Resume Tip 1: Spell Check and “Reality Check”

Before you submit your resume, make sure you give it a spell check using your word processing software. After you spell check the document, have someone else give it a quick “reality check” to make sure that the spell checker did not miss anything and to make sure that you did not make a mistake that your computer did not catch. It is important that you get a second set of eyes to look over the document that could secure your next job.

Resume Tip 2: Not Too Long, But Not Too Short

How long should your resume be? This is always a tough call. Some experts believe a one page resume is the perfect length. We disagree, unless you have few skills and experiences to share. Go into enough detail to give an accurate view of your skills, but not so long that the reader falls asleep. You do not need to list every project you have ever worked on. Summarize, but be inclusive.

Resume Tip 3: Formatting Counts

Have two versions of your resume available. One to be viewed online and one to be handed out at in-person interviews and job fairs. Fancy formatting with pretty fonts, lines, boxes, and bullet points are often displaced when uploaded online. Anything you send or submit online should have very basic formatting (i.e. spacing and paragraph breaks).

Resume Tip 4: Keywords are Key

Employer use keywords when searching a database. In general, they expect the results to be representative of what they are searching for. This means a couple of things to the resume writer:

Include relevant keywords in your resume, because this is how you will be found.
Do not stuff your resume with keywords that are not representative of your experience. A list of keywords that do not represent your expertise should be avoided.

Resume Tip 5: Include the Basics

A technical resume should include the following information sections.

An objective: 1 – 2 sentences describing how you want to customize your resume for the job you are applying for.
Education: Any degrees you have completed or are working on, as well as relevant classes or certifications. Only include your GPA if it is very high.
Experience: List your past employers and/or major projects you have worked on. Start with the most recent.
Technology Summary: List only the technologies you know well.

Resume Tip 6: Have Multiple Versions

If you are in more than one role or have skills that may fit more than one role, you should have multiple versions of your resume available that highlight each set of skills. For example, if you have years of experience as software engineer and also have project management expertise, have two resumes: one highlighting your software engineer experience and another highlighting your project management experience.

Resume Tip 7: Make Your Resume Viewable

Recruiters and hiring managers like to search and “source” for candidates. If your resume (or bio) is not someplace where an employer can find it, then they do not know that you exist. In addition to the regular job boards, consider posting your resume on personal web pages, as well as networking tools such as:

Linkedin
My Space
Any relevant alumni web sites or industry association sites

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