January 9, 2023 | cathy Relevant Experience Don’t: Do not include experiences that have no relevance to the position you are applying for. You can however add skills that might be relevant in the form of bullet points. Do: List experience that would qualify you for the job. Include jobs that you gained relevant experience. If you have taken courses or earned certificates add those with the dates completed and expiration. Education Don’t: Do not include your GPA (grade point average). Only include the GPA if the employer asks for it, otherwise it is unnecessary. You can include degree level, area of study, institution you attended and whatever degree you obtained. Do: Always list education that is relevant to the job. You may list High School Diploma or GED if the position is entry-level. List Higher education such as Associates, Bachelors, Masters etc. if they are complete. Personal Information Don’t: Including your family details, marital status, or the number of children you have is irrelevant to your job searching. Do: It is important to always include your name, phone number and email address so that the prospective employer can contact you to set up an interview. Using an email that is professional such as MWilliams@icloud.com is better than using one that contains profanity, nicknames, or silly words. Job Listings and Qualifications Don’t: Applying for jobs that you have no relevant requirements will not necessarily get you an interview. There is no need to exaggerate duties and abilities so that you are more qualified. Do: Apply for jobs that you have requirements you are capable of filling. It is good to compare your abilities to the requirements before you apply to determine if you are indeed capable of performing the job duties. Vocabulary Don’t: It is important to avoid using ambiguous phrases such as hard worker, team player, or detail oriented unless those are keywords used in the job description. Do: Direct statements can show what your role was in a previous job, such as “collaborated with team members to create a streamlined process for onboarding new employees” Applicant Tracking Systems Don’t: Avoid using complicated templates and neglecting key words that are found in the job description. Do: Highlight key words and relevant phrases that can help an ATS (applicant tracking system) to grade your qualifications and forward your resume to the hiring manager. Length Don’t: Be careful not to make your resume longer than two pages. It is not necessary to include every job that you have ever held just to increase the length of your resume. Most employers prefer one or two pages and when more information is required, they will ask. Do: The most effective resumes are one or two pages and do not include unnecessary information. Listing your qualifications allow the recruiter or hiring manager to see what is important. Proofreading Don’t: Submitting a resume without carefully reviewing grammatical errors and spelling can be the deciding factor of a hiring manager moving on to another applicant. Do: Review your resume before submitting. If you are using a word document, use the option to check your grammar and spelling and even the conciseness of your statements. It is a clever idea to have a friend read your resume prior to submitting so that they can give ideas for improvement.