You have finished your resume master piece, before your prepare that email and press that send button to apply to your dream job, we have prepared a resume writing checklist to help you. Our checklist is by no means exhaustive, but if you follow these points, you will have a resume that is worth reading and maximizes your career opportunities. Each point is important and it is equally important to make sure that your resume incorporates all of them.
Over the next several weeks, i will be providing an online resume writing tutorial, providing insider secrets of a professional resume writer.
Prior to beginning the document, it is a good idea to prepare your page. We do not recommend using a Template because they are very inflexible and are often created to maximize white-space to an exaggerated degree.
As a Certified Professional Resume Writers, I have encountered a lot of resumes from clients all over the world with information that is not acceptable in the Canadian labour market. For internationally educated professionals, new Canadians and for those who just don’t know, I have decided to provide you with a list of things you should never include in your resume
These include:
1. Photographs
The only people who need to include photos in their resumes are models and performers. In some cultures, a photo is expected on a resume. As such, many new immigrants incorporate their photos on their resume upon relocating to Canada. However, they should remove as Canadian labour law prohibits employers from discriminating based on race etc ,however it would be naive to assume they adhere to the law at all times.
2. Personal or Work Failures
This includes being fired, failures in exams, marriages, businesses, etc.
3. Every part-time job you have ever had
Part time jobs may be relevant to entry-level candidate with limited experience when you are looking for your first job, but after that, they are meaningless. Keep the most relevant work history when writing your resume.
4. The words ‘I’, ‘he’ or ‘she’
Your resume should normally be written in the first person (‘I’), but you never actually need to write ‘I’ in a resume. Some people write their resume in the third person (‘he’ or ‘she’). Again, you do not need to include the ‘he’ or ‘she’.
5. References
Your references should not be included on your resume – whether they are names, addresses, emails and phone numbers. The phrase “References are available upon request” should also be left out.
6. Reasons for leaving each job
Never include the reason you left an organization on your resume, especially if they are negative points. This may leave you open to being misunderstood.
7. Listing of high school diploma
Once you have attained post-secondary education, whether a college certificate or a bachelor’s degree, you no longer need to include your high school diploma on your resume.
8. Salary history information
This could potentially be used to reject your application. If a job advertisement specifically requests this information, you can always include it in your cover letter.
As a Certified Professional Resume Writer and President of Resume Solutions, I provide workshops and seminars on what makes a successful resume: what it entails, and how to create a great document that immediately generates interest from a potential employer. Always considering what a good resume should be, it suddenly occurred to me that most job seekers also need to know what a good resume IS NOT! Consider the following list of common resume writing errors.
