Resume Tips

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When you prepare your resume for your job search, you want to be sure that you are putting your best foot forward. After all, your resume is a big part of the first impression you make on potential employers. Typically, a resume is one to two pages long. (Under certain circumstances they can be longer.) You may want to review several model resumes and base yours on your favorite ones.

At the top of the resume you will want to list your name, address and contact information (including your email address, as that is how many employers like to get in touch with people these days. Following your contact information, you will want to get into the body of the resume. Some people, though not all, include a section about their career goals and objectives.

This is generally followed by a section about your professional experience, your educational background, your affiliations, awards and achievements, volunteer experience and references. (There issome flexibility, but this is a pretty standard set-up for a typical resume.) It's important to keep a professional tone throughout and not to use language that is overly casual.

Again, it is optional to include a career objective. If you choose to do so, you will want to keep it brief, concise and ultra focused. Thissection should indicate how you want to proceed in your career, how you see yourself progressing in coming years. When listing your jobs, start with your current (or most recent) job first and explain your specific duties using bullet points. Include the time frame of your employment for each job. Be accurate and truthful. Do the same for your educational section. Include your GPA and your years of attendance in college, graduate school and any relevant training programs.

Remember that it is very easy for potential employers to check on the details that you provide in your resume, which means that it behooves you to be completely truthful in all of the information that you provide. You don't want to get caught in a lie. Your integrity is on the line and potential employers only want to hire honorable individuals. Don't embellish or stretch the truth because it might come back to bite you if you take that approach.

Remember, you are using your resume to create that all important first impression on potential employers. If your resume is clean clear, crisp, concise and truthful, this will go a long way toward creating a positive first impression. It's all about getting your foot in the door.