limit yourself to a 1-page resume.  A common misconception is that a professional resume HAS to be one page.  However, that’s not really the case these days.  I while back, before the miracles of technology, I may have agreed.  But now that most resumes are being read on a computer screen versus on paper, there’s no need to limit yourself in such a way.  Those who try to cram all their info on 1-page resume usually resort to smaller font and zero spacing.  When viewed on screen, this is not an attractive format and it’s hard to read.  Now, I’m not saying you should write a 20-page catalogue of your experiences, nor am I advocating the use of size 20 font.  Instead, I would say 12-14 size font should suffice and I recommend you keep it at two pages.  That leaves plenty of room to say what needs to be said.  Of course, if you have limited experience then a 1-page resume will do just fine.

So there it is…everything you need to know about writing your resume.  I sincerely wish you the best of luck in your endeavors and feel free to contact me if you ever need any assistance.  I’m here to help!