Resume Resources

Be Complete

• Don’t make employers connect the dots with partially completed resumes or profiles. Differentiate yourself from other applicants by spending time writing concise but detailed answers.
• Do you think a certain job experience might be irrelevant to your current job search? Think about the benefits and skills you earned while in that position and apply them to your skillset. Do you think those online business classes you took a few years back aren’t worth mentioning? Think again.
• Bullet points are recommended for detailing your work experience on a resume. Complete sentences are not required in these bullet points, nor is ending punctuation; the point is to be clear, concise, and to the point while including all relevant information.

Be Accurate

• It is very important to include factual information when filling out a resume, profile or application. Ever been tempted to make yourself look a little better on paper by inflating your skills or experiences? Odds are you’ll get caught and you won’t get hired. Lying on your resume to seem more impressive is not worth the risk of damaging your reputation. Talk about the skills you have and leave out the extra inflation.
• Read your work once it’s complete. If possible, have someone with a good eye for details check your work, and don’t rely on your computer’s spell checker. It will not catch, for example, when you mistakenly used “their” instead of “there”.

Be Professional

Sadly, we still see job seekers whose email address or other information lacks the necessary tact and professionalism. For example, if your email address is “crazyguy@aol.com” then it is recommended you create a new professional email address for your job search.

Be Updated and Correct

Make sure you update your contact information or add any new experience. Your online profile especially should be a work in progress that you continually update.

How do I know who my references should be?

• Include anyone who will speak positively about your abilities to perform on the job and offer a judgment of your character and skills.
• Use a former supervisor, if possible, who can give a professional summary of your abilities as an employee. Ask a former teacher if you are limited on employers or have recently graduated. If you achieved high grades and participated in extracurricular activities, this is an excellent strategy.

How do I ask someone if they will be a reference for me?

• Before listing anyone as a reference, seek their permission. Contact them and ask them to act as a reference on your behalf. Provide a copy of your resume for them.
• You should verify their name, title, address, email address and phone number.
• Contact your references when you provide their name to a potential employer. This will help them be prepared for the phone call. It will give you the chance to brief them about the position you are interviewing for along with what you feel you have to offer this prospective employer.
• If you need a letter of recommendation, ask your reference if they are willing to complete this for you as well.

What information do I include on my references?

• List your reference information in this format: Full name, company name, position, telephone number and email address.
• You should have 3-4 references available and ready for contact as needed, not listed on the bottom of your resume, but instead on a separate document.