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* Your resume is your 1st (and sometimes only!) impression. You can never get that 1st impression back with the HR/Talent Acquisition person that is screening resumes or the hiring Manager that opens it. To that end, be sure you resume is formatted correctly, a 10-12 Font size is used and that the font, indentations and bullets are all meticulous. Be sure to have a peer and/or family member review it and provide honest feedback on formatting, content and style.
* Go the extra mile! When submitting your resume for a position, be sure to take a few easy (yet differentiating!) steps to customize your resume for that position. For example, if you are interviewing for a Mid Atlantic District Sales Manager position with XYZ company, be sure to read the Job Description (J.D.) for that position and add some of the wording of the J.D. into your resume wherever possible. Also, save your resume with your name and position name so your preparaton is emphasized, (for example: "Swanson_Mid Atlantic DSM Candidate"). Simple extra steps can do nothing but help your cause. Far too often, Candidates will submit a resume that shows the company that you are interviewing for every position out there and are submitting a "stock" resume that you've been using forever. (example: submitting for that same position in November and your resume says "Swanson January Resume.")
* Include your email address and the best phone number to contact you on at the top of your resume. Include a home phone and a cell phone number to show your accessiblility. Be sure to check your email and that phone number often once you begin to circulate your resume. Nothing says "bad follow up" like a candidate that gets contacted for an interview and doesn't return the call promptly.
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* Provide an overview of your experiences (3 to 4 lines) at the top of your resume. Use keywords related to the industry that will catch the reader's attention.
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* Next, list job experience (most recent job first). Include company name, city, state, starting and ending dates in a month year format, Job titles (in bold, listed by recent first) and finally the description of what you did in each position in paragraph form (be sure to include accomplishments).
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Multiple positions within one company are all listed under that company heading stating each title with the dates you worked in that position and a description (including accomplishments) for each position. If you are in Field Sales / Sales Leadership, be sure to be specific with the geographies you covered instead of the hometown of the Company's home office.
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* Next, list your education. Order your education from highest degree to lowest degree (i.e. MBA before B.S.) and be sure to spell out the name of the University/College rather than using initials (The Pennyslvania State University instead of PSU.)
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* If you have served in the military do not forget to include the years you served and your final rank. If military training is related to the position you are seeking you may include a brief description.
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* Add language skills. Additional languages that you speak fluently will either help with the position you are seeking or they will work for you to show that you have a great work ethic and have something that your interview competition doesn't.
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* A good resume is ended with the statement "References will be furnished upon request" or something similar to that. Be sure you have a separate List of References that include a former Manager, a former "network" Manager (i.e. someone you didn't report to but can speak highly of your performance) and a strong peer reference. Make sure you prepare your References in advance with the focus and details (and company name!) of the position you are going for so they aren't caught by surprise. References are an important part of the process that are often overlooked! Yes.... some companies have the Reference Check as a "check in the box" at the end of the interview process, but many take the References very seriously and look for specifics that help you stand out and reinforce what you've said during your interviews.
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