The dog days of summer are now behind us and the changing season may have you thinking about changing jobs.  As you dust off your resume, here are some tips to keep in mind and some no-no’s you are better off avoiding.

DO:
Provide context and consider your audience.  Briefly explain each place you have worked, including the size of the organization and mission or programs.

DON’T:
Use generic summaries or vague objectives and keep in mind the reader may not understand industry- specific jargon or abbreviations.

DO:
Include numbers.  How large was the budget you oversaw?  How much did you raise?  Has that increased over time?  By what percentage?  How many total staff on your team?

DON’T:
Embellish.  This document establishes your credibility and overstatements will come back to haunt you.

DO:
Match accomplishments to specific jobs and list your positions in reverse chronological order, including dates.

DON’T:
Clump positions together by type or leave off positions because you think they are irrelevant.

DO:
Include your educational background with your major, years attended, and any relevant certificates.

DON’T:
Include your GPA.  Unless you are a recent college graduate applying for an entry level position, it is not important.

DO:
Be concise.  Make sure you don’t repeat yourself and keep it at two to three pages long.

DON’T:
Use small font to ensure you can fit into a certain number of pages.  A one-page resume probably won’t be long enough to allow you to accurately share your experience.  We prefer resumes with white space on the page that are easy enough to read without a magnifying glass.

DO:
Have someone proofread your work and ask someone outside of your field to read your resume closely so you know it makes sense and is easy to understand.

DON’T:
Pay someone else to write your resume for you.  This document should reflect your career and accomplishments, which you will be expected to talk about if you advance to an interview, and thus should be written in your own voice.

At Morris & Berger we see hundreds of resumes every month.  These simple choices will help you stand out and allow your experience to shine through.