10 Tips for Resume Success

TIP 1 – You Have My Attention:

Your first few lines are crucial. Grab the reader’s attention quickly and then back up that
positive first impression with relevant details.
• Include your GPA if it is a 3.0 or higher.
• Get the photos off your résumé. You are looking for a job, not a date.

TIP 2 – Market Yourself:

Making too many general claims and using too much industry jargon does not market the
candidate. A resume is a marketing document designed to sell your skills and strengths rather
than just portray a bio of the candidate.
• Include and highlight specific accomplishments that present a comprehensive picture of
your marketability.
• Many résumés simply list the duties that anyone would have performed in the role.
This will not set you apart from the competition. You must communicate what you did
to excel in the role.
For example:
✓ Streamlined e-mail campaign f ormats based on an intensive, company-wide calendar and cut
creation time by 50%.
✓ Organized a national f undraising event with a budget of $25,000 to generate a profit of $9,200
and achieved a 30% ROI.
✓ Created lead generation database to research, analyze, and pursue 6,000 prospective clients.
✓ Perf ormed detailed weekly event planning in response to market trends and a through
competitive analysis.
✓ Initiated an email marketing campaign to convince prospective clients to utilize services and
increased clientele by 12%.
✓ Increased revenue by designing eye-catching displays and utilizing suggestive selling
techniques.
✓ Saved 10% over previous cost f or part by researching prices on the Internet.
✓ Organized a chapter of 150 women for the recruitment of over 700 potential new members.
✓ Created and managed daily rotation f or seven lif eguards to maintain safety f or swimmers.

TIP 3 – Show Them the Numbers:

Whenever possible, use as many facts, figures, and numbers as you can in your bullet points.
How many people were impacted by your work? By what percentage did you exceed your goals?
By quantifying your achievements you back up your claims of greatness as well as instill
greater confidence in the hiring manager and thereby generate interest .
• Percentages, dollars, statistics, number of employees get attention: Increased profit by
28%. Came under budget by 30%.
• The Facebook Ads you created generated $100,000 in revenue or your repurposing of
editorial and database content increased profitability by 20%.
• Work backwards to quantify your accomplishments by asking, If I had not done X, what
could have happened?

TIP 4 – Solve Their Problems:

Hiring managers, seek candidates that can help them solve a problem or satisfy a need within
their company. Consequently, you can't be a solution to their problems without stating how you
solved similar problems in other companies and situations.
TIP 5 – Sell Yourself:
Focus on what you did in the job, NOT what your job was, there's a difference.
• Include a one or two top line job description first, then list your accomplishments.
• For each point ask yourself: What was the benefit of having done what I did?
Accomplishments should be unique to you, not just a list of what someone else did.
• Avoid using the generic descriptions of the jobs you originally applied for or held.

TIP 6 – Repeat After Me:

Incorporate keywords from the job description in your resume. This helps to ensure that
you’re speaking the employer’s language and that any keyword-scanning software (ATS) will
find what it’s looking for. You should review and edit the keywords in your resume for each
opportunity.
Additional Tip: Create a word cloud - Use it to find the most common words contained
within some specific text. Check job ads and your resume and LinkedIn profile to see the
keywords that pop up most often (www.wordle.net or www.tagcrowd.com).

TIP 7 – Personality Matters:

Show some personality. This does not mean you should include elaborate fonts or designs
on your resume. Think more along the lines of what your extracurricular activities say about
you.
Achievers tend to be interesting people, and if the hirer thinks you are interesting, they’re
more likely to want to meet you in an interview. It can be useful to mention interesting
volunteer activities and hobbies that demonstrate skills relevant to the job (creativity,
determination, initiative).

TIP 8 – LinkedIn is King:

Add that LinkedIn profile URL. Employers will go to LinkedIn to find out more about you (over
90% of them anyway). Make it easy for them to find you by including your personal LinkedIn
profile URL on your resume. Make sure they’re finding the right YOU on LinkedIn by complet ing
your profile with: 1- A professional headshot. 2- A Summary, which is the equivalent of your
positioning statement. 3- All Experience (jobs, internships, leadership, volunteer, etc.).

TIP 9 – Spell-check is NOT Foolproof:

It may seem obvious, but spelling and grammar are critical—even if you are in sales. Spell
check is not foolproof. Just because it’s a word doesn’t mean it’s the word that you want to
use. Once complete schedule an appointment with a Career Coach in the Office of Career
Management to review for errors and/or areas for improvement.

TIP 10 – It’s All in the Details:

• Begin each sentence with a strong action verb and create results-based statements that
are brief, accurate, and to the point.
• Avoid the use of personal pronouns and abbreviations with the exception of state
abbreviations and country titles.
• Numbers zero through nine should be spelled out. Numerals for 10 to 999,999 may be
used (except at the beginning of a sentence).
• Include for each job: title/position, name of employer, city/state of employer, and dates
of employment.
• Experiences should be listed in reverse chronological order.
 • Use the same size and type of font throughout the resume with the exception of your title
and address section.
• Font size should be no less than 10 and no greater than 12.
• Keep it Short N’ Sweet: Limit your resume length to 1 page.
• Don’t waste space on References Available Upon Request. They know.

Wrapping It Up:
Creating a great resume can be a balancing act. You want to show some personality but not
come across as unprofessional. Given how competitive the job market is, you need to give
yourself every advantage. Hopefully some of these tips will help your resume stand out from
your peers and get the much needed attention of employers.

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***Approved resume samples can be found in the Moore School Career Management
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