Resume Checklist
CONTACT INFORMATION
- Are my name and address correct and complete? Are they displayed
clearly at the top of the page?
- Did I use the most professional sounding version of my name -
e.g. William instead of Billy Bob?
- Is my phone number correct with the area code
included?
- If I have one listed, does my email address sound professional?
OBJECTIVE
- Is my objective focused and precise, stating exactly the
position I want?
- Is it supported by the rest of my resume - education, skills,
experience, etc.?
- Is it brief - 12 words or less?
EDUCATION
- Do I have my most current degree listed first?
- Do I list the correct date (month, year) listed for when I
received each degree?
- Did I list the location of the school - city and state?
- Did I correctly identify the degree I received - for example did
I receive a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree or Bachelor of Art
(B.A.) degree?
- Did I omit my high school information after I completed more
than two years of college unless listing impressive honors or
relevant extra-curricular activities?
- If I am applying for a co-op or internship, did I list the
courses I completed successfully that are relevant to the job I am
seeking?
- Did I list my GPA? Should I have?
LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS
- Have I listed any licenses or certifications I hold?
EMPLOYMENT
- Did I include the correct starting and ending dates for each
job?
- Did I list my correct job title for each job?
- Did I include the correct names of all employers/organizations?
- Did I list the correct location for each employer (city &
state)?
- Did I include all of the paid, internship or cooperative
education experiences relevant to the job I am seeking?
- Did I use phrases beginning with strong action words to describe
my contributions and achievements for each job?
- Have I overused any words in these descriptions?
- Did I eliminate unnecessary words such as I, the, and an?
- Was I careful not to use acronyms or abbreviations that might
not be understood by everyone reading my resume?
HONORS OR AWARDS
- Did I use the correct name for the honor/award?
- Did I identify the organization or school from where I received
each award?
- Did I list the year it was received?
- If it isn't clear from the name, did I explain why
it was received?
COMPUTER SKILLS
If I know that computer skills are highly important in the position
I am applying for, have I included a section indicating what computer
systems (IBM-PC, Macintosh), Languages, Networks and Applications
(Microsoft Office, etc.) with which I am proficient?
ACTIVITIES, COMMUNITY SERVICE, PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
- Did I list any positions of responsibility I held including the
title, name of the organization and the dates I served/participated?
- Did I list any achievements or transferable skills gained that
are relevant?
- Did I make sure to omit any activities or personal interests
that are not relevant to the job I am seeking?
OVERALL APPEARANCE
- Is it easy to read with an uncluttered look?
- Have I used the appropriate font style and size (10-12 pts.)?
- Have I used high quality (16-25 lb.) bond paper?
- Is my resume paper a neutral, low-key color (white, ivory,
etc.)?
- Do my envelopes match my resume paper in color and paper
quality?
- Have I used appropriate spacing between sections?
- Are my margins at least an inch on all sides?
- If my resume is longer than one page, did I write continued at
the bottom of my first page and my name & "Page Two" at the top of
the second page?
- Is my style consistent throughout - same font, format for
headings, etc.?
- Is my writing style brief using succinct language - phrases with
no paragraphs over five lines long?
- *Is my resume absolutely free from any grammatical,
spelling, punctuation, usage and typographical errors?
.
|
|
|
