How to Write a Resume: 18-Point Checklist

By Resume Wizards Founder, Don Goodman

Resumes are harder to write than ever before, and the rules are constantly evolving. I have been a professional resume writer for 15 years and what used to work even three years ago does not work today. Below you will find an 18-point checklist. You must follow this advice in order to ensure your resume produces results in this economy. Lets begin In order to write a good resume, you must face a number of challenges. Todays job market is unlike any other as there is more competition for a single position than ever before. Companies are being choosey, and the days of just posting your resume on Monster.com then waiting for the phone to ring are long gone. Your value to a company must come across quickly and distinguish you from others. The other challenge is the Applicant Tracking System (ATS), the software that scans your resume for the appropriate keywords. If you do not get a strong ranking here, then a human may never see your resume. The unfortunate reality is you need to satisfy two audiences: the ATS and the recruiter. So you need a pretty resume for the human eye and an optimized resume for the ATS. I have included special tips you must follow so the ATS can appropriately recognize the key parts of your resume. For your resume to get noticed, you need to consider these 18 tips.

1. Resume Formats
There are three kinds of formats: reverse chronological, functional, and hybrid. Do you know which is best for you? In general, functional resumes should not be used because they will not get through the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and they are usually used to hide a career gap.

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How to Write a Resume: 18-Point Checklist

By Resume Wizards Founder, Don Goodman

Also, the rule that you must have a one-page resume is gone. Resumes are getting longer because companies want to see details of your background.

2. The New Objective Statement

ATS Tip: Your resume should start with the word SUMMARY or PROFILE SUMMARY so the system will recognize this section. If you do not do this, they will not see any of your opening statements. Objective Statements are gone because they just focused on your personal goals and not the employers needs. The Objective Statement is now replaced by putting the title of the position you seek.

3. The Resume Opening: Your Value Proposition

The most important part of your resume is your opening. It is the only paragraph everyone will read. If it doesnt capture their attention, then your resume will not be read. You should start your resume with a strong value proposition that summarizes what you can do for the employer. This is the best way to grab their attention. Example for sales professional: Over 10 years of success with a consistent record of exceeding quota, increasing the customer base, and earning customer loyalty.

4. The Resume Opening: Skills Statements

Applicant Tracking Systems and employers are looking for skills you can bring to their organization. Now that you have indicated the value you bring, you have to back it up by showcasing how you can achieve these results. Example for sales professional: Aggressively generate leads through cold-calling and networking. Leverage Consultative Selling skills to understand the customers needs. Recognized for high closing rate.

5. The Resume Opening: Proof Statements

Now that youve demonstrated your value and the skills you offer, you need to offer proof that you can actually do the things you mentioned. This is where you showcase examples from your experience. Example for sales professional: Career marked by consistently ranking in the top 3 in sales at Samsung, Panasonic, and Sony out of over 250 peers nationwide.

All rights reserved. Cannot be reproduced or distributed without consent from Don Goodman.

How to Write a Resume: 18-Point Checklist

By Resume Wizards Founder, Don Goodman

6. The Resume Opening: Core Competencies

Core competencies are the key skill sets employers are looking for. They can include things such as expertise in Excel, experience making presentations, scheduling events, and so on. There are two places to showcase these keywords: both in the opening of the resume as well as in the individual jobs section. Just having them at the top is no longer enough because the ATS will measure how many years of experience you have with these skills then rank you accordingly. For example, for an administrative assistant, you should have MS Word and Excel mentioned under each job so the years of experience with these tools will show when the ATS scans the resume.

7. The Resume Opening: WOW Statements

A good way to really grab the readers attention is to have a WOW statement. The rule here is it must be an impressive short statement that makes them want to know more. For example: Led store from ranking #19 to #2 in less than 1 year.

8. The Resume Opening: Personal Branding Statements

Branding statements are tricky and are meant to distinguish you from other candidates. Think about what makes you unique among other candidates. Do you have training or experience others normally wouldnt have? For example: Turnaround Specialist and Change Agent, regularly selected for the companys most challenging initiatives.

9. The Experience Section Part I (Format and Style)

ATS Tip: You must have the word EXPERIENCE in the heading for this section. You also need to have Inc., Corp., LLC, and so on after the company name in order for the system to appropriately recognize the name of the employer. Here you should use the Harvard format, which is paragraph form for your roles and responsibilities, and bullets for the achievement statements. This makes it easy for the human eye to quickly see the results you have delivered. The easiest way to do this is through the C-A-R method where you indicate what Challenge you faced, what Actions you took, and (in bullets) the Results of those actions. For example:

All rights reserved. Cannot be reproduced or distributed without consent from Don Goodman.

How to Write a Resume: 18-Point Checklist

By Resume Wizards Founder, Don Goodman

Challenged to turnaround location suffering from lagging sales, high turnover, and poor morale. Quickly assessed staff capabilities, eliminated poor performers, and introduced new training programs. Led store from ranking #19 in sales to #2 in less than 1 year.

10. The Experience Section Part II (Quantifying Accomplishments)

Not all accomplishments can be quantified but that does not mean you were not successful. Think about how success would be recognized for the tasks you performed and showcase that success. For example, for an events planner: Managed over 55 events ranging to 3-day programs with over 1,000 attendees and consistently recognized for delivering highly rated experiences at less cost than budgeted. Or, for an executive assistant: Noted for consistently meeting aggressive and impossible deadlines.

11. Education
Keep it simple; include the name of the institution, your major, and your degree. If you received both a MBA degree and a Bachelor degree from the same institution, you need to show the institution name twice. For example, not correct: Hofstra University MBA Finance BA, Business Administration Correct: Hofstra University MBA Finance Hofstra University BA, Business Administration

12. Affiliations
In this section only include those affiliations relevant to the position you are seeking. In general, political and religious organizations are not appropriate.

All rights reserved. Cannot be reproduced or distributed without consent from Don Goodman.

How to Write a Resume: 18-Point Checklist

By Resume Wizards Founder, Don Goodman

13. Must Dos

Some basic must dos include: Must have a value proposition that distinguishes YOU. Emphasize RESULTS you have delivered. It is not enough to say you are a top performer, you have to back it up. Be KEYWORD heavy. Identify the keywords and phrases employers are seeking (read their ads to discover these) and make sure you include them repetitively to get a good ATS ranking. Be easy to read. A simple one-page resume thats hard on the eyes will not work. Write short, succinct sentences that are on point.

14. Must Donts

Some basic must donts include: No typos or bad grammar. Do not rely on the spell checker for everything. (Tip: Resumes are written in the first person so Demonstrates high level of accuracy should really be Demonstrate) Do not lie. Simply put, you will be caught. Avoid overused adjectives like visionary and dynamic. Do not have flowery phrases. Write the way people speak. Do not ramble and mention things that are not relevant. Do not have references available upon request. Everyone knows this. Do not assume the reader will know your abbreviations, so spell them out. Avoid fancy graphics. Choose common fonts. Do not put your picture on the resume unless it is a key element of your job (e.g. TV).

15. Adding Some Pizzazz

A way to add some strength to your resume is to include some testimonials under the opening profile. Similar to LinkedIn recommendation statements, a short statement that you are great can only help. Another way to grab someones attention is to have a Career Highlights section that has a few short high-impact bullets. A cautious use of color can also be useful.

16. Special Situations Career Gaps

You cannot ignore career gaps as the employer will then ignore you. Merely explain them on the resume. For example, if you took time off to care for a sick parent (or were ill yourself), just put:

All rights reserved. Cannot be reproduced or distributed without consent from Don Goodman.

How to Write a Resume: 18-Point Checklist

By Resume Wizards Founder, Don Goodman

Sabbatical Attended to urgent family matters now fully resolved.

If you were a stay-at-home parent then just say that and mention any volunteer work you did.

17. Special Situations Career Change

Career change resumes are tricky and require you to focus on the relevant transferable skills you demonstrated under each position. For example, if you were a teacher trying to move into sales then stress these transferable skills: Highly disciplined and organized, able to set daily and weekly goals. Strong communication and presentation skills. Ability to build rapport and engage a wide variety of audiences. Strong time management skills. Able to work independently.

18. Special Situations Perceived Job Hopping

If you resume shows short times in your positions then the reader will assume you did not work out. Many times, it is just a symptom of the economy, so you should add the reasons why you left the jobs, such as company relocated, major downsizing, or division closed.

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