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If you’re like many job seekers, you’ve edited and tweaked your resume so many times that by the time you’re ready to send it to a prospective employer, you’re positive it’s perfect and ready to go. Mistakes can still happen, though. Our "resume checklist" can aid you in preventing resume mistakes that can interfere with your shot at landing the job.
Lesson learned: Just because you’ve seen it dozens of times doesn’t mean you haven’t missed a word here or a typo there. So, when you’re ready to send your resume, you’ll want to make sure it’s complete, accurate, and appealing.
The following checklist highlights critical aspects of your resume, from style and content to appearance. As you proceed through this list, be sure each statement is true (or that you have a very good reason for ignoring it).
GENERAL
- Resume has been spell-checked, grammar-checked, and proofread by at least two people
- No typos or errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, or word usage
- No unnecessary words or repetition
- No use of I, me, my, or mine
- Length is one or, if necessary, two pages
- No unexplained acronyms or technical jargon
- Bullet items and paragraphs are short – no more than 2 lines for each bullet; 5 lines for each paragraph
- No mention of race, religion, politics, age, lifestyle, disability, or other personal data
CONTACT INFORMATION
- Full name, unabbreviated street address, phone number(s), and e-mail address are clearly stated
- E-mail address is professional-sounding. If it’s inappropriate or personal, you should get a new one
OBJECTIVE AND/OR SUMMARY
- Demonstrates your potential value to the company, not just what you want in a job
- Lists the two or three most compelling qualifications that match the employer’s needs
EXPERIENCE
- Job titles are descriptive (not necessarily the actual job descriptions)
- Sentences/phrases begin with strong action verbs
- Verb tense is consistent (present tense for current positions; past tense for former positions)
- Skills and accomplishments include keywords from the job description
- Results are expressed in numbers or percentages where possible
- Jobs from more than 10 or 15 years ago are summarized or omitted unless highly relevant
EDUCATION
- Grade point average (GPA) is included only if it’s impressive (e.g., 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale)
- High school information is omitted if you have a college degree
- Incomplete education is expressed in positive terms such as "Earned xx credits toward diploma/degree."
APPEARANCE
- Sections are easy to read and distinguish
- Font faces are uniform, with no more than two different fonts
- Margins are proportionate to content
- Appropriate emphasis on keywords through boldface, italics, and underlining
- Your name stands out for easy recognition
Related Reading Links
Choosing the Right Format to Send Your Resume
Resume Writing Basics: Building Blocks of a Good Resume
Top 10 Things to NOT Put in a Resume
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