You have approximately 6 seconds. The hiring manager will only scan your resume once and in those 6 seconds, the “you” your resume projects will either disappear into the dreaded pile of rejects or bring you a step closer to landing the job. You need to make every single word in that resume count.

We’ve got you covered. We’ve gathered the top 5 Do’s and Don'ts of Resume Writing. All you need to do now is take the experts’ advice then send that resume with a bit more confidence!

1. DON’T include these

Hobbies

Save the hobbies talk for water-dispenser-conversations. As an applicant, you need to be able to present your most polished self, highlighting first and foremost the significant contributions to the company you have the potential to make.

Objectives

Your employer knows why you’re applying. Don’t waste precious space on something that’s obvious.

Irrelevant Experience

Believe in yourself enough to not include odd jobs or experiences that show no connection with the position you are applying for just to lengthen your CV.

Buzzwords

I’m sure college has given you a brand new vocabulary full of titillating terms that tickle the senses. Most of which are empty and cliche, meant to be part of your campaign speech for a student council position or a crammed paper at 3 am. Don’t make your reader waste their time cringing at your resume.

Professional Contact Information

You will not want your soon-to-be employer calling the company you’re about to leave for them for your scheduled interview or any clarifications.

2. DO check your grammar and sentence structure:

Resumes show better structure and formality when personal pronouns like “I,” “we,” or “her” aren’t used. Make sure to phrase your qualifications and achievements in a passive voice.

3. DON’T enumerate what you were “Responsible for”

When you talk about your experience in your previous jobs, saying you’ve been responsible for certain tasks or events doesn’t bear as much weight as saying you successfully headed or performed in the committee assigned for such tasks or events. The phrase “responsible for” does not give the hiring manager an idea of how well you performed your responsibilities.

4. DO explain why your accomplishments are important to the company

Choosing the accomplishments and experiences to put in your CV wisely comes with this condition: make sure that you can draw out and mention the important skills, learnings, and specialties you’ve derived from the aforementioned that you can apply once accepted. If you’re going to apply for a job, you’re going to have to convince them that the specific job they offer is just what you’re destined for.

5. DON’T write a cover letter

Write a Pain letter with a Dragon-Slaying story instead. Liz Ryan describes the pain letter, as a recognition of the company’s “pains,” a critical analysis of the company’s needs and current issues being faced. The dragon-slaying story that comes with it is your entry point. This is you telling them how you’ve handled their pains or slayed the dragons they’re facing in your past jobs and that you are the candidate who isn’t just about to become a typical employee but also the type that they currently need. The cover letter is dead. You need to impress the hiring manager by letting your human, empathetic, yet competent personality jump off the page and shake hands with them.

Done with that resume? Check our Facebook and LinkedIn page to see which spot you qualify for and send it in! Send us your updated CV to [email protected] with the position you're applying for in the subject line.