4 Quick Resume Tips

1. Start from Scratch.

Resume wizards and other pre-formatted resume writing programs are great time savers. However, I would only recommend them for high school students, entry level job applicants, and those applying for positions that don't require a B.A. degree. Most employers can easily recognize when someone has used this type of program and usually the association is not going to put you ahead of the pack.

2. Keep your formatting clean and simple.

Reserve bolding, italics, and underlining for emphasis or importance (like your name) and to create distinct sections in your resume. Don't overuse these features or they will lose their effectiveness and make your document hard to read.

3. Highlight your accomplishments.

Many people make the mistake of simply copying a list of job duties on their resume without adding any supporting evidence. Your resume is an advertisement about you, so make the reader sit up and notice! Writing about your success and accomplishments in your past or current performance sends a clear message that you are able to do your job well and that it will hopefully translate to your new job.

4. Triple Check.

Grammatical and spelling mistakes are huge No-No's! It is imperative that you make sure your resume is error free. Sloppy resumes usually go in the rejection pile. Run spell and grammar checks on your resume and have at least three other people give it a once over.

For questions on resume writing, call or email me at
joviedo@pacificoaks.edu or at 626-432-5566.

Happy writing! - Jessica Oviedo