The average resume gets viewed for less than three seconds…don’t let yours be just average! Your resume is the first impression you will make on a prospective employer and it is a powerful tool when utilized correctly.

Strategy

Writing an effective resume is the foundation of your job search. When your resume fails to reflect your skills appropriately, your options are limited.

Imagine you were sending a picture of yourself to someone you had never met before. What picture would you choose? Probably the picture when you were dressed up for a special event, not the one of you on Sunday morning just rolling out of bed! This is exactly how your resume should be! Spend time to make sure that it looks the best it possibly can.
The key to writing an effective resume is demonstrating that you have transferable skills that are relevant to the industry in which you are searching:

1. Translate your experience into generic terms so employers in any industry can identify and relate to your skill set.
2. Understand the scope of your target market by researching:
   • Industry
   • Responsibilities
   • Demand
3. Choose the right category to fit your actual skills, not what you want your skills to be.
4. For industry specific positions, use titles, tasks, and buzzwords appropriately.
5. For non-industry specific positions, use general terms that are more widely understood.

Style

People do judge books by their covers. If you want a potential employer to read past the first line of your resume, follow these steps:

1. Make your resume look inviting! Keep the font simple and readable and make sure it does not have too many pages. Your resume should only exceed one page if you have over 5 years of experience. Positions that were held 15 years ago or more do not need lengthy descriptions. Avoid extraneous information such as lengthy skill lists that include outdated technology, long objective statements or long descriptions of your college internships or jobs.
2. Be particular about dates, including the month and year.
3. Leave the salary information and reference lists out; save that information for a direct conversation later in the process.
4. Spelling and grammar are very important!
   Make sure that your language is correct and the wording is easy to read. Remember that your resume is the first indication of your communication and writing skills. Get at least one friend to proofread your resume for you!
5. Make sure you use the proper tense for each position. Only your current position should be in present tense, and your prior employment should be listed reverse chronologically.

Substance

1. Clearly and precisely describe your company so that a potential employer understands your environment, especially if it is not a “brand name”. Include:
   • Number of employees
   • Total revenue
   • Number of offices
   • National vs. International
   • Brief outline of what type of business your company is in
2. Clearly define the scope of your position:
   • What is the size of your group?
   • Who do you support? For example:
     • Helpdesk Personnel should explain what user group they support
     • Marketing Personnel should explain what group they focus on.
   • If you have management capacity, you must clearly describe the scope of your responsibilities, including:
     • Number of direct reports, indirect reports, and consultants
     • Size of budget
     • Profit & Loss responsibilities
     • Revenue for your department
     • Title of the person you report to
   • Make a separate paragraph for special projects you have worked on. This is the section where you can describe projects that are not part of your daily responsibilities, for example:
     • Role in a move to new location
     • Role in a merger
     • Role in a new software implementation
     • Special events that you helped coordinate
3. Avoid writing too much detail about previous work experience that is not relevant to the position you seek. This can be distracting to the person reading your resume.