Resume Tips

The purpose of a resume is to get you an interview. This is often your first introduction to a recruiter or to a potential employer. Your resume can often be the main instrument upon which people base their opinion of you. Remember, with a technical resume, the gatekeepers who originally screen your resume might not have a technical background themselves, so don’t assume that someone will know what you do by a title or a few keywords.

Make your first impression a strong and positive one. Proofread over and over to make sure it honestly depicts what you can do. A resume showcases your skills, but the document itself also shows off your communication and organizational skills. Poorly constructed sentences or misspellings may cause an employer or recruiter to discount your technical skills. The statement “strong attention to detail” will be laughable if there is a typographical error.

Make your resume easy to read. Important skills and keywords should be easy to find. Use a popular font, in a color and font size that is legible and looks simple and clean. Many resumes are cut and pasted into a database or are transferred into a company-specific format. Your recruiter will be thrilled if they don’t have to deal with embedding, tables, or font sizes that cause eye strain.

Tailor your resume to a specific job. Highlight the qualifications that a job order says are important. If a job asks for a JAVA developer with a strong knowledge of Oracle, both of these key words (Java and Oracle) should appear in your resume.

List your technical knowledge on the first page of the resume. There should be a summary that makes it obvious the career path you have taken and where your strengths lie. This is often as far as a recruiter or hiring manager gets in reading a resume. Skills can be listed in bullet form or by categories (operating systems, programming languages).

Avoid long paragraphs that are hard to read. Bullet points are acceptable.

Do not use personal pronouns. “I, me, my” or even the impersonal third person “he, she, they” have no place in a resume.

Use the past tense for experience, the only time present tense is acceptable is when you are currently employed in the job.

Action words should begin your sentences. Instead of listing “responsibilities” or “duties” try to incorporate how you were able to meet and overcome challenges. Sell yourself to your next employer by delineating your abilities and accomplishments.

Be concise. You do not have to list all aspects of a project or what the company does for business. The purpose of the resume is to interest a prospective employer enough to want to talk to you.

Leave off all unimportant information. While it is wonderful that you were an Eagle Scout this is rarely a reason why a person lands an interview. An employer is not impressed by your marital status, nor does he need to know your social security number or your hobbies.

If you are worried about appearing too ”seasoned”, it is acceptable to leave off the year you graduated from college or experience that goes back more than fifteen years.

Proofread, proofread, and proofread! Use a spell-check program, but also read it over and have someone you trust to be honest read it as well. Your resume is your personal advertisement. Sell yourself and your abilities, and make sure the first impression is a great one.

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Interview Tips

Be Prepared – Research the organization before the interview so that you can learn about the company’s business before you attend the interview. Be sure you have reviewed the qualifications for the job and prepare answers for commonly asked interview questions.

Personal Appearance - Be well groomed and appropriately attired for a professional interview. It is always better to over-dressed rather than under-dressed for an interview. Suits are your best bet. Some people are allergic or sensitive to colognes and perfume – it is best to understate your fragrance choice.

Be on Time – Make sure your interview time, location, and transportation arrangements are confirmed. Arrive no more than 20 minutes early. If you arrive earlier, wait in a nearby area until it is time to go in for the interview.

The Interview – Please keep in mind that you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

• Smile - be confident. Remember that eye contact shows your confidence and can make a significant difference in how you present yourself. If you look away, it appears that you lack confidence and interest.
• Learn the name of your interviewer and offer a firm handshake.
• Conduct yourself in a professional, courteous and enthusiastic manner.
• Listen attentively and do not interrupt when interviewer is talking; allow them a full chance to talk.
• Show body language that indicates interest – smile and nod to give verbal feedback to the interviewer.
• Be sure to talk about your achievements and successes – this is your chance to market yourself in-person.
• Answer the interviewer’s questions in a brief and concise manner. Should there be a particular case that you believe requires more than a two minute answer, ask for permission to continue to better explain perhaps why, for example, you were moved to another project, or to give further details on a position.
• When given an opportunity, ask questions about the organization but avoid questions whose answers are easily found on the company website. Also avoid asking questions about salary or benefits until an offer is made.
• Avoid making negative comments regarding former employers.
• Ask about the next step in the process.
• Thank the interviewer – ask for a business card before leaving the interview so that you will have the correct spelling and title of their name.

Thank You Notes should be sent within two to three days after the interview to the lead interviewer. Be sure to keep it short; thank the interviewer for his/her time; state your interest in the position; include any additional important information about your skills or abilities that were not mentioned in your interview; and your anticipation that you are waiting to hear from them.

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