No recruiter has the time (and the patience) to read large paragraphs of text describing your work profile. Instead, make use of bulleted list that describe your scholastic accomplishments, your work experiences and objectives in short sentences.
Including professional goals can help you by giving employers an idea of where you are going, and how you want to arrive there. You don’t need to have a special section devoted to your professional objectives, but overall the resume must communicate it. The question of whether or not to highlight your career objectives on the resume is a polemic one among HR managers, so go with your feeling. If you decide to list them, make sure they are not generic.
When ordering your resume sections and the items inside each section, make sure that the important section is presented first. Also prioritize your statements by the order of their importance, relevance and impressiveness.
Make sure that that your fonts are big enough and are clearly readable. Preferably use 12pt - 14pt font for the body and 24pt - 30pt font for headings.
Information such as ethnicity, marital status and religious beliefs should not be included in your resume. Avoid fluffy statements like - "I am well organized and detail oriented". Also refrain from using statements like "References available upon request.
Only include those skills that are relevant to the job you are applying for. Merely stating all your skills will not catch the attention of a recruiter, also make sure to explain how your skills make you a good match for the job.
A potential employer is more interested in your scholastic accomplishments and your work experience than looking at your picture. Avoid attaching a photo/picture with your resume unless the recruiter has specifically asked for it.
The most common mistake made by job seekers is to create one generic resume and send it out to all job openings. Customize your resume for each job application. Make sure that your resume has the keywords that the recruiter is looking for.
Refrain from listing out unrelated work experiences in your resume. If you are applying for a software developer position then including your part-time job as a car-mechanic does not add any value to your resume.
Never, never, NEVER lie on your resume. If you don't have any relevant work experience then include your summer internships or volunteering work; if you don't have a college degree then mention any non-credit courses that you took. Whatever you do, just don't lie on your resume.
Even if you think you resume is looking kinky, it would be a good idea to get a second and third opinion about it. We usually become blind to our own mistakes or way of reasoning, so another people will be in a good position to evaluate the overall quality of your resume and make appropriate suggestions.
It is recommended that you try to limit your resume to one page. A shorter resume is generally preferred but don't remove relevant information in order to make your resume shorter. Use as many pages as needed to highlight your accomplishments and qualifications but set the upper limit at three pages.
Action verbs can add emphasis to your resume and can help you catch the attention of a potential employer. Here is a list of some common action verbs -
Your potential employer is not interested in knowing that you like reading books or that you enjoy watching Dexter. Refrain from including hobbies in your resume.
Ensure that your resume is kept up to date. Keep adding any courses, certifications or volunteering work on a regular basis. This can save you from having to send an obsolete resume to an employer.