In a recent blog post, I mentioned the importance of a high impact resume on the interview process. Clearly, a well written resume gets you in the door, but it also stacks you up against your competition and ranks you in the employer’s eyes even before you get in the door.

If your resume puts you in the top three out of ten great – you can work with that. However, if your resume places number ten out of ten, you’ve really got a lot of work to do in the interview.

To get an edge over your competition, here is a resume writing checklist that might be of use to you. This is for those DIY resume writers.

Resume Writing Checklist

1. Your contact information is up-to-date ____

2. The resume is tailored to the job you’re seeking ____

3. Summary is clear and compels employer to read on ____

4. The resume is relevant to the position and contains position/industry related keywords ____

5. Length of document is appropriate ____

6. Document is free of grammatical and spelling errors ____

7. Resume contains no personal information and no photos ____

8. Font is in keeping with a professional business document ____

9. Paper (if mailing/personally delivering) is high quality. Color white/off white ____

10. Resume is not cluttered and is easy to read ____

Over the length of my coaching and recruiting career, all kinds of resumes have come across my desk. The ones that stand out are either really well put together documents or terrible. Yours should stand out because it represents you well and looks ultra professional.

That said, be sure that your contact info is current. If you prefer that the employer call you on your cell, don’t list a home phone. If you’re going to include an e-mail address, be sure isn’t personal, political or religious. Keep it professional because if I am your prospective employer, I do not want to see any of these:

• Susan@riflesrock.com
• Bill@abortionrules.com
• Carolyn@Godisoursavior.com
• Stan@leftwingconspiracy.com

Moving on to the next item...Your resume summary should be articulate and compel employers to read on. You want it to demonstrate your level of expertise and prove that you are a match for the job for which you’re applying. When I mention writing a resume tailored to the job for which you are applying – the summary is the perfect place to start. If appropriate, your summary should include relevant keywords.

Document length is usually one or two pages (two tops). Remember that if you have 20 years of experience, you don’t have to limit your resume to one page – unless the employer requests one page. If you have two years of experience, then a one page is fine.

In terms of document appearance, a resume with errors can be enough to get you thrown out of the applicant pool. Proofread several times. Use top quality paper if you print the document out and use a white or off white.
Look at your resume – is it easy to read? You do not want to intimidate the reader with tiny fonts, too much information packed into a page or with endless bullets. These are enough to get your resume tossed to the side.

Remember that writing a quality resume can mean the difference of thousands in salary and can determine how you are positioned as an applicant. Patricia Erickson writes high impact resumes for job seekers and career changers hoping to get interviews. She has a 99+% client satisfaction and success rating and guarantee results or will rewrite the resume at no charge.

You might also be interested in Patricia’s latest work, Get Interviews, Get Hired Now! the complete guide to job winning interviews. For more information about Get Interviews, Get Hired Now! visit: www.avitacareermanagement.com/get_interviews_get_hired_now