For the Smart Resume Maker (YOU!)... Rules of Thumb!

What's on the Page?

  • The resume rules of thumb (for the smart resume maker like you)!
  • Links to other helpful pages

The Resume Rules of Thumb

  1. NEVER lie on your resume. Period.
  2. Avoid any online "resume maker." Especially if it's free. Most of the time the result is a very unimpressive "cookie-cutter" resume that won't help you.
  3. Don’t send out blanket resumes. Tailor each resume to the specific job you’re applying for.
  4. Change your resume into PDF format before electronically sending it to an employer. That way, no matter what program you made it in, and no matter what program the employer has on their computer, it'll look exactly like you designed it.
  5. If possible, keep it to one page. There are exceptions, if you’re applying for an upper level management job in a large company, for example. But for most people, one page is preferred.
  6. Make sure your spelling and grammar are perfect.
  7. Always use language as professional as possible. You’re not "looking for a job" you’re "applying for a position." You weren’t the "secretary" you were the "office manager." Language matters and it shows how professional you are.
  8. Format your page so it moves the eye down the page. Leave space on the page so it doesn’t look too cluttered or forbidding. The last thing you want is for the company to give up reading your resume before they even start!
  9. Always ask someone else to proofread your resume. They can often give you some perspective. Even a really good writer is blind to his own work.
  10. Don't try to make yourself sound like a god. You want to put your best foot forward, but no one is perfect and any employer is sure to see through you if you make yourself sound too wonderful. One the other hand...
  11. Don't advertise your weaknesses. Put forward your very best qualities.

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