• Second thing: DON’T

Lie. You might be tempted to lie about something on your resume. People might encourage you to embellish a few things to make yourself look better but ultimately, it is not worth it. Common lies include extending work dates, claiming education you don’t have, and adding jobs you never had. If you lie on your resume and are hired, you have to keep pretending accordingly.

• Third thing: DO

Be honest. If there is a gap in your employment, a good employer would rather be told the truth than fabrication. Just because you don’t meet some of the requirements for the position doesn’t mean they won’t consider you. Employers will run a background check. 

• Fourth thing: DON’T

Assume that the same resume can be used for every application. Take the time to tailor your resume to the job you are applying for. The information should remain the same but reordering sections to highlight what the employer is directly looking for will make them look at your resume twice.

As for the format of your resume, everyone has their preference but there are templates that you can use to get started. Fancy fonts and styles distract from the content. Your resume should present as much information about yourself that you can fit on 1-2 pages of text, no smaller than 11 point font. The only part of your resume that needs to be in full sentences is in the section containing your personal statement. Listing the responsibilities of previous or current jobs and skills can be done as bullet points.

An effective resume doesn’t have to be impressive in skill or experience, it just needs to accurate and consistent.

Michael DeSafey is a leading executive recruiter for professionals in the construction, engineering and environmental industries. He is currently the President of Webuild Staffing www.webuildstaffing.com . To learn more about Michael or to follow his blog please visit www.michaeldesafey.com