Writing Effective Resumes by Andrew Kam

A resume is like a window into a person's previous experiences. A snapshot of the past, and a yardstick of the an individual's performance in the future. In this post, I shall highlight the 20 deadly sins committed by people when writing a resume and how to write an effective resume.

20 deadly sins:

1. A resume that has no relation to the employer's interests or needs - not customized for job scope

2. A resume is too long, short, or condensed

3. Unattractive format and designs in the resume

4. Misspellings, bad grammer and wordiness

5. Poor punctuation

6. Sentences, phrases and paragraphs are too lengthy

7. Too slick or amateurish

8. Too boastful and dishonest

9. Critical categories, experience and skills are missing

10. Poorly organized, hard to understand and requires too much interpretation

11. Unexplained time gaps

12. Constantly refers to "I" and appears self-centered

13. Lacks sufficient contact information

14. Includes a photo and irrelevant personal information (height, weight, age)

15. Includes "red flag" information such as being fired or incarcerated

16. Does not convey accomplishments or a pattern of performance from which the reader can predict future performance

17. Resume does not support objective

18. Lacks credibility and content

19. Appears over-qualified or under-qualified for the position

20. Vague and unclear objective

If you could avoid these 20 common sins made by numerous people when writing a resume, you will be one step ahead of the competition and will find yourself on top of the pile of resumes! In the next part, we will focus on some tips on how to write an effective resume. A video on effective resume writing is also at the end of the section which succinctly summarizes the points for making one's resume stand out from the multitude!

Heading

• Type your name at the top in caps with large and bold type. Include the address, phone number and email address. A school address with your permanent address is needed if you plan to move after graduation.

Objective

• Focus the job objective before writing the rest of the resume and customize the resume to the job and field
• State the position you are seeking (full-time or part-time or an internship)
• Everything that follows the resume should support the objective

Education

• Identify degree, major, graduation date and school
• Include education abroad and any relevant vocational schools, certificates, and job training
• Include the G.P.A if is above 3.0

Course Listings

• Include a short list of courses to show experience, training, or knowledge in the field

Skills

• Make the skills the selling point of your resume. Include specific skills that pertain to the objective such as computer language skills, lab techniques and language skills. Include also interpersonal and adaptive skills such as communication and leadership attributes
• Be sure to back up each skillon your resume with specific and convincing evidence

Experience

• Use the most important relevant experience to convince the employer that you have the skills necessary to do the job. Use an active voice to present evidence of the experience

Items to avoid

• Keep reference on a separate sheet of paper and give it to the emplyer only when asked
• Omit age, religious or political affiliations, marital status or other personal data which could be used to screen you out

Formatting

Keep resume to 1 page unless you have extensive related experience Organize headings so that the most important points are first Invite readers' attention by using open space, wide margins, and bullets to set off text Use good quality white or off-white paper Use clear and dark 10-12 point type Spell and punctuate perfrectly References: 1. University of California, San Diego Career Services Center: Your connection to jobs and graduate education. Writing Your Resume http://career.ucsd.edu/sa/reswrite.shtml 2. Networking with Jane Lommel: Writing effective resumes - how to avoid the 20 deadly sins http://www.newwork.com/Pages/Networking/2001/Writing%20Effective%20Resumes.html