Resume Checklist For BrainTrust, Inc.
OK, so it is time to dust off the old resume. Perhaps an update is in order. Or maybe you prefer to start from scratch. Here is a checklist we have compiled to get you going. Below you will find our sources, as well as some additional resources that are worth checking out.
Resume Checklist [1]:
- What Must Be Included. Name, address, telephone number, email, job objective, employment dates and job titles for prior work, keywords (for some industries), accreditation and licenses, professional affiliations, civil service grade, publications and patents, languages, education, professional training, summer and part-time employment.
- What Must Not Be Included. Heading such as "Resume," Fact Sheet, or Curriculum Vitae, availability, reason for leaving prior work, references, written testimonials, salary information, abbreviations, jargon, mention of age, race, religion, gender or national origin, photographs, health/physical description, weaknesses, demands, exaggerations.
- Use action verbs wherever you can. Vary your sentence structure.
- Quantify the value of your efforts to employers.
- Keep it concise. Typically resumes are one page, though for some situations longer ones can be effective.
- Edit the resume several times. Have a friend or colleague read it over as well.
- Print the final copies on a good printer and use high quality standard 8.5 x 11 (letter-size) white or off-white paper. Resume paper should match cover letter paper and envelope.
- If you plan to email your resume, send it to a friend or colleague a couple of times to test that it comes through looking the way you want it to. If you email or fax a resume, always mail a hard copy as well.
For examples and more information, here are some good resources:
Resumes That Knock 'em Dead, Martin Yate. Adams Media Corporation, MA, 2001.
The Elements of Resume Style: Essential Rules and Eye-Opening Advice for Writing Resumes and Cover Letters that Work, by Scott Bennett
The Smart Women's Guide to Resumes and Job Hunting, Julie Adair King and Betsy Sheldon. The Career Press, New Jersey, 1991.
Resumania (For fun!)
www.resumania.com
