At times it is not always easy to figure out what to include and what to leave out of your resume. Please find below some helpful tips when creating and editing your resume.
Name and Contact Information
Include your name and contact information on every page.
Work Highlights
Include work highlights of your career path, not just your current role. Include up to five points for junior to mid career roles, while senior and executive applicants should include up to ten. Make sure to detail each company’s name, location, website address, as well as the dates which you were employed. List details about the role and accountabilities for current and previous roles, and stick to accountabilities that show the skills you need to exemplify for the role you for which you are applying. Always use active verbs to start your bullet points (managed, initiated, implemented, designed, etc.) when describing your work experiences.
You may wish to have two to three resumes for different roles you may be interested in.
Include highlights in reverse chronological order, listing the most recent experience first.
Education
Include education in reverse chronological order (list most recent degree/diploma/certificate etc. first.)
Professional Associations
List those that support the role you want, and avoid religious affiliations or cultural associations.
Personal Interests and Achievements
List those that show perseverance, teamwork, creativity, commitment, or any other trait that is relevant to the position you are applying to. You may want to include those that may be conversation starters, but avoid religious/cultural/political type references.
Additional Notes
- Proofread and check for grammatical errors
- Do include your career goals and focus
- Do keep the resume length and appearance appropriate for the career level and objective you are seeking
- Do not include any pictures
- Do not include marital status
- Do not include SIN/SSN number
- Do not include any personal details (i.e. religious affiliations)
- Do not include any false information on your resume