•  How many schools and degrees you list on your resume depends on how much you’ve accomplished. If you’re currently in college, list your present college and the high school you attended. Once you’ve achieved a bachelor’s degree, you can remove the high school information from your resume to conserve space. If you graduated with honors or were on the dean’s list, you should put that down as well.
• Only list volunteer groups, sports teams, clubs or student government positions that are relevant to the job you’re applying for or that illustrate a defining character trait. For example, if you list on your resume a one year stint on a school softball team, some interviewers may see that as just filler. But, if you played softball for 4 years and were part of a championship team, that says something about your dedication to something important to you, and helps to paint a positive picture in a potential employer’s mind.
• A complete job history includes: the name of your employer, the city and state you were employed in, your position or title, your responsibilities, and the dates of employment. If you had multiple positions or were promoted, list that too.
• It is generally not necessary to list references and phone numbers on your resume, but do have them ready and signify that by stating “References Available Upon Request” on the very bottom of your resume. References should include people who have worked with you in a supervisory position. References should not include coworkers, roommates, relatives, or friends.
• Do not include jobs, schools, degrees, or honors that you did not hold or attend, or earn. Employers routinely verify these items and will immediately halt the application process or rescind a job offer if anything on your resume proves to be untrue.
• Special skills to consider listing on your resume include foreign languages and computer skills, as well as vocational certifications like holding a Food Handler’s Certificate, or being certified by the American Red Cross for CPR.
• You may consider developing a few different kinds of resumes for different kinds of jobs. For example, if you just graduated college and are looking for job in design, create a resume that highlights your design experience. If you’re also looking to work in a restaurant on the side, consider creating a second resume that includes some of your design experience, but really focuses on all of the restaurant and service jobs you had in high school and college.
• Name your resume something like “Jane Doe Resume 02-12-2005”. Using filenames such as “Jane’s New Resume” or” Jane’s Restaurant Resume” do not easily identify your files to a hiring manager and are unprofessional. If you have developed multiple resumes for different types of positions, differentiate them discretely, using a naming system like “Jane Doe Resume A” and Jane Doe Resume B”
• Pare your resume down to one page – that should be enough room to list all of your qualifications.

The Cover Letter

Your Cover Letter is an essential part of the job application process. Good communication skills are essential for practically every job out there - don’t waste this opportunity to show a potential employer that you possess these skills by just sending your resume with no cover letter!

• In the first line of your letter, make sure you state the name of the position to which you are applying - employers often list several positions and job locations in a single ad, and this will immediately let the hiring manager know how to process your resume. It also shows that you took the time to respond to their ad personally, and didn’t just send a mass email campaign to a number of companies.
• Your cover letter should highlight a few previous experiences or positions which you feel make you a good fit for the position for which you’re applying.
• Your letter should show interest and enthusiasm. While this is a good opportunity to show-off a little of your personality, keep the tone of your letter professional, not too casual.
• If you have scheduling limitations, like you’re only available on the weekends or after 5PM four days a week, you should state that in your cover letter. This will help prevent frustration down the road

• Always spell check your cover letter and resume.
• Don’t use colored fonts or backgrounds in your resume, cover letter, or email – they can be quite distracting and are considered unprofessional. Stick to easy read commonly used fonts, like Times and Arial that are sure to display properly on almost any computer.
• If a job posting says “No phone calls please,” it really means no phone calls please. Calling the employer will definitely diminish your chances of getting the job. It is however perfectly acceptable and even recommended that you send a follow up email 3 - 4 days after sending your initial email. This shows that you are an organized person that is really interested in the position you’ve applied for.
• It’s generally a good idea to include your resume and cover letter in the body of the email AND as attachments, in case the employer has problems opening the attachments.

Some of the Most Common Mistakes

• References are “furnished” upon request, not “furbished”

Our Biggest Pet Peeve

• Get a professional email address, for example: jane.doe@hotmail.com. It’s free, immediately identifies you by name to the hiring manager, and shows that you are serious about your work. It’s very hard to take a job applicant seriously when they send a resumes or cover letters using email addresses like LiLsExYdIvA@aol.com or MistahMacho@excite.com