Resume Do’s and Don’ts

Use multiple fonts and colors to help your resume stand out.

DON’T• Unless you’re in a creative industry

stick to black and white. Use easy to read fonts. Ex. Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, etc.

Always include an objective at the top of your resume.

Don’t • Objectives aren’t used anymore.

Instead use a Summary showing an employer what benefit you will have to the company if hired.

Your resume should be tailored to each job you’re applying for.

DO• Take key words from each job

description to help your resume stand out.

Use bullets to describe your job responsibilities under each position rather than paragraphs.

DO• Bullets make it easier for a hiring

manager to quickly skim through your resume.

List your high school under Education.

DON’T• Employers assume you have

completed high school if you are applying for a job with them. Listing it on your resume would be a waste of valuable space.

Include any awards, honors, or volunteering on your resume.

DO• Including these things will help you

stand out and may be something you have in common with the interviewer making you even more memorable. It also shows you have a life outside of work.

Your resume should ONLY be one page.

DON’T• Your resume can be more than one

page as long as all information is relevant to the position you’re applying for.

List past jobs from most recent/current to oldest.

DO• Jobs should always be listed from

most recent to oldest. If jobs are older than 10-15 years they should most likely be taken off but this can change depending length of job history.

Include “References available upon request” at the bottom of your resume.

DON’T• Employers assume you will have

references if needed. This takes up valuable space on your resume that could be used for relevant information.

Include a link to your LinkedIn profile, website, or online portfolio on your resume.

DO• Including a link makes it easy for an

employer to look at additional information about you that you’re unable to list on your resume and hopefully increase your odds of landing an interview.