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Résumé Tips

 

Your résumé is your first chance to make a good impression. And it pains me to say this, but so many résumés I get are hard on the eyes. They are confusing, poorly designed, and do not clearly illustrate candidates’ backgrounds and skills.

But there is hope! By following a few simple tips, you can have a stellar résumé. Please keep in mind every hiring manager has opinions on what works best in a résumé, and the suggestions below are merely mine.

Read on, friend.

1. Chronological, Chronological, Chronological!

If I read your résumé and start feeling as if I’m in an episode of Quantum Leap, we’ve got problems. Put your most recent job at the top and work backward from there.   

2. Include Your Accomplishments Under Each Job Heading.

One of the latest trends is to lead with an “Accomplishments” section and then follow that with the employment/experience section. I’m not sure who came up with this idea, but my guess is they don’t hire for a living. Separating your jobs from your accomplishments is not only illogical, but it leaves the reader confused about where and when you did what. It also creates unnecessary duplication. When I get a résumé like this, I inevitably find myself flipping between the two sections and getting frustrated. 

3. Your Résumé Should Read More Like The Gettysburg Address than The Grapes of Wrath.

Blaise Pascal said, “I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.” Don’t be Blaise. A résumé is an overview of your education, experience, and accomplishments. It should be a quick, easy read (1-2 pages unless you’re an academic) and it should entice the employer to bring you in for an interview. 

4. Include Dates!

Employers want to know how long you worked at each job for longevity reasons. Likewise, they want to know when you graduated college to gauge your overall level of experience and so they can confirm you actually graduated if they need to do a background check. Leaving out dates is conspicuous and does far more harm than good. 

5. Drop the Objective Section Like a Bad Habit.

Without hesitation, I can tell you my least favorite section of the résumé is the objective. It’s the area where otherwise sane people are drawn to use jargon, B.S., wild hyperbole, and annoying buzzwords like “synergy.” Whatever it is you want to say here, save it for the cover letter. 

6. Bullet Points are Your Friend.

My favorite résumés are those that contain bullet points in lieu of long sentences and paragraphs. These bullets tell me the job seeker took the time to distill his experience into a version that is easily absorbed by potential employers. And not to sound overly dramatic, but I think it shows the candidate is respectful of others’ time to the point he cut out superfluous words. Name me a hiring manager who doesn’t appreciate this trait in an employee? 

7. Keep it Relevant!

If you: a) are taking a cooking class, b) like to snowboard, or c) worked retail in college, then 1) let me know when I can come over for dinner, 2) you should check out Snowshoe, 3) teach me how to fold sweaters, please, and 4) don’t include any of these things in your résumé. 

8. Eliminate the Mystery.

We’re not dating or reading Nancy Drew, so let’s eliminate the mystery. Above all else, your résumé should make sense. A reader should understand clearly your background and what you bring to the table. Disjointed and confusing résumés are the surest way to find yourself in the circular file. So test your résumé out on a friend – if they read it and immediately start asking questions, go back to the drawing board. 

9. Name Your Résumé: John Doe Résumé.

I can’t tell you how many résumés I get with document names like “Résumé Summer 2009” or “1152010 CV.” I end up having to rename them, which is especially confusing when the candidate’s name is something difficult to spell such as Raymond Throatwobblermangrove. Since employers often forward around résumés or save them, it’s best to label your résumé using your name and the word résumé so there’s no confusion. Likewise, if you are including writing samples, references, etc., label them accordingly: John Doe Writing Sample, John Doe References, etc. 

10. K.I.S.S.

Keep it simple, sweetheart. Above all else, your résumé should be a simple outline of your education, experience, and accomplishments. Don’t use color, photographs, fancy/hard-to-read typefaces, or heavy prose. Leave some negative space, bold your section headers, and be consistent with how you lay out each subsection. And for the love of Julia Child, tables are for eating – not for résumé formatting! Bottom line: make your résumé enjoyable for the hiring manager to read and you’ll maximize your chances of getting an interview.

11. Part-Time, Contract, Consulting, etc.

This used to be a top ten list, but I had to add another. So as they say in Spinal Tap, these go to 11. In order to prevent confusion, especially with overlapping roles, it’s a good idea to explicitly state the nature of a role if it is not a full-time, permanent position.  For instance, if a role is a contract position, a consulting gig, or a part-time endeavor, it’s best to let the reader know that. If you don’t state this, the reader assumes it’s a full-time role. And then we wonder how you are able to hold down four full-time positions at once, and we start to worry something is amiss. You see the problem?

 

What? That wasn’t enough? You want more resume tips? You got it!

Talent Tip #111: Take Your Resume to 11

Talent Tip #100: Your Resumé: A Chance to Tell a Clear, Logical Story About Your Career

Talent Tip #61: Google This: How to Create a Winning Resume

Talent Tip #45: The Six Second Résumé

Talent Tip #35: Traditions Worth Keeping: Play Like a Champion Today, Bun Runs, and Résumés

Talent Tip #25: Your Resume as Prego: It’s in There

Resume Template from Talent Market

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    Civil Rights Attorney – Pacific Legal Foundation – Virtual Office

    Program Manager, Education Policy Studies – American Enterprise Institute – Washington, DC

    Vice President of Global Tax Policy – Tax Foundation – Virtual Office or Washington, DC

    Washington State News Editor – The Center Square – Virtual in WA

    North American Programs Manager – Students for Liberty – Virtual Office

    Development Events Coordinator – State Policy Network – Arlington, VA or Virtual Office

    Vice President of Communications – Center for Education Reform/Yass Prize – Washington, DC, Hybrid, or Virtual

    Development Writer – American Enterprise Institute – Washington, DC

    Brand Manager – Young Voices – Washington, DC; New York City, NY; or Virtual Office

    Digital Media Specialist – Center of the American Experiment – Golden Valley, MN

    Assistant Director, Educational Programs – Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans – Alexandria, VA

    Scholarship Programs Administrator – Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans – Alexandria, VA

    Conference Services Manager – Heritage Foundation – Washington, DC 

    Vice President of External Relations – Illinois Policy Institute – Virtual Office or Hybrid in Chicago, IL

    Managing Director of Outreach – Mercatus Center at George Mason University – Arlington, VA

    Major Gifts Officer – Mercatus Center at George Mason University – Arlington, VA or Virtual in the Western US

    Communications Specialist – Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom – St. Paul, MN or Virtual Office

    Senior Litigation Counsel – New Civil Liberties Alliance – Washington, DC

    Litigation Counsel – New Civil Liberties Alliance – Washington, DC

    Chief Development Officer – The Fund for American Studies – Washington, DC

    Community Manager – Americans for Fair Treatment – Virtual Office

    Communications Director – Network of enlightened Women – Virtual Office 

    Continuing Education Program Coordinator - The Fund for American Studies - Washington, DC

    Free Enterprise Project Associate – National Center for Public Policy Research – Washington, DC or Virtual Office

    Manager, FREE Initiative - American Enterprise Institute - Washington, DC

    Grants Manager – Heritage Foundation – Washington, DC

    Partnership Advisor – Leadership Institute – Arlington, VA or Virtual in the Midwest

    Vice President of Development/Director of Development – Sutherland Institute – Hybrid in Salt Lake City, UT

    Accountant – American Legislative Exchange Council – Arlington, VA

    Program Associate – State Policy Network – Arlington, VA or Virtual Office

    Development Associate – National Center for Public Policy Research – Washington, DC

    Marketing Associate – Mercatus Center at George Mason University – Arlington, VA

    Operations Coordinator – Philanthropy Roundtable – Washington, DC

    Director of Sponsor Partnerships – State Policy Network – Virtual Office or Arlington, VA

    Senior Director of Operations – State Policy Network – Virtual Office or Arlington, VA

    Director of Leadership Development Programs – America’s Future – Washington, DC or Virtual

    Senior Attorney – National Federation of Independent Business, Small Business Legal Center – Hybrid in Washington, DC

    Major Gifts Officer – Texas Public Policy Foundation – Austin, TX

    Development Manager – R Street Institute – Washington, DC or Virtual

    Senior Analyst for Budget and Tax Research – Illinois Policy Institute – Hybrid in Chicago, IL

    Head of Policy – Illinois Policy Institute – Hybrid in Chicago, IL

    Communications and Social Media Associate – Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy – Charleston, WV or Virtual Office

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About Us

Claire Kittle Dixon

Claire Kittle Dixon
Executive Director
Claire has more than a decade of experience in the talent development field. She…
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Katelynn Barbosa
Director of Talent Engagement
Katelynn started her career in the Koch Associate Program and then litigated at the Institute for Justice…
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Katy Gambella
Director of Outreach
Katy began her career at the Institute for Humane Studies and later joined the Cato Institute…
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Stephanie Keaveney
Outreach Manager
Stephanie’s career started at the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal…
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Lydia Ocampo
Outreach Specialist
Lydia started her career with Young Americans for Liberty. During her time with YAL…
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Wait, You’re a Nonprofit?

Talent Market is a nonprofit. We’ll wait here while that sinks in. We know it’s a crazy concept, but it’s been working like a charm since 2009.

Talent Market’s mission is to promote liberty by providing talent for critical roles within the free-market nonprofit sector.

We provide consulting and recruiting services at no cost to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that clearly and directly focus on advancing the principles of economic freedom, free enterprise, free trade, free speech, property rights, rule of law, and limited regulation. (We do not work with political organizations, organizations with mission statements that do not clearly advance free-market principles, organizations that focus on social issues, or organizations that have a focus outside of the United States. We are not a job board. ) 

Talent Market believes that the road to prosperity is paved with freedom and that the success of our movement hinges on the talent that will take us there.

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