10 Resume Do’s and Don’ts

Studies show employers spend no more than 10 seconds looking at a resume. With so many people looking for jobs today, it may be even less. How do you make a great first impression with one piece of paper?

“Ditching unnecessary text is akin to clearing weeds out of your lawn,” Joyce Lain Kennedy, author of Resumes For Dummies, tells PINK. “Why not use white space for information that markets you?” Anything about family, early education, or favorite things can be deleted to make room for qualifications applicable to the position.

Contact info can be limited to three things: email address, mobile phone number and area of residence. Kennedy suggests listing only your city and state, as “concerns about privacy argue against listing a street address.”

Leaving only positive facts in your resume and handling any “problem issues in an interview” should make employers want to reach out to get to know you more, Kennedy adds. She advises staying away from mentioning salary requirements, reasons for leaving previous jobs or other negative information.

Others suggest tailoring each resume to the requirements of the position so you “don’t make [employers] guess whether you have the right stuff for the job.” Kennedy says going through the job requirements and matching them in your resume will help. For instance: if they want someone with excellent money managing skills, mention that you were an accountant for a previous company.

Bonus PINK Link: Now that you’ve got a polished resume, check out job-hunting tips for seasoned professionals.

By Malee Moua 

“Every job is a self-portrait of the person who does
it. Autograph your work with excellence.” Unknown