Step One Assess: Résumé

The Words

Your résumé's language and words are critical.

• Avoid complete sentences.
  
  
• Don't use articles such as "an," "a" and "the."
  
  
• Don't use pronouns such as "I," "me" or "my."
  
  
• Skip "responsible for" and "duties include."
  
  
• Include "buzz words," e.g., AUTOCAD for Drafters or "chip" for Marketing Managers.
  
  
• Avoid jargon that the reader won't understand.

The Content

Your résumé should contain (and avoid) certain types of information. Here are some do's and don'ts.

• Do list city and state for each employer you've had.
  
  
• Do list months and years for employment dates.
  
  
• Do list jobs starting with current or most recent and moving backwards whatever your résumé format.
  
  
• Do list your participation in activities that involve teamwork, such as sports.
  
  
• Do focus only on the past ten to fifteen years.
  
  
• Don't explain why you left jobs.
  
  
• Don't repeat information.
  
  
• Don't include personal information such as age, height, weight, marital status, religion or politics.
  
  
• Don't mention skills that you don't want to use.
  
  
• Don't mention high school unless you just left it.
  
  
• Do always tailor your résumé based on your research of the company and the job you seek

The Look

Your résumé should look:

• professional — on white or very light bond paper;
  
  
• clean — no smudges or stains;
  
  
• uncluttered — lots of blank space on it;
  
  
• serious — with plain fonts, such as Times Roman;
  
  
• unique — not the typical computer template;
  
  
• easy to read — with bullet points, not paragraphs;
  
  
• well-organized — with main points at top of page;
  
  
• well-spaced — without justified text blocks;
  
  
• flat — no staples and, if possible, no creases;
  
  
• brief — one page if under ten years' experience.