Resume and CV Enhancement Checklist for Job-Seekers

Resume and CV Enhancement Checklist for Job-Seekers

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by Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., and Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.

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 -- and thus improve your job-search success.

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.
	I have compared my resume or CV with some of the samples found at Job-Hunting Samples and Examples.

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, PhD, QuintCareers.com Creative Director

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.

QuintCareers.com Founder Dr. Randall Hansen

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.

Maximize your career and job-search knowledge and skills! Take advantage of The Quintessential Careers Content Index, which enables site visitors to locate articles, tutorials, quizzes, and worksheets in 35 career, college, job-search topic areas.

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