Example Resumes - Should You Use Them?

You will find example resumes on line by the bucket load, but most of them are of limited use because they lead you into a dependency of that particular design and lay out. Employers tend to be wise to these anyway and would far prefer you took the trouble to develop our own.

However, you can purchase over 175 sample resumes here if you would like to use them as sources of ideas. They are only $9.97 for the lot and could save you many hours of work.

The Top Ten Things To Avoid When Writing Your Resume.

1. Tell the truth! That might seem obvious but many people don't. Some job candidates try to improve their profile in this way, but if you are caught out, perhaps by a seemingly innocuous question, that will be the end of you. Who wants to employ a liar?

2. Strip all outdated information from your resume. Space is at a premium here and the written resume should never extend beyond two pages, preferably only one. If the interviewer can't find out most of what you are worth in the top half of page one, you are likely to be dismissed from the selection procedure.

3. Use bullet points as much as possible. They are easy to assimilate, and each bullet point should begin with a strong verb. However don't overuse the bullets. Your resume must be visually pleasing as well as easy to read.

4. Don't try to make your resume tell your whole life story. Keep something in reserve for the interview! Generally speaking there is little point going back more than 10 years.

5. Unless you are looking for bulk to pad out your resume, try to avoid listing responsibilities and achievements that you would prefer not to repeat. There may well be some aspects of your old job which you are trying to leave behind, so don't temp your potential employer to see you in those roles.

6. I re-emphasise the necessity if possible to limit your resume to a single page. In any event all the important details should be on the front page. By the way, the important information does not include your age. Don't include that as it could work against you.

7. Use the spell check included in your word processor to make sure you avoid the cardinal sin of mis-spelled words. If this happens you are doomed.

8. Don't think you will impress the interviewer with your creativity by dazzling him or her with unusual fonts. That would be a grave mistake. Don't use fancy colored paper either.

9. NEVER tell what you are not good at. Your resume is designed to sell you and nobody has ever been successful selling failure.

10. Avoid the trap of trying to make a single resume fit all job applications. It won't and it never will. Each one will need tweaking according to the job you intend to apply for