Quintessential Careers:
Resume and CV Enhancement Checklist for Job-Seekers
by Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., and Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
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Excellent resumes and CVs often contain information that you may not have thought to include on your existing resume or CV. Please look over this checklist to see if there is additional information you should add to improve your resume or CV.
Use our Resume and CV Enhancement Checklist
My resume or CV is enhanced and more effective because I remembered to
use FAKTSA: Focus, Appearance, Keywords, Transferrable Skills, and
Accomplishments. (If you didn't, learn more with our article,
FAKTSA:
An Easy Acronym for Remembering Key Resume Enhancers.)
My resume or CV heading contains all possible ways for an employer to reach me,
including cell phone number, fax number, and (proper) e-mail address.
My resume or CV describes my main strengths as an employee -- the benefits or value-added
that I can bring to my next employer. I have remembered to consider my Unique Selling
Proposition -- something that qualifies me better for the kind of job I seek than anyone else.
My resume or CV lists all licenses, certifications, and credentials that are RELEVANT
to the job I seek.
My resume or CV's education section contains the full name(s) of degree(s)
(spelled out: Bachelor of _____ ), name of major(s) and minor(s), name of university,
CITY/STATE OF UNIVERSITY, and graduation year (or expected graduation year).
My resume or CV lists all of my computer proficiencies: hardware, platforms, operating systems,
software, programming languages, etc.
I have asked myself if the typical reader of my resume or CV will understand all acronyms
or job-specific jargon used. (This point is especially important for career-changers because
terms commonly used in your current job/career may not be clear to employers in other fields
or even within your own field. If your resume/CV contains terms that may not be understood
by the typical reader of your resume, it's best to delete them, spell them out, and/or explain them.)
My resume or CV lists all my foreign language proficiencies.
My resume or CV lists all relevant military experience.
My resume or CV's experience section contains complete details about each position,
including (in this order): title/position, name of employer, CITY/STATE OR COUNTRY OF
EMPLOYER, dates of employment.
My resume or CV lists plenty of accomplishments that set me apart from other job candidates.
(Many job-seekers have a very difficult time capturing and verbalizing their accomplishments
from each job. If you are having difficulty listing accomplishments for this CRITICALLY
IMPORTANT part of this form, please use our
Job-Seeker Accomplishments
Worksheet, which will guide you in brainstorming your accomplishments from each job.)
My resume or CV includes professional affiliations, organization memberships, and leadership
roles within them. (Your resume should primarily list professional organizations, but you can
also list community-service, civic, social, greek (fraternity/sorority), and volunteer organizations,
particularly if your activities and skills used therein are relevant to what you want to do in your next job.)
My resume or CV has avoided the
10 most common
resume mistakes.
I have reviewed and revised my resume or CV using
Ten Easy Ways to Improve Your Resume.
Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search terms by going to our Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.
Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., creative director and associate
publisher of Quintessential Careers, is an educator, author,
and blogger who provides content for Quintessential Careers,
edits QuintZine,
an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, and blogs about storytelling
in the job search at A Storied
Career. Katharine, who earned her PhD in organizational behavior
from Union Institute & University, Cincinnati, OH, is author of Dynamic
Cover Letters for New Graduates and A Foot in the Door: Networking
Your Way into the Hidden Job Market (both published by Ten Speed Press),
as well as Top Notch Executive Resumes (Career Press); and with
Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., Dynamic Cover Letters, Write Your
Way to a Higher GPA (Ten Speed), and The Complete Idiot's Guide
to Study Skills (Alpha). Visit her
personal Website
or reach her by e-mail at
kathy(at)quintcareers.com.
Dr. Randall S. Hansen is founder of Quintessential Careers,
one of the oldest and most comprehensive career development sites on the Web, as well CEO of
EmpoweringSites.com. He is also founder of
MyCollegeSuccessStory.com and
EnhanceMyVocabulary.com. He is publisher of
Quintessential Careers Press,
including the Quintessential Careers electronic newsletter,
QuintZine. Dr. Hansen is also a
published author, with several books, chapters in books, and hundreds of articles. He's often
quoted in the media and conducts empowering workshops around the country. Finally, Dr. Hansen is
also an educator, having taught at the college level for more than 15 years. Visit his
personal Website or
reach him by email at randall(at)quintcareers.com.
Have you taken advantage of all of our Career Checklists for Job-Seekers?
And don't forget to review all the many articles and tools we have in our Resume and CV Resources for Job-Seekers.
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