Resume Do’s and Don’ts

I remember when I began searching for jobs, I had no idea where to even start when it came to writing a resume. Luckily, my mother and one of my aunts were very knowledgeable in this top because they had hired employees and reviewed resumes for a long time. After what took an entire day to create a resume, I finally had one. It’s been 8 years since I created my first resume, and I’ve learned some tips along the way. Here are some Resume Do’s and Don’ts. 

Do Keep your resume to one page. 

I know this may seem difficult, especially if you’ve had a lot of jobs in the past (which I will also talk about). But your resume does not need to be longer than 1 page. If you can learn about proper formatting and the layolut of your resume, you should be able to keep it to one page. I’ve reviewed resumes in my past jobs, and the first page of your resume is more than likely the only page managers are going to look at. They don’t have the time to look through 2-3 page resumes where you list every job you’ve ever had. 

Don’t List Every Job 

When you are first starting out on your career search, you probably won’t have very many relevant jobs. But as you grow in your professional career, you will be able to build a resume with more experience. But as a thirty year old, don’t list every job you’ve had since you were sixteen years old. I can’t tell you how many resumes I’ve viewed that have included jobs 6+ years prior… this is especially concerning when there are a handful of jobs listed in a short amount of time.

Do talk about your relevant experiences

Even if your previous jobs aren’t exactly similar to the job you are applying for, you can always make a previous job relevant by highlighting your skills. You learn skills at every job, and even if you don’t have specific relevant experiences, you can always mention what skills and accomplishments you’ve learned from prior jobs. You want to highlight any skills you have that would make you the perfect fit for the job you are applying for. Teamwork, communication, time management, productivity – these are all great skills to include in your resume from previous jobs. 

Do use a template if you don;’t know where to start

If you are completely clueless on how to format a resume, you are in luck. There are a ton of free resources online you can access. You can use them to get a general idea or actually find a template and insert all of your information. I’ve personally purchased a few templates from Etsy that were super professional and very clean, and it was extremely affordable. 

Do have a few friends/colleagues proofread your resume

Another set of eyes is always a good idea, especially when it comes to something as important as a resume. If you re-read your own work over and over again, it is important to have someone else take a look as well. They might be able to find spelling errors/grammar mistakes that you’ve been overlooking. 

Don’t send your resume to every job posting you find

You may need to adjust your resume depending on the job you are applying for. You won’t have to change your whole resume, but you may have to adjust some skills based on the job you are looking for. It’s good to have a few copies of your resume that are tailored to the job you want. As someone who works in the healthcare field, I also have a resume that is tailored more towards a general non-healthcare job. It still lists the same job experiences and timeline, however it highlights more of my general skills vs. my Occupational therapy skills. Click here to read how to spin 1 resume bullet 5 different ways

Don’t use different fonts or an excessive amount of bold/italics.

Unless you are pretty knowledgeable in typography, or you are applying to a job in marketing, don’t use more than 2 different fonts on your resume. Different fonts/sizes and italics can easily throw off your resume and make it very difficult to read. It’s easy to have fonts that clash. 

Other resume tips I’ve found online:

Don’ts: 

Do not use an unprofessional email
Try not to include too many personal details
Don’t freak out if you don’t have relevant experiences 
Don’t include work with controversial organizations

Do: 

Be honest about gaps in your resume 
Show any move-up’s with previous companies
Always tell the truth
Do include your contact information
Don’t try to squish it all in

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