Resume tips and tricks

As a former editor, I'm often asked to give feedback to friends and colleagues on their resumes.

Photo credit www.flazingo.com

Here are the guidelines that I follow:

• One page is no longer the norm, especially for a professional in their 30s or 40s.
• Omit "references available upon request." Duh.
• Update your LinkedIn profile at the same time.
• Include a description of your company's mission and revenue at the top.
• Add an objective statement.
• Add some bullet points to the top that describe your professional persona. Are you driven? Passionate about sales? Personalize this section with adjectives that colleagues would use to describe you.
• Ensure that your resume doesn't read like a job description. How did you add value to your job above and beyond your job responsibilities?
• Proofread for typos early and often, and have other folks review it. Only use 1 space between sentences.
• Make it a habit. I update my resume at least twice a year, and preferably after each quarter. It allows me to keep my accomplishments fresh in my mind and always have the latest copy available as an example. This also helps at performance review time.
• Consider a professional. I used JC resumes for my resume a few years ago, and I could not be happier with the result. This is not an affiliate post, they paid me nothing for this testimonial. They really did a fantastic job.

Best of luck with your resume updates!