As we continue to navigate the pandemic, it’s important to be prepared in all aspects, especially your career. When it comes to resumes, length is not the most important thing. It should be a running document on where you’re at in your career at any given moment. You want to ensure there is always relevant content, and that you are clear and articulate in your job responsibilities and accomplishments. To make things easier, below is a list of do’s and don’ts to include in your resume. 

Your resume should answer the following questions:

1. Can the manager tell who you are as a candidate?
2. How does your story fit with the role?
3. Have you used keywords in your resume to get passed automated resume systems?
4. Does it look clean and easy to read?
5. Have you used appropriate margins and font size?
6. Do your accomplishments shine and give you the upper hand on the competition?
7. Have you told a compelling and coherent story about your experience?

Your resume should never include:

1. Date of birth, citizenship or marital status
2. Hobbies or your full address
3. References: you will always be asked for references so there is no need to include this, it is inevitable and wastes precious space.
4. Remove filler words like “a,” “an” and “the.” These words take up space and crowd the text. For example, instead of saying “Oversaw an entire team of interns in the Summer of 2018, which included scheduling all interviews, interviewing the candidates, assigning each candidate mentors and scheduling social events.” You would say, “Oversaw intern recruitment, including candidate screening, interview scheduling, mentor assigning and calendaring of social events.” It creates a more concise picture.