1. Keep Your Resume Clean: Simple = Success
Keep your font simple andKeep your font simple andKeep your font simple andKeep your font simple and
easy to read.easy to read.easy to read.easy to read. Do not use
scripted fonts. Arial,
Garamond, Century Gothic
and Times Roman are clean
and classic. Font size is just
as important as style. Sizes
11 + 12 point are ideal.
Never go below 10 point.Never go below 10 point.Never go below 10 point.Never go below 10 point.
Exaggerating
your abilities will
come back to
haunt you.
Employers often
check into serious
candidates, so
you want every
detail to
check out.
Be Honest.Be Honest.Be Honest.Be Honest.
Abandon the utilization
of exorbitant, exquisite
vocabulary. In other
words, don't try to
impress employers with
the depth of your
vocabulary. Use words
someone who isn’t in
your line of work could
understand.
Use industry jargon and
acronyms to reflect your
familiarity with the employer's
business, but not to the point
where it makes your resume
hard to read or understand.
Spell out acronyms in
parentheses if they are not
obvious, such as TQM (Total
Quality Management).
Spit It Out!Spit It Out!Spit It Out!Spit It Out! UseUseUseUse BuzzwordsBuzzwordsBuzzwordsBuzzwords WiselyWiselyWiselyWisely
…………
TQMTQMTQMTQM
REMOVEREMOVEREMOVEREMOVE
Spelling + grammar errors
Outdated information
(5+ years ago)
$alary information
Use of humor/clichés
Pronouns (“I” + “me”)
Personal information such
as race, religion, marital
status, age, politics, or
even personal views
Numbers are a
powerful tool.
Instead of saying
"Responsible for
increasing sales in
my territory," use
"Increased sales in
my territory 150%
in 6 months.
Managed $2M
accounts each year.
%%%%
Quantify!Quantify!Quantify!Quantify!
Make the Best 1Make the Best 1Make the Best 1Make the Best 1stststst
ImpressionImpressionImpressionImpression
Place the most interesting and
compelling facts about yourself at
the beginning (such as a timely,
organized list of accomplishments)
*Focus on
highlighting
accomplishments
that will catch the
eye of employers
who read resumes
thinking: "What
can this candidate
do for me?"
UseUseUseUse Keywords +Keywords +Keywords +Keywords + Key PointsKey PointsKey PointsKey Points
Include specific key
words and phrases that
describe your skills and
experience. (Ex: CPR
Certified, billing and
insurance claim
processing) UseUseUseUse actionactionactionaction
verbsverbsverbsverbs to portray
yourself as
accomplished,
intelligent, and capable
of making a contribution.
Although most formatting
(such as bold, italics) is lost
in an electronic resume, you
may use capital letters or
quotation marks to
emphasize important words
or section titles. Use commonUse commonUse commonUse common
section headingssection headingssection headingssection headings to stayto stayto stayto stay
organizedorganizedorganizedorganized (i.e. Experience,
Skills, Accomplishments,
Strengths, Education,
Professional Affiliations,
Awards + Certifications).
*Remember: Career Services is here to review resumes and provide resume paper for in-person interviews!