Resume Writing
20 seconds… is the average time a manager takes to scan a resume and
determine if the applicant should be granted an interview. What can you do to the
design and content of your resume to peak the interest of a prospective
employer?
The DOs and Don’ts of Resume Preparation
Don’ts
DOs

Make sure your resume is easy to read. Use
concise, unambiguous sentences and avoid
over-writing or flowery prose.

Your salary history or reasons for leaving a
previous job should not be included on a
resume unless requested.

Know your audience - use the vocabulary and
speak the language of your targeted field.


Keep the overall length of your resume short.
Depending upon your experience, one or two
pages is ideal.
If you're considering enclosing a photograph of
yourself, don't! You may bear a striking
resemblance to someone the reader doesn't
like.

Don't include personal references on your
resume. A potential employer is interested in
references only after they are seriously
considering hiring you. At that time, you may
be asked to provide reference information.

Don't stretch the truth! Misinformation or
untruthful statements will inevitably come back
to haunt you.

Avoid references to hobbies, activities and
memberships that are not business-related or
haven't any application to your current career
goals or job objectives.

Stress your past accomplishments and the
skills you used to get the desired results.

Focus on information that's relevant to your
own career goals. If you're making a career
change, stress what skills are transferable to
support your new career objectives.

Begin accomplishment statements with action
verbs instead of pronouns like I, we, or even
the company.
 Neatness counts. A poorly structured, badly
typed resume is a reflection of the applicant.
 Last, but certainly not least, don't have any
unreasonable expectations of what a resume
can do. Employers do not hire resumes. They
hire people.
Action Verbs Make A Difference
When describing your accomplishments, the use of action verbs can make the
difference between a statement that attracts attention and one that seems
commonplace and uninteresting.
achieved
added
broadened
consolidated
coordinated created
developed
designed
eliminated
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established
evaluated
expanded
generated
identified
increased
initiated
invented
maintained
managed
negotiated
organized
performed
planned
purchased
reduced
saved
simplified
streamlined
strengthened
supervised
trained
transferred
utilized
verified
worked
wrote.
Resume Worksheet
______________________________________________________________________
Objective
Education
Awards received
Extracurricular activities
Interests and activities
Community or Volunteer experience
Work Experience
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Model Resume
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
____________________________________________________________
Objective
Beginning with an action verb, describe your career goal or job
objective.
Education
Beginning with an action verb, described your education including
dates attended, name of school or training facility, city and state.
Awards received
Beginning with an action verb, describe your awards received
including the name of the academic class or activity for which you
received the award and the date received.
Extracurricular
activities
Beginning with an action verb, described your extracurricular activities.
Interests and
activities
Beginning with an action verb, describe only your interest and
activities that are related to your current career goals or job objectives.
Community or
Volunteer
experience
Beginning with an action verb, describe your community or volunteer
activities including dates and number of hours.
Work Experience
Beginning with an action verb, describe your work experience
including beginning and ending dates, company name and job title.
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