15 Tips for Writing Winning Resumes
The thought of writing a resume intimidates almost anyone. It’s difficult to know where to start or
what to include. It can seem like an insurmountable task. Here are 15 tips to help you not only tackle
the task, but also write a winning resume.
1. Determine your job search objective prior to writing the resume. Once you have determined your
objective, you can structure the content of your resume around that objective. Think of your objective
as the bulls- eye to focus your resume on hitting. If you write your resume without having a clear
objective in mind, it will likely come across as unfocused to those that read it. Take the time before you
start your resume to form a clear objective.
2. Think of your resume as a marketing tool. Think of yourself as a product, potential employers as your
customers, and your resume as a brochure about you. Market yourself through your resume. What are
your features and benefits? What makes you unique? Make sure to convey this information in your
resume.
3. Use your resume to obtain an interview, not a job. You don’t need to go into detail about every
accomplishment. Strive to be clear and concise. The purpose of your resume is to generate enough
interest in you to have an employer contact you from an interview. Use the interview to provide a more
detailed explanation of your accomplishments and to land a job offer.
4. Use bulleted sentences. In the body of your resume, use bullets with short sentences rather than
lengthy paragraphs. Resumes are read quickly. This bulleted sentence format makes it easier for
someone to quickly scan your resume and still absorb it.
5. Use action words. Action words cause your resume to pop. To add life to your resume, use bulleted
sentences that begin with action words like prepared, developed, monitored and presented.
6. Use #’s, $’s and %’s. Numbers, dollars, and percentages stand out in the body of a resume. Use them.
Here are two examples:
Managed a department of 10 with a budget of $1,000,000.
Increased sales by 25% in a 15-state territory.
7. Lead with your strengths. Since resumes are typically reviewed in 30 seconds, take the time to
determine which bullets more strongly support your job search objective. Put those strong points first
where they are more apt to be read.
8. Play Match Game. Review want ads for positions that interest you. Use the key words listed in these
ads to match them to bullets in your resume. If you have missed any key words, add them to your
resume.
9. Use buzzwords. If there are terms that show your competence in a particular field, use them in your
resume. For marketing people, use “competitive analysis.” For accounting types use “reconciled
accounts.”
10. Accent the positive. Leave off negatives and irrelevant points. If you feel your date of graduation will
subject you to age discrimination, leave the date off your resume. If you do some duties in your current
job that don’t support your job search objective, leave them off your resume. Focus on the duties that
do support your objective. Leave off irrelevant personal information like your height and weight.
11. Show what you know. Rather than going into depth in one area, use your resume to highlight your
breadth of knowledge. Use an interview to provide more detail.
12. Show who you know. If you have reported to someone important such as a vice president or
department manager, say so in your resume. Having reported to someone important causes the reader
to infer that you are important.
13. Construct your resume to read easily. Leave white space. Use a font size no smaller than 10 point.
Limit the length of your resume to 1-2 pages. Remember, resumes are reviewed quickly. Help the reader
to scan your resume efficiently and effectively.
14. Have someone else review your resume. Since you are so close to your situation, it can be difficult
for you to hit all your high points and clearly convey all your accomplishments. Have someone review
your job search objective, your resume, and listings of positions that interest you. Encourage them to
ask questions. Their questions can help you to discover items you inadvertently left off your resume.
Revise your resume to include these items. Their questions can also point to items on your resume that
are confusing to the reader. Clarify your resume based on this input.
15. Submit your resume to potential employers. Have the courage to submit your resume. Think of it as
a game where your odds of winning increase with every resume you submit. You really do increase your
odds with every resume you submit. Use a three-tiered approach. Apply for some jobs that appear to e
beneath you. Perhaps they will turn out to be more that they appeared to be once you interview for
them. Or perhaps once you have your foot in the door you can learn of other opportunities. Apply for
jobs that seem to be just at your level. You will get interviews for some of those jobs. See how each job
stacks up. Try for some jobs that seem like a stretch. That’s how you grow—by risks. Don’t rule yourself
out. Trust the process. Good luck in your job search!
