Seven Simple Resume Tips

Tis the season for receiving some ridiculous resumes. Recent grads and the growing ranks of the unemployed are flooding a competitive job market. I'm sure shredders have been well fed.

Writing a good resume is a skill, but it's not brain surgery. Google resume writing. Get even more specific and Google resume writing and your field. Better yet, hire a professional resume writer. Don't worry if you've only had one job. They dig deep for good material. It's a small investment in your career. Here are a few free pointers to get you started.

1- Create a new email account. Your college user name doesn't cut it. Lovelyladyhumps1@yahoo.com or kegmaster321@hotmail.com won't impress potential employers.

2- Make sure you've formatted properly and if sending online save as a pdf so that changes across platforms don't occur. Also, follow the employer's instructions for online submissions. If you can't do this correctly, why would he or she hire you?

3- Proofread. Have others proofread it. Mistakes, even a typo, make you look careless at best.

4- Use active voice when describing your skills in relation to your current job. For example, “Expertly handles a wide variety of customer service situations with diplomacy and concern" works better than "Handled customer service issues."

5- When writing your resume, imagine you’re the employer. What would you want to see? Why should he or she hire you versus the 1,000 other applicants?

6- Don't be vague. For example, “Marketed a product within a community” sounds like you're selling illegal goods.

7- If you include an objective, make it benefit driven to the employer. No one gives a rat’s ass about what you want. Except me and maybe your mom. We want you to get a great job.