25 Résumé Writing Tips to get your Résumé to the top of the stack. Barb addresses the finer points of waking up a tired résumé.

1. Absolutely no spelling, grammar, punctuation, or typographical errors.
2. Know your audience before you begin to prepare the document. Then write the résumé for your defined audience.
3. The résumé must match your skills and abilities to a potential employer’s needs.
4. A résumé must address your market value and, in 20 seconds or less, answer the question, “Why should I hire you?”
5. Key in on accomplishments, credentials, or qualifications.
6. Sell your features and benefits. What skills do you possess, and how will they contribute to the organization’s goals and objectives?
7. Avoid fluff. Ambiguities and generalities represent fluff; they render a résumé inept.
8. Be different, courageous, and exciting. Boring résumés lead to boring jobs.
9. Package the résumé in an exciting way.
10. Be sure that the résumé is well organized.
11. The résumé must be professionally presented, consistent with the industry you are pursuing.
12. Your résumé can have a distinct personality to it. Choose your language carefully; it will make a world of difference.
13. A chronological résumé format emphasizes employment in reverse chronological order. Begin with your most recent job and work back, keying in on responsibilities and specific achievements. Use this format when you have a strong employment history.
14. A functional résumé format hones in on specific accomplishments and highlights of qualifications at the beginning of the résumé, but does not correlate these attributes to a specific employer. Use this format when you are changing careers, have employment gaps, or have challenges in employing the chronological format.
15. A combination résumé format is part functional and part chronological a powerful presentation format. At the beginning of the résumé you’ll address your value, credentials and qualifications (functional aspect), followed by supporting documentation in your employment section (chronological component).
16. A curriculum vitae is a résumé format used mostly by professions and vocations in which a mere listing of credentials describes the value of a candidate. Examples include actors, singers or musicians, physicians, academic professors, etc.
17. The five major sections of a résumé are: 1) Heading, 2) Introduction, 3) Employment, 4) Education, and 5) Miscellaneous sections.
18. Miscellaneous sections can include Military Experience, Publications, Speaking Engagements, Memberships in Associations, Awards and Recognition, Computer Skills, Patents, Languages, Licenses and Certifications, or Interests.
19. Write the résumé in the first person, and avoid using the pronouns
20. Salary history or compensation requirements should not appear in the résumé. The cover letter is made for this purpose, if it needs to be addressed at all.
21. Always include a cover letter with your résumé.
22. If you are a graduating student or have been out of the workforce for awhile, you must make a special effort to display high emotion, potential, motivation, and energy. Stress qualitative factors and leadership roles in the community, on campus, or elsewhere. By employing a degree of creativity and innovation in your career-design campaign, you are communicating to a hiring authority that you can be resourceful, innovative, and a contributing team member.
23. Employment gaps, job-hopping and educational deficiencies can be effectively handled by using the combination format (or the functional format).
24. The résumé should be a positive document. It must tell the truth, but not necessarily the whole truth. Don’t lie, but you need not tell all, either. Keep negative thoughts and concepts out of your résumé.
25. The shorter the better one to two pages in most cases.