[ Basic Resume/Brainstorming ]

(1) First of all, there might not be such a thing as the perfect resume, because half of  the employers will agree while the other half will not.Employers have their own unique likes and dislikes when it comes to resume formatting. Hence, there is no secret resume-writing formula that fits everyone’s agenda and guarantees success. Having said that, in this article, we will still teach you how-to right the best resume you possibly can.

(2) The reader should be able to pick out your job titles, assess your  educational background, and get a general sense of the level of your  experience after a brief review of your resume.

(3) Elaborate a rough version of what will eventually become your resume. Let's call this version your "basic resume." Try to recollect in the  most comprehensive way possible all your accomplishments. Whether it’s big or  small, write them down in chronological order.

(4) Use this opportunity to verify the information contained in your resume  (dates, numbers, address, etc.). The biggest mistake you don’t want to make  is failing a reference check.
 
[ Initial Assessment ]

(5) Decide whether or not you should apply to  the position:

• Before  applying to a position, ask yourself if you really want it.
• If  you are interested in the position, ask yourself whether you think you are  qualified for it.
• If  you think you are qualified for it, ask yourself whether you have a chance.
• If  you think you have a chance, apply. Otherwise, look for the next opportunity.

(6) Why not apply to as many jobs as possible?

• Because you should put the odds in  your favour.
• Quality is more important than  quantity.
• Because the key to success is to send  out targeted applications. As you will soon find out, sending out targeted  applications is time consuming.
• Because the measure of success is  not to find any job, but to find a job that you truly want and one that will  make you happy.

[ Background Information Gathering ]

(7) If you are  responding to a job posting, make sure to read it carefully to search for  hidden clues. If you obtained your lead through networking, ask for details  from your contact person.

(8 ) Research the position, the industry, and the employer.

• What are the skills  required for the position that you are interested in?
• How does the  industry affect the position (e.g. an accounting position with a pharmaceutical  firm requires a different set of knowledge than an accounting position with a  mining company)?
• What is the  employer's corporate philosophy and how does it impact the nature of the  position?
• These are all  questions you should be able to answer once you have done your research.

[ Resume Headings ]

(9) Choose the main headings for your  resume. Objective, Summary of Qualifications, Work Experience, Education,  Computer Skills, Languages, etc.
 
(10) In addition to the usual  headings, you should consider adding specific headings that will be of interest  to the recruiter, such as: Computer Skills, Languages, Professional  Associations, Community Involvement, Extracurricular Activities, etc.
 
(11) Make sure the additional headings  you add are relevant to the position you are applying to and think in practical  terms. Many details are often omitted from job postings, but if you can read  between the lines and do proper research, you can always come up with  additional needs that the employer has but that are not stated.

For instance, you may notice that  the employer's office is located in a neighbourhood with a strong immigrant  population. How about drawing attention to your multilingual background or your  openness to other cultures?

[ Resume Format ]

(12) Choose a resume format that will  attenuate your weaknesses and showcase your strengths: reverse chronological, functional, or hybrid. 
 
(13) Not every resume has to be in the  traditional format. A functional format can be useful for experienced  candidates. Or a hybrid of chronological and functional can be created.

A functional resume lists all  duties performed for all relevant positions in the candidate's career history.  Then the places where the candidate worked is listed below in a "Work  History" section.

(14) A chronological resume format  contains a list of your positions, starting with the most recent position.

(15) A resume must be at least one full page in length. Two pages is  acceptable for highly accomplished and experienced candidates, but more than  two pages will more than likely leave your resume unread.

(16) If your resume is two pages, a  "Page 2" should be listed at the top of your resume at the other end  or below your name (depending if it's off to the right or centred) on the  second page.
 
(17) Remember, everyone reads from left to right, so put your most  important information first on the left side of the page, such as company names  and job titles. Dates and locations should be listed on the right side of the  page.
 
(18) Employers will not take the time to read thick blocks of information,  so make it easy on them by using bullet points or lists to separate the  information instead.

Bullet points are the quickest way to convey any additional information  associated with your education. If you have an extensive list of activities  and honours, you may want to create a separate category for each.
 
(20) Use italics instead of  underlining publications or journals for a cleaner resume format.
 
(21) A curriculum vitae (CV) is not the same as a resume and usually runs  much longer.
 
[ Resume Design ]

(22) You have decided on the  structure, format and basic content of your resume. The next step is to choose  a professional resume design that will catch the recruiter's interest and draw  his/ her attention to what sets you apart from other candidates. There are no  rigid formulas to a well-designed resume, but keep in mind the following  guidelines:

• Keep your resume simple. Avoid  visual distractions on your resume.
• Make it easy for the reader to  scan through your resume. Avoid font sizes that are too small.
• Be consistent throughout your  resume.

(23) A resume should give off a professional, polished appearance.
 
(24) Keep your resume black and white,  or you can also use shades of grey. Avoid colours. Most companies will make  photocopies of your resume which they will pass around the office for the  various persons concerned.
 
(25) Utilize resources such as resume  books, samples, and writing tips to make your resume look as good as possible.

(26) Font size should never exceed size  12pt. unless it is for your name at the top of your resume. It should also  never get any smaller than 10pt. font.

(27) Spacing between lines can be changed.  If you need more room, try using a smaller font size such as 6 or 8 between  lines.

(28) Avoid tiny fonts and large blocks of  text.

(29) Never be afraid to try new outlines  and borders for your resume headlines.

[ Resume Writing ]

(30)   Following are four key rules to  effective resume writing:

• Be clear: Candidates know what  they did in the past and assume that what they wrote down is clear to the  reader. Big mistake. Clarity is one of the major handicaps of most resumes.  What matters is not whether your resume is clear to you, but rather whether  your resume is clear to the person reading it.
• Be concise: Recruiters have a lot  of applications to go through. They won't have the patience to read through  lengthy sentences.
• Be selective: Everything that you  put down in your resume has to have a purpose. If a statement serves no  purpose, take it out.
• Be on point: This goes to the  clarity of your thought process. What message are you trying to convey and are  you effective in that endeavour?
• Be accurate: Be careful not to  over exaggerate and don't lie.

(31) Writing might not be your  strength. If that is the case, ask someone to help you.
(32) Resume writing is about  "making a statement." What statement are you trying to make?
(33) In your resume and cover letter,  show potential employers what you can do for them.

[ Work Experience ]

(34) Make sure that the person reading  your work experience will have an appreciation of what that job entailed. You  can undertake to do this in many ways:
 

• You can choose to have one  sentence below your job title where you describe your employer's line of  business. This may be necessary if the company you worked for is small or is in  another industry than the industry to which you are applying to.
• As opposed to discussing your  experience in function of what you did, you may want to elaborate on what your  responsibilities were.
• You can choose to include the URL  of the company for which you worked.
• You may choose to have a short  paragraph describing what your responsibilities were, followed by bullet points  highlighting specific accomplishments.
• As you can see, resume writing is  not necessarily a mechanical exercise. A lot is also left to creativity and  imagination.

(35) Give outdated experience a  feeling of real time by using past progressive tenses such as "I was  managing" to draw readers away from the past tense of the experience in  your cover letter.
 
(36) Support your propositions by  concrete and specific examples, if possible.
 
(37) Employers want to see your  relevant work history in a reverse chronological format.
 
(38) The most recent position on your  resume should have the most detail, while the other positions carry less.
 
(39) When deciding how much of your  work history to include in your resume, take into account the relevance of each  of the positions you have held to the position you are trying to obtain.
 
(40) Emphasize the jobs in which you  demonstrated skills that are relevant to the position you are seeking. Don't  fall into the trap of giving the same weight to all your past jobs. Some jobs  are more relevant than others.

(41) Keep in mind what the  requirements for the position are and word your experience in function of those  requirements.
 
(42) Consider trying to separate your  work experience into two sections if you have substantially different types of  work, i.e. Business Experience and Educational  Experience. If you are applying for financial work, but have relevant  retail, educational, and real estate work as well, then try something like Financial Experience Professional Experience after.

(43) Sometimes your resume may look  empty, so try using a different alignment for your dates and employer  locations. (We prefer using right alignment.)

(44) Use sub-bullets to highlight any  shining moments of glory during that position. For example, if you work in  retail management and one of your duties was to oversee and motivate the staff  for sales of a club card for the chain and you proved the highest rate of sales  for that card and received a bonus, then you would write that you oversaw sales  in a bullet and that you generated the most sales and won a bonus in a  sub-bullet.

(45) For each job position, write down  as many details as you can and then combine them into important duties to list  on your resume.

(46) Experience never has to come in  the form of a paid position, so take into account all of your community and  volunteer opportunities, as well as your internships.

(47) Highlight your transferable  skills.

(48) If you have done extensive  community work and/or you are planning to pursue a career relating to public  interest matters, you will want to focus on your "Volunteer Work"  section the most.
 
(49) If you are not currently  employed, you resume needs to list the end date of your most recent position.
 
(50) You can save a lot of space by  collecting minor duties under one bullet. For example, if you are business  manager and your duties were primarily overseeing operations, consulting for  business development, and marketing strategy, but you also managed the staff,  conducted research, and wrote letters to clients, you can place the first three  in separate bullets if there is a lot of detail involved and place the last  three with periods or semicolons by one bullet: "Managed staff; conducted  research; wrote client letters."

[ Accomplishments ]

(51) Accomplishments do play a major  role on your resume. Mention them briefly but not at the expense of elongating  your resume.

(52) Describe your main  accomplishments and how you brought added-value to your previous employers.

(53) How to showcase your  accomplishments? Discuss the problem that you encountered, the course of action  that you took, and how it ended up benefiting the employer.
 
(54) Remember to use action verbs; you  want to sound proactive. Resumes are based on the past, yet should be  future-oriented.

(55) When you write down numbers, use this  format:

• "1,000,000"; instead of  "1 million"
• "Saved XYZ $1,000,000 by  restructuring manufacturing operations." vs. "Saved XYZ $1 million by  restructuring manufacturing operations."
• As you can notice,  "$1,000,000" stands out more than "$1 million."

(56) You may have been a member of an  organization or activity that is not well known outside of your school or may  have won an award for an academic achievement. If you do not provide details  about what you did or why you were honoured, these things will be irrelevant to  a potential employer.
   
[ Education ]

(57) Consider how much weight your  profession places on education. For example, legal employers place significant  emphasis on education, so make sure that the "Education" section of  your resume is clear and prominent.

(58) Students and recent graduates  should write as much as they can in their "Education" section because  that is where potential employers will be looking.
 
(59) If you are a recent graduate,  list your internships in the "Experience" section of your resume  because it may be the only experience you have, so expand on those positions in  detail.

(60) Experienced professionals should  list their internships under their "Education" section because it is  a great way to display what you did during school without taking up too much  room on the resume.

(61) The education portion of your  resume is not only about showing that you have a degree. Dig deeper to see if  there are things that you can mention to make your application stronger  (especially if you are a new graduate). E.g. "Worked 20 hours a week while attending university full-time."

(62) Don't disregard activities or  associations you were involved in. Employers also look for "soft  skills" such as people skills or teamwork. In addition, you may share  common experiences with some of the recruiters (i.e. he or she may have been in  the same association or played in a basketball team as well).

[ Summary of  Qualifications ]

(63) The "Summary of  Qualifications" is what will give you the edge over other candidates.  Oftentimes, a well-written Summary of Qualifications will set the tone for the  rest of your resume.

(64) Although the heading reads  "Summary of Qualifications," it is more like "Summary of  Strengths." Misleading? A little, but what if you can pass all your  strengths to be your qualifications. Will that make your candidacy stronger?  You bet!
 
(65) Careful about mentioning skills  like "good research skills," "strong analytical skills," or  "good organizational skills." Anybody can mention those. If you do,  make sure that the rest of your resume supports your allegations. Also, keep a  balance between these general skills and specific skills such as "in-depth  understanding of international tax rules" or "good understanding of  GAAP." Specific skills such as the latter ones are more persuasive and  make a much stronger statement in terms of your knowledge base and the possible  contribution you can make to your new employer.
 
[ Objective ]
 
(66) The "Objective" section  of the resume is one of the trickiest parts because it is often misinterpreted  as being the candidate's objective. Actually, do you really need an  "Objective" section? Isn't it quite obvious that your objective is to  get the job? So why the "Objective" heading? Well, some people say  that it is intended for organizations that have many vacancies. This helps them  keep track of things. This is true... but is there another purpose to the "Objective" section of your resume?
 
(67) The objective section is not  about what you want, but about letting the employer know that you are the  person that they want. There has to be a meeting of the minds. Something like "your objective is my objective." We have a common objective, what a  coincidence!

(68) Employers are trying to determine  whether you're a good fit for their organizations, so everything on your résumé  should point to your experience. Employers would rather see a summary of  qualifications that displays your accomplishments and background than a generic objective statement like "to gain experience in...".
 
[ Show that You Are Interested ]

(69) Some people may have all the  required qualifications, yet there is a sense that they don't really care about  the position. As opposed to common wisdom, interest is not only shown in cover  letters. It can also emanate from your resume. How?
 

• By being specific.
• By showing that you did your research  and know what you are writing about.
• By focusing on the employer's needs  as opposed to what you want.

(70) To the extent that your resume is  tailored to the position you are applying to, many recruiters will recognize  the effort you put in and may give you a chance accordingly.

[ Some Writing Rules/Reminders ]
 
(71) A sentence starts with a capital  letter and ends with a period. Many people remember the former, but forget the  latter. Unless it is a title, you need a period at the end of your sentence.
 
(72) If you are still employed, use  the present tense to describe your responsibilities in your current job and use  the past tense to describe your responsibilities in your prior jobs.
 
(73) Start your sentences with action  verbs.

(74) Be careful with punctuation.  Typos are looked down upon!
 
(75) Try not to be repetitive. Using  the same adjectives and verbs will make your resume sound boring to potential  employers. Don’t say you didn’t get taught that in high school!
 
(76) Number your pages (unless your  resume has only one page) and state the total number of pages. E.g.:
 

• Page 1 of 2
• 1/2

(77) Put your name at the top of all  the pages of your resume (if your resume has more than one page).

(78) Also watch that you don't repeat content in your cover letter. If  you mention in the opening of your cover letter that you can provide exemplary  leadership skills, you don't have to echo that information again anywhere else.  Feel free to show that you can lead well-i.e. "I managed a team of more  than 20 marketing experts for several lucrative advertising campaigns.";
 
(79) Using acronyms is fine, but make  sure to write out the abbreviation the first time it appears in your document.  An example would be "American Disabilities Act (ADA)." From then on,  you can just use "ADA."

[ Cover Letter ]
 
(80) A resume should always be  accompanied by a cover letter. Don’t bother applying without one! In the jobs  industry, it is considered very rude not to have a cover letter.
 
(81) A cover letter should never  exceed one page. Half a page to 3/4 is acceptable.

(82) Cover letters should have three  or four paragraphs: The Introduction should tell the reader the purpose of the  correspondence; the Body should explain your experiences and skills; and the  Conclusion should summarize and request an interview. You can split the Body  into two paragraphs if you wish: the top for work experience and the bottom for  a summary of skills. You can also mix it up a bit and do one paragraph for  experience, one for education (if necessary to your profession), and  incorporate your summary of skills into the Conclusion.
 
(83) Cover letters are important for  inexperienced candidates because they prove skills and enthusiasm to potential  employers.
 
(84) A cover letter briefly addresses  "who you are" and "what you want"; highlights your most  relevant experience and skills; tells employers what you can do for them; and  addresses any "red flags" that will be raised by your resume.

(85) Cover Letters are read in less  than 8 seconds so make it stand out, and make your point clear!

(86) Know your stuff. Before  you begin writing, learn as much as you can about the potential employer. Visit  the firm's Web site and scan industry publications to familiarize yourself with  recent news about the company, such as quarterly earnings, and to learn about  future plans, like expansion into new markets. The more you know about an  organization, the better you can tailor your cover letter to the firm's needs.

(87) Personalize it. Never  begin a cover letter with "Dear Sir or Madam" or "To Whom it May  Concern." Correspondence with generic salutations often signals to  potential employers that you lack the initiative to locate the appropriate  contact. If a job listing does not include the name of the hiring manager, call  the company's receptionist and explain the position you are applying for to see  if he or she can help you fill in the blank.

(88) Start strong. A good cover  letter begins with a powerful opening paragraph. Your goal is to briefly  describe how you heard about the position and why you're interested in it. Skip  cute introductions: "Teamwork is my middle name" or "I am smart  as a whip," for example. A "catchy" opening can appear stilted  and insincere and offers little, if any, value to the piece.

(89) Offer an enticement. The  body of the letter should expand upon -- not simply repeat -- the key points in  your résumé. Highlight those skills and experiences most relevant to the job  opening and provide concrete examples of how you can benefit the company. For  example, if you are applying for a management position, share how turnover  within your department decreased by 20 percent during your tenure. Or  communicate how your attention to detail and ability to adapt quickly to new  environments allow you to deliver first-rate client service.

(90) Be bold. In addition to  expressing gratitude for the hiring manager's time and interest, close your  letter by outlining your next steps. Be proactive by stating when you will contact  him or her to follow up. Doing so is a great way to reinforce your enthusiasm  for the job. However, don't forget to include a phone number or e-mail address  where you can be reached in case the firm wants to get in touch with you first.

[ Miscellaneous ]

(91) Make sure you have a professional  e-mail address. E.g., if you have RockyV@hotmail.com and your name is not  "Rocky," there's something wrong. Open a new account like john.doe@gmail.com.
 
(92) Don't bold, underline, or italicize  excessively. Only do it in order to highlight what is important.

(93) PDF your resume if you intend to  send it via email. This will avoid formatting inconsistencies.

(94) If possible, don't include your  cell phone number in your resume. You might receive a call when you don't  expect it (e.g. while commuting):

• You might not have a paper and pen  handy to take down the time and location of the interview.
• You want to sound professional when  you answer the phone.
• You don't want to lose  connection.

(95) Unless specifically asked for,  avoid video resumes. It’s still relatively new technology; people are still  making tentative moves towards it.

(96) Match the layout of your resume  with that of your cover letter. Use the same heading, the same margins, and the  same font.

(97) Don't mention "references  available upon request" on your resume. It is assumed that you will be  able to provide references if asked for them.
 
(98) Research potential employers and  their company's positions you are going to apply for so that you can tailor  your resume and cover letter to meet their needs.
 
(99) Always try to keep your resume  updated. The more current your resume is, the less time you'll have to spend  remembering minor details.

(100) When it comes to job titles, it  doesn't hurt to be creative but not misleading. If they called you a cashier at  work, you can call yourself a customer service representative in the resume.  Client liaison specialist might be stretching it. If you're unsure of exactly  how long you worked somewhere or what your title was when you were there, call  your previous employer to ask. Otherwise, when your future employer does a  background check, it will seem like you lied on your résumé and you'll be  eliminated from consideration.
 
[ Reviewing Stage ]

(101) Put your resume aside and do  something else. Come back on it later with a fresh mind. While you go through  your second round of revision, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is your resume clear and easy to  read?
• Is your resume compelling?
• Is your resume free from typos and  grammatical mistakes?
• Does your resume look professional?
• Does your resume fit the job  description?

(102) Would you hire yourself if you were  the recruiter? Why? Why not?

Check your resume for spelling  and grammatical errors before you send it out. Employers will not automatically  throw away your resume if there is even one tiny spelling or grammatical error  on it, but make sure to correct your mistake immediately before your next  submission.  Ask a friend or a family  member to look at your resume. Listen to their feedback and keep an open mind.  Then Review your resume one last time.

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