contributed by James LeDoux [IT training consultant / travel enthusiast / dancing machine]
Writing a résumé is about as popular as voluntary oral surgery, but it doesn’t really have to be that painful. 
As an IT contractor, I write, revise, and submit my résumé on a monthly basis. While it may never be fun for you to work on your résumé, hopefully these tips I’ve gleaned over the last nine years will help ease the stress a bit.
Start With The Basics
The goal of a résumé is to give a prospective employer a good reason to bring you in for a job interview. To do this successfully, include relevant information that will help them quickly come to a conclusion about your qualifications.
- Objective or Summary — the type of job or internship you are seeking.
- Work Experience — description of or relevant experience for the job you are seeking.
- Other Skills — applicable skills, such as with computers or foreign languages; employers place a premium on both.
- Awards or Associations — this optional section may be useful if you have been very active in volunteerism or associations.
- Education — relevant educational information including school, major, minor, and, possibly, GPA.
The order and exact title of each section may vary depending on your taste and the nature of the job you are seeking. For example, if you are seeking a programming job, Computer Skills should probably come directly after your Summary. 
In this example, you would highlight operating systems you know, programming languages you are adept at, and any technical skills that would be directly applicable to the job you want.
Read Their Minds
There is no magic answer as to what exactly should be in your résumé or how it should be worded. If only you could read their minds — right” Well actually, you can. On the surface it may seem hard to figure out what potential employers want. But in truth it is easy to find out. Simply read the job description and take careful note of the employer’s wording of the desired qualifications and skills.
Make a note of words or phrases that turn up frequently, and be sure to highlight your skills or experiences that fit those requirements. You may have noticed that each job description is different, and this leads to the most important key to creating successful résumés. In an ideal world, each résumé should be tailored or customized for the job you are seeking.
Many large corporations receive so many résumés that they scan them in and then use sorting functionality to pick the résumés with the highest hit ratio on key words. For instance, if you are applying for a job as a project manager, you can bet they will be looking for words related to planning, leadership, management, analysis, and other related topics.
Know Your ABCs
Aside from typing the words, “Don’t hire me!” at the top of your résumé, nothing says, “Don’t hire me!” more than mistakes on your résumé. Okay, I exaggerate slightly — felonies may come close. Prospective employers will be screening hundreds of résumés for valuable jobs. Until you get to a face-to-face interview, the only thing they can tell about you are the things you say directly (and indirectly) on your résumé. 
Typos and other errors say:
- 1. I don’t pay attention to details.
- 2. I’m too lazy to push spell check.
- 3. Assuming 1 and 2 are true, I was not even resourceful enough to ask a friend to look my résumé over.
Sometimes it is easier to find mistakes in other’s work than our own. So buy some pizza, swap résumés, and check each other’s documents carefully. A little extra time here can go a long way to avoid tripping yourself up before the race for a job even starts.
Tip: Check your résumé each and every time you make an update. While you may only be typing a simple change, a minor mistake could have a dire effect on your future. Make a habit of checking both on screen and on a printed copy. The printed page may reveal things like unflattering page breaks or strangely wrapped text.
Actions (And Numbers) Speak Louder Than Words
Your résumé tells a story to prospective employers. In a story, actions speak louder than words. Use strong action verbs on your résumé that clearly highlight your experience and capabilities. Words such as planned, executed, organized, performed, maintained, trained, led, designed, created, supervised, managed, directed, developed, and implemented all tell a positive story.
Once you have good action descriptions on your résumé, take it to the next level by adding numbers that quantify and emphasize those descriptions. Numbers and percentages give examples that grab the reader’s attention and earn interviews.
Example 1
Good — Assistant store manager at the Gap.
Great — Managed 15 sales associates to achieve 125% of annual sales quota.
Example 2
Good — Managed budget to achieve savings goals.
Great — Decreased inventory costs by 23% with process improvements.
Size (And Style) Matters
Yes. Sadly, size matters when it comes to résumés. Measure each word against the goal of quickly and clearly telling the reader why you are qualified for the specific job. While you may maintain a generic résumé of two to three pages, consider editing it down to no more than two pages to fit the desired job. Any longer and hurried HR minions or stressed hiring mangers will lose interest.
One topic that goes hand-in-glove with keeping your résumé brief is your writing style. Be sure to match your verb tenses throughout. Keep your sentences brief and to the point. You are not writing an essay, and it is okay to use quick blurbs as opposed to full sentences. Just be consistent with your formatting and punctuation.
And finally, no section on résumé style would be complete without mentioning paper quality. If you are submitting a résumé in person, be sure that it is clean, free of creases or wrinkles, and printed on high-quality paper. While these little things won’t get you a job, a huge coffee stain will certainly not help.
Honesty Is The Best Policy… Really!
Telling the truth may not get you far in politics or a court case, but when it comes to writing your résumé, honesty is the best policy. No, scratch that. It is the only policy. 
Even tiny lies are grounds for immediate dismissal — the risk is too great.
Focus on emphasizing your strengths and experiences instead of fabricating them. For example, if you have a less than stellar overall GPA, consider listing your major GPA. Many employers will ask for a transcript anyway, so lying will gain you nothing. And think proactively as you look ahead to finding a job. Is it really wise to stay up two days straight to watch Lost Season 1 — The Complete First Season DVD before finals”
And if your grades really are below par, consider working an extra internship or two before you graduate to get some real life experience in your field of choice. Employers love new hires with experience as it makes choosing them and getting them up to speed a lot easier. Think about it from their perspective. Would you rather have an unproven bookworm or a well-rounded, average student with a year of experience under the belt”
More To Come
Join us next month when we’ll wrap it all up by addressing:
• Online Résumés
• Starting a Résumé Farm
• Resources
Original illustrations by Paul Ballast.
