Resume Do’s and Don’ts

Mar 11

A quick resource for mid-career tech executives looking to level up their careers. Remember, most jobs are filled by recruiters or referrals - your goal as a job seeker is to showcase your expertise and make yourself findable. These tips alone will help your resume stand out, but to really be seen make sure it’s passed along by a mutual contact, or directly by you in cold outreach.

Did you know that most recruiters and hiring managers spend 1-3 minutes looking at your resume?

Your main job is to demonstrate your business impact clearly and concisely.

Think about the job that you’re applying for, and ask yourself how you can clearly demonstrate that you have the skills to do that job. Show, don’t tell.

Cover these 3 points in each job experience:

WHAT you did
HOW you did it
The IMPACT it had on the business

Remember: Being concise matters. Remove excess words and irrelevant information.

Pro Tip: Use descriptive verb instead to show HOW you did something, instead of generic adjectives to say you are someone. Yes: Optimized, Launched, Mentored, Initiated, Operationalized, Drove, Trained, Spearheaded, etc. No: Leader, Creative, Problem-solver, etc. Show. Don’t tell.

A Note on Length: Now that resumes are read on computer screens, there is less of a 1-page limit than there once was. That said, you should be able to represent your business impact in no more than 1-2 pages.

Pro Tip: Do you have several years of career experience that are not relevant to the current job, but explain earlier parts of your career? Consider consolidating these under a “Other Experience.” These positions likely don’t need bullet points associated with them.

Do:

Get specific with your impact. “Increased regional revenue 14% YoY,” “Reduced system inefficiencies that led to 46% higher output,” “Ran trainings that led to 37% increase in positive client surveys.” Use numbers and data wherever possible.
List job start and end dates that include the month, not just year. This is sometimes checked in a background check, and if the date is off it can get flagged and slow down your process which can sometimes take you out of the running.
- Short stint? Explain yourself briefly if possible (example: Position eliminated in a RIF). Anticipate this being asked about in your interviews.
- Gaps? Explain yourself briefly if possible (Example: Took time off to spend with an ailing parent). Anticipate this coming up in your interviews if you don’t address it.
Write your top Gallup Strengths if you’ve done that test. A good place for this is either under your name or at the bottom.
Include your name, email, phone number. No need for home address anymore. You’ll probably be asked what state your in at some point in the interview process for payroll reasons (companies must have payroll set up in the state you’re working in in order to pay you).
If you’re in a program or course that isn’t complete, put “Expected September 2023.”
List technical skills if you are in a technical field, like SQL, Tableau, Python, etc.

Don’t:

List generic skills like “leadership, problem-solving, etc.” Demonstrate these in your bullet points.
Put your GPA on your resume, unless you are new to a field that has extensive post-graduate schooling (such as a medical or legal field).
Write an objective, unless you’re changing careers or applying for something that might not be visible based on your experience.
Include a picture. Not only does is usually format poorly when imported into internal databases, it goes contrary to many DEI initiatives that are meant to reduce bias in the hiring process. If you’re applying for corporate work (and not as a dancer or model or another field that relies on appearance), you want to give them better reasons to select you than how you look.