Preparing Your Resume

Over the years, I have reviewed thousands of resumes. Naturally, I have seen submissions from the great to the absurd, and everything in between. The advent of e-mailing resumes has made things remarkably more convenient and efficient for all involved, but that has not changed the essential composition of the resume document. The same rules still apply:

• Create an outline for your resume. List the things you wish to highlight as to your skills, history and other relevant information. There are preset formats you can utilize for simpler resume preparation, and by all means look at these if only to get ideas for your own custom resume. Or use a template and fill in your information.


• Avoid splashy, fussy or distracting design features, unless you are applying for design-related or advertising positions, and you wish to draw attention to your personal design skills. Even so, limit the design to something more simple, tasteful and serious. Let your portfolio do the talking as to those particular skills.
  
• If you are submitting a paper resume, use good-quality paper and avoid colors other than white, off-white or crème. Type fonts should also be more traditional in nature. You want to draw attention to content, not font choices.


• Organize your resume so that it is easy to follow and provides a clear, linear narrative. Do not make it difficult to decipher dates of employment, chronologies, or other data or information.


• Consider what the employer finds important in a resume. This includes: EXPERIENCE, SKILLS, EDUCATION, LENGTH OF PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT, STABILITY, EVIDENCE OF CHARACTER, COMMITMENT, RELIABILITY, REFERENCES. Are you a TEAM PLAYER?


• Do not leave holes in your resume. A serious interviewer is going to want to know why there is a three-year gap in your work history. Gaps of a minor duration may be easily explained, but be prepared to explain the long ones, and I urge that this be included on your resume. Remember, your resume is being screened and obviously you have competition. Your resume may be tossed aside if you leave large, unexplained gaps. This is particularly true if your work history is thin, and/or laden with past jobs of short duration. Weakness in these areas require that more compelling arguments be made for your hiring in other places in your resume and cover letter. Remember that with the submission of your resume, you are making a case for the employer to call you in for an interview. That is job one. If you shine in the interview, flaws in your resume may be overcome.


• If you choose to list hobbies and entertainment preferences, be judicious in your choices. Don’t appear to be either a couch potato or reckless adventurer. Also, do not list hobbies that imply a need or history of being away for long stretches. Employers may prefer a well-rounded candidate (who will be perceived as well-adjusted) but listing all those exotic jungle treks on the other side of the world may infer a greater dedication to outside activities than your professional career. An interest in fitness, biking, walking, hiking, fishing, or photography, for example, may be perceived with a less wary eye. Charitable work, unless indicated to excess, is certainly fine.


• List skills as most employers would define them. Do not list “making copies” or “answering the phone” as skills, even if you are applying for clerical work. You’ll look silly and perhaps a little light in the intellect department. Now, if those functions were part of your job description in a former position, list them as such. Just don’t list them separately as “skills.”


• Your most important references are professional. Personal references are fine, and those of long duration imply good traits and cannot hurt. Thus, the pastor or head of a reputable charity appear more substantial than your freshman year roommate at The University of Party City. Keep this brief. As to your professional references, make sure the information is accurate. Don’t list contact information for past employment that you know to be out of date or incorrect.


• Avoid listing any frivolous employment or endeavors of short-duration that lack seriousness. That reality show you were developing with your cousin went south, but you were in between real jobs. Leave it out. Ditto on the name-dropping. An obvious attempt to impress with big names or celebrity references may draw a cold eye from an interviewer and your resume may be dispatched to the “to be filed” bin. If it feels like you are overdoing it, you are. I was always turned off by the transparency of these contrived efforts.


• Read your resume over carefully multiple times before you deem it finished. Is it grammatical, cleanly written, coherent and easy to follow? Do not forget to do a spell check. Bad spelling suggests a sloppy approach to work, and perhaps a lack of intelligence. Take advantage of your word processor’s easy-to-use features and get it right.


• If you’re sending a copy of your resume by mail, pay attention to some small details. Don’t put your great looking resume document in the wrong size envelope or hand print anything on the envelope. It’s like putting on a pair of work boots with a new suit. These minor, sloppy errors make you look careless when you need to appear meticulous.


• If at all possible, write and include a targeted cover letter. Try to avoid the mass-produced “Dear Employer” approach, and direct your cover letter to the company or person to whom you are submitting your resume, unless unknown. This is quite easy once you have your cover letter written. Just make changes with regard to names, companies, job titles, etc. You have the time - don’t take the lazy approach and you’ll look more serious and professional than the other guy.