20 tips for improving the way you develop your resume for success. This presentation was used for the Ad Club and the University of Nevada, Reno.

1. 20 Resume Tips
in 20 Minutes

2. Resume It gets you
doesn’t get the interview.
you the job.

3. People are busy.
Your resume will
be skimmed.

4. Lose the objective.
We know you
want the job.

5. Education: Don’t
include anything
before college.
Only include GPA
if it’s impressive.

6. Move education
to the end.

7. It’s not what you know.
It’s what you’ve done
with what you know.

8. Highlight your
accomplishments,
not your job duties.

9. Use past tense.
Coordinated
vs Coordinate.
Designed
vs Design.
Planned
vs Plan.

10. SO WHAT?

11. Created marketing plan for
annual fundraiser.
Created marketing plan for
annual fundraiser that netted
$50,000.
Created marketing plan for
annual fundraiser that netted
$50,000, more than any
previous fundraiser in the
past 5 years.

12. Relevant Experience
Internships.
Summer jobs.
Volunteer work.
Research projects.
Clubs/orgs.

13. Customize your
resume to
the job.
Pull words
from the job
description and
use them in
your resume.

14. Review all of the
experiences on
your resume.
Think of 3-5
accomplishments
per experience.

15. Accomplishments don’t
have to be groundbreaking.

16. - Make/save money for the company?
- Increase productivity or save
time for the company?
- Events, activities, projects you planned
and implemented? Results?
- Involved in notable projects? Notable
clients? Results of the team?
- Did you get to use your writing skills?
Purpose of writing?

17. Action/Benefit
Statements
Action = Responsibility
Benefit = Results

18. Quantify your
statements.

19. BEFORE: Supervised staff
of retail employees and
planned promotions to
grow profits.
AFTER: Managed 20
employees, planned
and executed 30
promotions, consistently
generating 30-35% gross
profit.

20. Legibility is your goal.
Don’t overstylize.
No more than two fonts.
Avoid ALL CAPS.
Minimize underlining.

21. NO TYPODS!

22. NO TYPOS!

23. Have somebody else
read your resume
and proof it.

24. Narrow down the
contact info. You
don’t need address,
email, Twitter,
Facebook, Linkedin,
blog, website, cell
phone, mom’s
phone…

25. “The only people who
get paid enough, get
paid what they're
worth, are people
who don't follow the
instruction book, who
create art, who are
innovative, who work
without a map.”
- Seth Godin

26. Questions?

27. Mike McDowell
mike@kps3.com
Google Me.