Resume Best Practices January2014 – Engineering Career Center

Errors

  • Among the most common and most costly things found in resumes are grammar and spelling errors. Another related pitfall is incorrect word choice. One should also take care to
  • keep verb tenses consistent (…ing currently doing the job or …ed if it is in the past)
  • avoid using personal pronouns (I and WE should not show up at all)
  • It is worth taking the time, and recommended, to have others review your resume.

Format

  • The format of the resume should be easy to read and, more especially, easy to skim, since recruiters and managers are busy people. Don’t use a wacky email address or include a picture- the picture can be grounds for discrimination charges. If you use a template, consider changing it to a Word doc when you a putting finishing touches on it.
  • The top ½ or 1/3 of the resume is the most important. Market yourself well.

Summary, Objective or None of the Above

  • There are mixed feelings on including a summary, an objective or neither. Most seem to agree that the objective is fading, especially if poorly written. In addition, many seem to favor putting a summary on the resume. A summary can convey to the reader how you fit the job description.

Length

  • Most seem to agree that a student’s resume should not be longer than a page. However, some think two pages are fine for individuals with extensive and or varied work experience.If uploading your resume electronically, some employers will note if they have a preference on page length.

Key Words

  • Key words from the job description must ETHICALLY and contextually appear all over the resume. In the summary, in the work or project related content, and in the technical skills. If they are not included, the resume will probably not make it to the hiring leader.

Action verbs and results

  • The duties of a job should not be listed. Strong action words should be used and the results of those actions should be detailed. Technical action verbs include, designed, developed, implemented, tested, analyzed, lead, coordinated, provided, etc.
  • Try not to start a sentence with vague words like Assisted, Learned or Participated. It is not clear what YOU did.

Audience

  • What job and what company is the resume for? The resume should be tailored to the position and the company. It should be key word specific, include relevant details and highlight related experience. The student needs to communicate what they can do for the company, not what they want from the company.
  • A new resume should be prepared for every job.

Project list

  • While students may not have industry experience, they can still highlight what they have done and how it can be transferred or applied to other things. Highlight what YOU did relative to the project and the tools you used to accomplish the tasks.

Be honest

  • While white lies may not result in jail time, half-truths on a resume can cost students interviews, internships and jobs. Being completely honest is the best and simplest plan of action.

High school info

  • Unless you are a freshman, high school info should be left off unless there is something truly exceptional.

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