Résumé Tips

• The rule of 1 page is best no longer applies. If you are just graduating from college, then absolutely keep it to 1 page. However, if you have been in the work force longer than 5 years you need more than 1 page to accurately describe your experience and accomplishments.
• Always put your accomplishments underneath the position in which you received them. Do not list them on a separate page.
• A bullet point format is best. Long paragraphs describing your responsibilities are boring and will not hold anyone’s attention. 2-3 sentences briefly describing what you did, what you sold and who you called on is perfect.
• When a potential employer is reviewing your resume, they are looking for # signs, % signs and rankings. If you are in sales, you need to have successful numbers. Do not make up anything and be able to document everything. Rule of thumb – if you can’t document it with photos or paperwork, don’t put it on your resume.
• Use a chronological order on your resume starting with your most recent position first.
• Do not use italics, bolding or underlining unnecessarily. It is distracting to the eye.
• The most common error seen on manager’s resume is the word manger. If you are using the word Manager, do yourself a favor and triple check your resume. Manger will not show up as misspelled when using spell check because it is a word!
• Always have your name, mailing address, at least one phone number and your personal email address at the top of your resume. Do not put it at the bottom of the page and never put your work email address on your resume.
• Specific drug names and key targets are always helpful on your resume.
• If you are fluent in more than one language make sure you put it on your resume. A good place for this would be under Skills/Certifications. If you do not utilize a section like that then it is acceptable to put it under education.
• An objective is good, but it is not an absolute and should be tailored to a specific industry. For example, if you want to land a position in the medical industry, but are open to pharmaceuticals as well, do not mention medical in your objective. If you only want a position in the medical industry, then absolutely put medical industry in your objective.
• Never put compensation or reference’s contact information on your resume.
• A good format to follow is experience first, then education and other pertinent information; skills, certifications etc….