Top Ten Resume Writing Tips

Never underestimate the power of the résumé to both damn you and promote you. It is your first attempt to impress a prospective employer so don't take short cuts, be lazy about how it is researched and written and expect to be at the front of the interview queue. If you get the basics right, apart from some minor editorial changes you will be able to use this resume again and again.

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1. Always be truthful. Nowadays it is very straightforward to check personal claims. It just isn't worth pretending to be somebody you are not. The moment you are found to a liar you will be out. Don't do it!

2. Try to keep your resume to 1 page only. Précis all the information and cut out the crap! If the information has no direct bearing on what you are applying for, delete it. When you get to the interview you will be able to fill in the detail.

3. Make sure the headings can be easily distinguished. use a bold font. And the headings must make it very clear what information follows. If the heading is Employment History, don't fill in education details under it. Ensure your name and contact details are easy to find.

4. Compose your career objective to be an accurate reflection of your hopes and aims. Again - don't BS here, you will quickly be found out and it won't impress. Be ambitious without being presumptuous. Be capable without being arrogant.

5. Give a summary of your qualifications - both professional/technical and educational. Take care about how you write descriptions of your work experience and your achievements. The best way to present these is as bulleted points. That makes them easy to skim read and assimilate.

6. Usually the record of your work should be relevant to the job you are applying for. Exceptions could be on a functional resume where you are changing careers. Think about what you have achieved in each role and where possible add real numbers to illustrate the achievement e.g. I saved 15% by trimming the overhead.

7. Make sure your resume format is uncomplicated. The style and the font should be unfussy, clean and easy to read. You should print it on white or off-white paper and use no other color. The font should be printed in black.

8. Remember to use powerful action verbs to describe what you have done. Avoid the passive ones which give a sense of reaction rather than pro-action.

9. Include all relevant education and courses that pertain to the job. You can also include any important achievements or awards. Don't list items that are too old, too tiny or that don't apply. Instead think of the most current examples you can. If you don't have any awards skip that section and expand on your education.

10. Don't submit the same resume to every employer you apply to. It won't be appropriate. Each application will need a slightly different approach