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Resume Checklist

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Your resume is the first writing sample an employer sees. Prospective employers normally examine each resume for about one minute. Organize your resume to emphasize your skill set, or risk selling yourself short. To view a sample resume, click here.

Objective or Summary?

• An objective or summary is not mandatory.
• If you decide to include an objective, make sure it does not limit you to one role or type of responsibility.
• If you decide to include a summary, include keywords that are relevant to the desired position.

Things to Include…

• Only work and projects for which you were responsible. Do not misrepresent yourself!!!
• The dates that you worked at each position (06/97-09/00).
• A brief description of each employer’s product or service.
• A skill/proficiency matrix where skills are ranked using a scale of 1 (novice) to 5 (expert).
• Under each position, list the skills used (Created Windows On-line Help using RoboHelp 8.0).
• Release numbers for the Software and Operating Systems known (FrameMaker 6.0 and Windows 2000).
• Degrees, certificates, or courses you have taken and how you applied the knowledge on-the-job.
• Professional societies (STC, SDP, ASTD) and awards.
• Electronic versions of your resume (ASCII text, PDF, and MS Word formats).

Things to Avoid...

• A narrative style or use of the first person (I performed…).
• Multiple job titles for a single position (Web Master\Technical Writer\Graphic Artist).
• Courses that are not relevant to your current or desired job.
• Hobbies and non job-related activities (fishing, hunting, skiing, and being a Mensa).
• References unless permission has been given.

Organization and Language

• Organize your resume into the following categories:
• Career Objective or Summary (if applicable)
• Key Skills and Tools (Hardware/Software/Operating Systems/Languages)
• Work Experience organized chronologically with current job first
• Education and Professional Development


• Use consistent fonts throughout and the same amount of white space to separate each category.
• Use action verbs when listing responsibilities at each position (develop, implement, and edit).
• When listing responsibilities at previous positions, use the past tense (developed, implemented, and edited).
• If possible, keep the resume to two pages or less. List responsibilities at relevant positions only.
• For multi-page resumes, include the following information in the header of each page:
• Name
• Addresses (street and e-mail)
• Phone numbers (home and work)
• Page number (Page 2 of 3)


• Publications lists should appear on a separate page.

Don’t Forget to...

• Get feedback from peers and your Recruiter!!!
• Always SPELL and GRAMMAR CHECK your resume!!!
• Keep the resume up-to-date and have extra copies on hand.
• Realize that a resume, like any piece of writing, is a work in progress and can always be improved.