Your resume is your first impression with a new potential employer and it is crucial to make a good one. That being said it can be a confusing process to determine what information to include and what layout is best for you.

If you are looking for general tips on resumes, check out my part 1 resume information at 3 Resume Building Tips. But if you have already read that and read for installment number 2 that focuses on what content to keep and what to throw out then keep reading!

Keep

• Contact information
  • Name
  • Professional title
  • Phone number
  • Professional email
  • Professional social media handles (if you don’t have any do not include personal, but DO make sure what you post is appropriate, potential employers can still look at your profiles)
  • URL to your personal website
• Work history/experience and education
  • List relevant jobs in reverse-chronological order, starting with your current position
  • Bullet points describing your roles and responsibilities at each job, but use responsibilities and keywords that are relevant to the job you are applying for
  • Internships, but ONLY if you have limited experience (fresh graduate)

• Applicable Skills
  • Communication
  • Leadership
  • Time Management
  • Teamwork
  • Want a list of more skills that are good to include? Here are 10 Best Skills to Include on a Resume from indeed.com.
• Achievements and Awards
  • Especially if they relate to the position you are applying for
• Additional sections (only if you have space to add)
  • Community involvement or volunteering
  • Hobbies – this helps to show your personality and set you apart

Throw Out

• Profile photo
  • This is not necessary and should be on your LinkedIn profile
• Exact address
  • The only time to use this is if you are applying for a local job and want to show that
• Unprofessional email address
  • Please, please, please! Create a professional email address that is just your first.lastname@gmail.com instead of something along the lines of ballerz16@gmail.com
• Education and Experience
  • Every job you ever had, try to choose ones that are relevant to the position
  • Jobs you only had for a short time, unless you can explain the reason
  • Fluff words such as “responsible for” or “duties include”
  • Cut down on job duties by listing no more than 5 bullet points
• Skills and Hobby
  • Irrelevant skills that don’t relate to the job you are applying for
  • Old or controversial hobbies

• Lies
  • It may be easy to exaggerate your abilities when trying to get the job, but in the end, it will not turn out well
• Pronouns
  • I, me, she, or he. They are just extra words taking up precious space
• Salary
  • Requirements and past history
• “References Upon Request”
  • Recruiters or potential employers already know they can request references so do not include this saying or a list of references on your actual resume

I hope you found this helpful or if you know someone that is looking for a new job share this with them!