Resume Best Practices: Do’s and Don’ts for your Resume from a Seasoned Recruiter

Guest blog by Paula Kurtzman, Senior Technical Recruiter & Career Coach

For over the past 20 years I have spent my career reviewing resumes, interviewing, and placing candidates at various levels in their professional lives.  Whether you are applying to an internship or a C-level position it is important to have a professional resume that best represents what you can offer to a potential employer.  Your resume is a marketing tool which allows potential employers a snapshot view of who you are and what you can do for them. The goal is to attract attention to your resume with the end goal of getting a phone or video interview request. 

So how does one prepare this very important document that will determine their future career? 

I can offer many suggestions based on career level or industry but regardless its important to stick to the basics:

-Keep your resume to 2 -3 pages at most; entry -junior level candidates should be 1 page only.

-Highlight your key accomplishments.

-Ensure your present and past tenses are correct.

-Spell Check. Spell Check!

-Clean and easy to read is best/remove tables or unnecessary graphics.

-Keep the pictures for your LinkedIn profiles.

-Objectives are a thing of the past…make sure you have a Professional Overview.

-Highlight any certifications, contests, professional organizations.

-Spell out months and dates and if you graduated know what year 😉.

-No fancy fonts -Stick to Times New Roman or Calibri.

-If you are still using your AOL address go ahead and create a Gmail email. 

-Include a Cover Letter only if it is requested.

 

It is key to have another set of eyes to review your resume so reach out to your Career Coach or a Colleague to give it a second look.  I always suggest to my clients and candidates to have an updated resume so when your dream job comes along you will be prepared to further engage in the opportunity. 

 

Pamela Weinberg