Your Job Ad, Resume, and Cover Letter

A resume is a short version of one’s qualifications listed in their curriculum vitae and it provides precise information about the individual. Resumes are relevant during job applications as they market an individual to a potential employer. Therefore, it is important to provide the relevant information in a resume to capture the attention of potential employers. In this paper, therefore, a discussion on the Dos and DON’Ts of building a resume will be provided.

DOs (obtained from  https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/resume-dos-and-donts (Links to an external site.) )

1. Highlight your most relevant experiences

While one can have experiences from different fields, it is important to include experiences that are only relevant to the job being applied for. Having job-oriented experience in the resume increases one’s chance of getting selected for an interview/job.

2. Optimize the resume to make it suitable for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

ATS is a software that most employers use today while recruiting candidates instead of reading through all resumes. Therefore, an individual needs to design their resume to fit the ATS format by including key information such as work experience, educational background, and relevant skills and experiences.  

3. Keep the resume short for easier perusal

Resumes need to be as short as between 2-3 pages as this allows recruiters to quickly pick relevant information during recruitment, especially when they are handling many candidates. Furthermore, having a short resume limits one to only providing information that will be relevant to the job.

DON’Ts (obtained from  https://www.roberthalf.com/blog/writing-a-resume/the-dos-and-donts-of-resume-writing (Links to an external site.) )

1. Fabricate your education and job experience

Some people tend to lie in their resumes about their qualifications but this is not advisable. For instance, one can be requested to provide proof of such qualifications during interviews. Therefore, it is important to only state true work and education qualifications.

2. Don’t copy everything from the curriculum vitae without summarizing

A resume should be a short version of the CV. Therefore, only relevant and key experiences should be included to prevent cases of having a long resume.

3. Don’t include personal and confidential information

A resume should be professional and not include an individual’s personal or confidential information as it will not be necessary. Furthermore, such information can be used against an individual when it gets into the wrong hands.