Having a solid and effective resume can greatly improve your chances of landing that dream job. That is beyond discussion. How does one make sure that his resume is top notch and bullet proof, however? There are several websites with tips around the web, but most bring just a handful of them. We wanted to put them all together in a single place, and that is what you will find below: 44 resume writing tips.
1. Know the purpose of your resume
Some people write a resume as if the purpose of the document was to land a job. As a result they end up with a really long and boring piece that makes them look like desperate job hunters. The objective of your resume is to land an interview, and the interview will land you the job (hopefully!).
2. Back up your qualities and strengths
Instead of creating a long (and boring) list with all your qualities (e.g., disciplined, creative, problem solver) try to connect them with real life and work experiences. In other words, you need to back these qualities and strengths up, else it will appear that you are just trying to inflate things.
3. Make sure to use the right keywords
Most companies (even smaller ones) are already using digital databases to search for candidates. This means that the HR department will run search queries based on specific keywords. Guess what, if your resume doesn’t have the keywords related to the job you are applying for, you will be out even before the game starts.
These keywords will usually be nouns. Check the job description and related job ads for a clue on what the employer might be looking for. You can read more about resume keywords on the article Tapping the Power of Keywords to Enhance Your Resume’s Effectiveness.
4. Use effective titles
Like it or not, employers will usually make a judgment about your resume in 5 seconds. Under this time frame the most important aspect will be the titles that you listed on the resume, so make sure they grab the attention. Try to be as descriptive as possible, giving the employer a good idea about the nature of your past work experiences. For example:
Bad title: Accounting
Good title: Management of A/R and A/P and Recordkeeping
5. Proofread it twice
It would be difficult to emphasize the importance of proofreading your resume. One small typo and your chances of getting hired could slip. Proofreading it once is not enough, so do it twice, three times or as many as necessary. If you don’t know how to proofread effectively, here are 8 tips that you can use, or use a grammar checker.
6. Use bullet points
No employer will have the time (or patience) to read long paragraphs of text. Make sure, therefore, to use bullet points and short sentences to describe your experiences, educational background and professional objectives.
7. Where are you going?
Including professional goals can help you by giving employers an idea of where you are going, and how you want to arrive there. You don’t need to have a special section devoted to your professional objectives, but overall the resume must communicate it. The question of whether or not to highlight your career objectives on the resume is a polemic one among HR managers, so go with your feeling. If you decide to list them, make sure they are not generic.
8. Put the most important information first
This point is valid both to the overall order of your resume, as well as to the individual sections. Most of the times your previous work experience will be the most important part of the resume, so put it at the top. When describing your experiences or skills, list the most important ones first.
9. Attention to the typography
First of all make sure that your fonts are big enough. The smaller you should go is 11 points, but 12 is probably safer. Do not use capital letters all over the place, remember that your goal is to communicate a message as fast and as clearly as possible. Arial and Times are good choices.
10. Do not include “no kidding” information
There are many people that like to include statements like “Available for interview” or “References available upon request.” If you are sending a resume to a company, it should be a given that you are available for an interview and that you will provide references if requested. Just avoid items that will make the employer think “no kidding!”
11. Explain the benefits of your skills
Merely stating that you can do something will not catch the attention of the employer. If you manage to explain how it will benefit his company, and to connect it to tangible results, then you will greatly improve your chances.
12. Avoid negativity
Do not include information that might sound negative in the eyes of the employer. This is valid both to your resume and to interviews. You don’t need to include, for instance, things that you hated about your last company.
13. Achievements instead of responsibilities
Resumes that include a long list of “responsibilities included…” are plain boring, and not efficient in selling yourself. Instead of listing responsibilities, therefore, describe your professional achievements.
14. No pictures
Sure, we know that you are good looking, but unless you are applying for a job where the physical traits are very important (e.g., modeling, acting and so on), and unless the employer specifically requested it, you should avoid attaching your picture to the resume.
15. Use numbers
This tip is a complement to the 13th one. If you are going to describe your past professional achievements, it would be a good idea to make them as solid as possible. Numbers are your friends here. Don’t merely mention that you increased the annual revenues of your division, say that you increased them by $100,000, by 78%, and so on.
16. One resume for each employer
One of the most common mistakes that people make is to create a standard resume and send it to all the job openings that they can find. Sure it will save you time, but it will also greatly decrease the chances of landing an interview (so in reality it could even represent a waste of time). Tailor your resume for each employer. The same point applies to your cover letters.
17. Identify the problems of the employer
A good starting point to tailor your resume for a specific employer is to identify what possible problems he might have at hand. Try to understand the market of the company you are applying for a job, and identify what kind of difficulties they might be going through. After that illustrate on your resume how you and your skills would help to solve those problems.
18. Avoid age discrimination
It is illegal to discriminate people because of their age, but some employers do these considerations nonetheless. Why risk the trouble? Unless specifically requested, do not include your age on your resume.
19. You don’t need to list all your work experiences
If you have job experiences that you are not proud of, or that are not relevant to the current opportunity, you should just omit them. Mentioning that you used to sell hamburgers when you were 17 is probably not going to help you land that executive position.
20. Go with what you got
If you never had any real working experience, just include your summer jobs or volunteer work. If you don’t have a degree yet, mention the title and the estimated date for completion. As long as those points are relevant to the job in question, it does not matter if they are official or not.
21. Sell your fish
Remember that you are trying to sell yourself. As long as you don’t go over the edge, all the marketing efforts that you can put in your resume (in its content, design, delivery method and so on) will give you an advantage over the other candidates.
22. Don’t include irrelevant information
Irrelevant information such as political affiliation, religion and sexual preference will not help you. In fact it might even hurt your chances of landing an interview. Just skip it.
23. Use Mr. and Ms. if appropriate
If you have a gender neutral name like Alex or Ryan make sure to include the Mr. or Ms. prefix, so that employers will not get confused about your gender.
24. No lies, please
Seems like a no brainer, but you would be amused to discover the amount of people that lie in their resumes. Even small lies should be avoided. Apart from being wrong, most HR departments do background checks these days, and if you are buster it might ruin your credibility for good.
25. Keep the salary in mind
The image you will create with your resume must match the salary and responsibility level that you are aiming for.
26. Analyze job ads
You will find plenty of useful information on job ads. Analyze no only the ad that you will be applying for, but also those from companies on the same segment or offering related positions. You should be able to identify what profile they are looking for and how the information should be presented.
27. Get someone else to review your resume
Even if you think you resume is looking kinky, it would be a good idea to get a second and third opinion about it. We usually become blind to our own mistakes or way of reasoning, so another people will be in a good position to evaluate the overall quality of your resume and make appropriate suggestions.
28. One or two pages
The ideal length for a resume is a polemic subject. Most employers and recruiting specialists, however, say that it should contain one or two pages at maximum. Just keep in mind that, provided all the necessary information is there, the shorter your resume, the better.
29. Use action verbs
A very common advice to job seekers is to use action verbs. But what are they? Action verbs are basically verbs that will get noticed more easily, and that will clearly communicate what your experience or achievement were. Examples include managed, coached, enforced and planned. Here you can find a complete list of action verbs divided by skill category.
30. Use a good printer
If you are going to use a paper version of your resume, make sure to use a decent printer. Laser printers usually get the job done. Plain white paper is the preferred one as well.
31. No hobbies
Unless you are 100% sure that some of your hobbies will support you candidacy, avoid mentioning them. I know you are proud of your swimming team, but share it with your friends and not with potential employers.
32. Update your resume regularly
It is a good idea to update your resume on a regular basis. Add all the new information that you think is relevant, as well as courses, training programs and other academic qualifications that you might receive along the way. This is the best way to keep track of everything and to make sure that you will not end up sending an obsolete document to the employer.
33. Mention who you worked with
If you have reported or worked with someone that is well known in your industry, it could be a good idea to mention it on the resume. The same thing applies to presidents and CEOs. If you reported to or worked directly with highly ranked executives, add it to the resume.
34. No scattered information
Your resume must have a clear focus. If would cause a negative impression if you mentioned that one year you were studying drama, and the next you were working as an accountant. Make sure that all the information you will include will work towards a unified image. Employers like decided people.
35. Make the design flow with white space
Do not jam your resume with text. Sure we said that you should make your resume as short and concise as possible, but that refers to the overall amount of information and not to how much text you can pack in a single sheet of paper. White space between the words, lines and paragraphs can improve the legibility of your resume.
36. Lists all your positions
If you have worked a long time for the same company (over 10 years) it could be a good idea to list all the different positions and roles that you had during this time separately. You probably had different responsibilities and developed different skills on each role, so the employer will like to know it.
37. No jargon or slang
It should be common sense, but believe me, it is not. Slang should never be present in a resume. As for technical jargon, do not assume that the employer will know what you are talking about. Even if you are sending your resume to a company in the same segment, the person who will read it for the first time might not have any technical expertise.
38. Careful with sample resume templates
There are many websites that offer free resume templates. While they can help you to get an idea of what you are looking for, do not just copy and paste one of the most used ones. You certainly don’t want to look just like any other candidate, do you?
39. Create an email proof formatting
It is very likely that you will end up sending your resume via email to most companies. Apart from having a Word document ready to go as an attachment, you should also have a text version of your resume that does not look disfigured in the body of the email or in online forms. Attachments might get blocked by spam filters, and many people just prefer having the resume on the body of the email itself.
40. Remove your older work experiences
If you have been working for 20 years or more, there is no need to have 2 pages of your resume listing all your work experiences, starting with the job at the local coffee shop at the age of 17! Most experts agree that the last 15 years of your career are enough.
41. No fancy design details
Do not use a colored background, fancy fonts or images on your resume. Sure, you might think that the little flowers will cheer up the document, but other people might just throw it away at the sight.
42. No pronouns
You resume should not contain the pronouns “I” or “me.” That is how we normally structure sentences, but since your resume is a document about your person, using these pronouns is actually redundant.
43. Don’t forget the basics
The first thing on your resume should be your name. It should be bold and with a larger font than the rest of the text. Make sure that your contact details are clearly listed. Secondly, both the name and contact details should be included on all the pages of the resume (if you have more than one).
44. Consider getting professional help
If you are having a hard time to create your resume, or if you are receiving no response whatsoever from companies, you could consider hiring a professional resume writing service. There are both local and online options are available, and usually the investment will be worth the money.
45. Leverage online tools to write your resume
You can find several tools online that will remove part of the burden and complexity of writing the perfect resume. Some of them will give you a starting template, others will help with the formatting and so on. You can find suggestions for 10 tools and resources on this post.
The statement “It would be difficult to emphasize the importance of proofreading your resume” in point 5 (titled “Proofread it twice”) appears not to have itself been effectively proofread; “emphasize” should be “overemphasize”.
Sorry if I sound overly critical, but that is irony too delicious to pass up noting.
Well that’s amazing article. I just discovered your website and have to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog content. I am looking forward to read your next great article… Nice article, thanks fro the sharing this great and very informative and knowledgeable post with us.
What a great list of tips. After 30 years in the industry, I thought I saw them all. Until now! Good work.
I noticed a typo in tip #24.
I also noticed that at least one other person reported it as far back as Jan 2010, and it hasn’t been corrected nearly a year and a half later.
I believe “buster” should be “busted”….?
OK…there’s also one in #26.
Awesome tips. So glad I’ve stumbled upon the site. After using the same CV and cover letter format for a bunch of years, I’m learning a lot these days from this and other websites, blogs, etc.
I have several questions:
* If we shouldn’t use I, what’s a work-around? From way-back in grammar school I was taught that sentences that begin w/ “I” should never be used back-to-back. So I’ve always started any following sentences w/ a phrase, adverb, etc. Need more input on this though.
* I do not use complete sentences on my CV. I use bullets and start each with a capital letter. Have never been sure if a period should be used at the end of each.
* I need help in creating a new, non-professional resume. I’m losing hope of finding a job in my specific field of medical physics, so I need to create a resume for general jobs. Example: an overnight attendant at an in-house care facility. Any advice from this site and/or bloggers will be appreciated.
* Positions in cancer care are extremely stressful for patients AND staff. I’ve used phrases such as “a little dose of humor goes a long way in the clinic…”. Is this appropriate?
* Has the term, “team player” been overused? If so, does anyone have suggestions for a substitute?
I’m sitting here today tailoring a new resume for a specific company in a related field. Wish me luck! I’ll re-post if my resume lands me an interview.
Hoping that I haven’t exceeded any word limit in this comment, I look forward to any and all feedback.
I found 3 misused words.Buster should be busted in 24; no should be not in 26; and in 27 it should read person would be, not people will be. The contents will be very helpful. This is the first time in many years i’ve needed to use a resume, after leaving a job of several years, so it all seems once again, foreign. Thank you for the help.
I really find this piece of document useful. Great work.
However, i think some of us will need more on cover letters and its associated formats.
Thanks in advance for that.
These are all really great valid resume tips! I think its also important to note that, in the age of social media, its also important to clean up your “online” resume. Your paper resume may look great but if those employers go online and see your Friday night escapades… it may not go as well as you’d like.
Nice blog. I’ll apply this in writing my resume. I hope I can land on my dream job soon! Thank you!
24. No lies, please
Seems like a no brainer, but you would be amused to discover the amount of people that lie in their resumes. Even small lies should be avoided. Apart from being wrong, most HR departments do background checks these days, and if you are buster it might ruin your credibility for good.
Did you mean “you are busted?” see #5.
wow a bunch of english majors here.. how many more people are going to point out the typos?? I think it has been covered.
Does pointing out typos in a blog post fulfill your need for self-satisfaction? Does it help you feel superior? Any errors in my statement?!
Look, anyone with half a brain can figure out what was meant, even with the typos. Frankly, I have written one resume in my life and wanted some practical advice and lo and behold I found it!
Thank you, this was very, very helpful.
Thank you for more information about the tips of resume……..
Great tips to improve….
Thank you. You’ve provided some solid points.
My question is how long should the objective be? I always thought it should only be a few lines…now, I am being told it should almost take the place of the cover letter because of sending the resume electronically. Is this true? My daughter is trying to change career paths from teaching back to an office and the feedback we get is that they think she wants to be a teacher…that’s where most of her experience is. So I was told to make the objective emphasize the fact that she is trying to get out of teaching, not in. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Nice article on Resume writing tips. You can visit our site for more information on How to write a resume. And it also provides a free resume templates samples for all resume category.
what is the difference between resume and curriculum vitae. A beautiful tips you have given out here but you did not give any example of a standard resume. thanks
Oh my god, it makes my brain itch to see this article and no accents over the e the whole way through, in neither the article nor the comments. Is it me? I’ve been spelling it résumé all this time!
Number 5…”Proof read it twice”.
Number 9…”Attention to the typography”…”…The smaller you should go is 11…”
Shouldn’t that be “the SMALLEST you should go is 11”? See number 5!
Great advice. I am working on my resume and was at a loss of what to include or not. Thanks so much!
PS: You proofreaders of the internet up there, you may be here because you are clearly too anal retentive to be seen as a good coworker. Lighten up, express the anal glands, and you should be good to go.
Thanks. Hi Anease, regarding ‘how long an objective should be?’, i suggest 1 line on past & 1 line on future if you are planning a real change. Else just 1 line might be sufficient. Hey Judy, any luck so far?
Why should you be so concerned about making your gender clear? (#23) Unless it’s a modelling or acting job I’m not sure why it would matter whether you’re a man or a woman, any more than it should matter if you are black or not. You don’t write “I saved my company $10,000 LIKE A MAN” just as you don’t say “I am a very competent person, but black”. It would likely help female applicants to be thought of as a man, all other things being equal, as sick as it is.
The article is very informative. I will make my resume following the above guidelines.
Keep in mind that different cultures call for different approaches.
In Denmark, where I live, you would never leave out a photo, your birth date and some personal information. The employer wants to see an applicant as an actual person with personality and interests; one that would fit well in the team. Hanna’s advice would be valid here.
Every single point is valuable & important for the resume. It is really helpful for me. After read the 44 points of resume writing tip, i will be up my resume with great tips. Thanks 🙂
ATTN: The grammar and spelling nazis…
Yes, I hear you…however…get a life!
The content of this post is well written and it will help a great many people fine tune their resumes. I have forwarded it to my daughter to help her find work now that her children are all at school.
As someone who has helped quite a few people with their resumes and cover letters, I agree with many of these tips. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to have a fresh pair of eyes read your resume and cover letter template. Whether it is a spouse, parent, neighbour, family member, friend, whoever, have a few people read them over. It is amazing the number of spelling mistakes and the like that someone else can catch and you want your resume to be 100% perfect. It does not hurt to read it backwards, word for word, to check for accuracy. Ensure you pick a font that is easily readable. Ensure your resume tells a story – tells YOUR story – in an interesting way. The resume will be kept and it will be remembered. So many resumes look exactly the same and your potential employer will only glance through them. While you may have a standard form of cover letter, make sure each cover letter contains information relevant just to that particular position or business. You want the reader to think they are receiving a personal letter and not a form letter that has been sent here, there and everywhere. Ensure also that the key points you want to make in your cover letter are made in short paragraphs so they stand out and are read. Don’t have two or three “super large” paragraphs that contain all sorts of important information. They probably won’t be read as thoroughly as you would hope them to be. Lastly, don’t be afraid to have some white space on your resume. It makes it so much more inviting and readable.
Don’t forget to keep things simple and to the point. With that in mind don’t leave any skill the you have out of your resume as it relates to the job you are applying for.
Use bullet points and headings to categorize and make important information stand out.
Also for crying out loud. Get a phone number that is the same as where you are applying. Might keep from your resume getting thrown out.
Will definitely be using this as a resource! I am an accredited resume writer and am still guilty of a few of these!!
In my opinion, I especially focus on two tips in the text. They are “no lies, please” and “one or two pages”. They are all about the content of the resume that makes you attractive. First, you should remember that no employer would like to hire a worker who is not trustworthy. The worker’s sincerity is one of the most important factors in a job-searching process. The more sincere you are, the more chances you have to be hired. Second, you must always keep in mind that your resume should never be further than 2 pages. Because a 2-paged resume seems to be long enough. No employer would be patient to read your resume no matter how good it is. Therefore, “quality” is always better than “quantity”.
I would also add that a resume should reflect the tone of the job description for the job for which the candidate is applying. In other words, look for key words (words repeated) and / or desired skills and incorporate them to the extent you can into your resume. Do not make it sound like you are qualified in areas that you are not but be aware for what they are looking for and tie that together with transferrable skills you possess.
Great tips.! You listed out nearly everything one must follow to achieve a perfect resume. All I have to say is that one must always proof-read their resume ,make it short and include the correct contact details.Updating your resume if you change your address or mobile number is also important.Hiring a professional resume-writer would ease your work.
I appreciate this article about resume writing. I think that it is a great idea to proofread the resume twice before submitting it. It would be best to catch errors before they reach a reader’s eyes. Something to consider would be to leave out unimportant information and to make the resume as interesting as possible.
I agree– you should never include “no kidding” information on your resume! If you write it right, you won’t have enough space. Leave enough space to emphasize your talents and why you are right for the job!
I like that you suggest to avoid negativity in your resume and your interview. I can see why it would be better to avoid putting off any negative vibes. My brother is currently looking for a job because he was let go from his other one. He should make sure to only say positive things about his last company.
I agree with the idea of using bullet points on a resume and proofreading it twice or more if possible. Having errors in your resume also reflects on your work ethics. It happened to me when I really didn’t give attention to the details of my resume but I already learned from that. Thanks!
Oh my god, it makes my brain itch to see this article and no accents over the e the whole way through, in neither the article nor the comments. Is it me? I’ve been spelling it résumé all this time!
This is very informative post. Resume is very important for getting a good job. Keeping the
Cv short and use experience at top would be good. Thanks
Great article, Daniel! It’s also wise to keep your resume updated. Every few months, take a minute to tweak and update your resume. It’s good to keep your resume content current, even if you aren’t actively looking for a job—you never know when you’ll need it to capitalize on a great opportunity! For more resume writing tips, check out .
#35 suggests using white space and lines to make it an easier read. I have been told in the past not to use lines across the page because the resume will never make it thru ATS? Is this true?