5. Use strong, concrete verbs to describe your jobs, and don’t mix noun and verb phrases.

Let’s look at this example:
* Managed and controlled all aspects of company’s West Coast presence. [verb]
* Complete ownership of inventory and financial standards. [noun]
* Full P&L responsibilities. [noun]
* Analyzed market and forecast sales, prepared corporate budgets and monitored results to achieve ROI objectives. [verb]

Instead, be consistent with verbs:
* Supervised inventory and financial standards.
* Completely oversaw profit and loss aspects of operation.

Also avoid the weak verbs, “to be,” “to do,” and “to work.” Everyone works. Be more specific. “Collaborate(d)” is often a good substitute. Instead of: “Worked with Marketing Department to launch promotional campaign,” say “Collaborated with Marketing Department to launch promotional campaign.”

6. Focus on describing past job activities that highlight the skills you most like to use and want to use in your next job.

Don’t spend a lot of time, for example, describing all that clerical stuff you did in a past job if you have no intention of doing clerical work again. Even if you’ve mastered skills that are in great demand, don’t emphasize them if they’re not the skills you want to use in the future.

7. Don’t fret about the one-page resume rule.

Sure, it’s nice to keep your resume to one page if you can, but don’t go to extraordinary lengths, such as by using tiny type. If you have significant experience, you’ll probably need more than one page. What you should avoid is having one full page with just a little bit of text on your second page. If you fill a third or less of the second page, consider condensing to one page. Ways to condense:
* Narrow your margins. The margins in Microsoft Word are set very wide by default. You can have margins as narrow as .75” all around and still have a nice-looking document.
* Use a smaller point size, but not too small. A font size of 11-point is good; don’t go too much smaller than 10.5-point.
* Many jobseekers use a two-column format with headings in the left-hand column. To conserve space, narrow or even eliminate the left-hand column and simply stack your headings on top of each section.

8. Make sure your resume has a sharp focus.

Again, given the microscopic amount of time that employers spend screening resumes, you need a way to show the employer at a glance what you want to do and what you’re good at. One way to sharpen your focus is through an objective statement. Another way is to add a section called something like “Summary of Qualifications,” or “Profile.” To see an example of such a section, go to the sample resume.

9. Don’t list too much experience on your resume.

The rule of thumb for someone at the senior level is to list about 15 years worth of jobs. Age discrimination, unfortunately, is a reality, and even more likely, employers may think you’re too expensive if you list too much experience on your resume. Similarly, don’t give the date of your college graduation if it was more than about 10 years ago.

10. Be sure the reader will understand all the acronyms and jargon you use in your resume.

Resumes in the high-tech field are notorious for these mysterious terms. We recently received a resume containing the following acronyms and jargon: MCSE, MCP+I, TCP/IP, CCA, CCNA, token ring and PCMCIA network interface cards for LAN connectivity, NT Service Packs, Ethernet cards, Server 4.0, SQL 6.5, 7.0, Red Hat Linux 6.1, Turbo Linux 4.0 and Caldera 2.3, Cisco 2500 routers and switches. Now, chances are that employers in this jobseeker’s field understand all these terms. Just be sure that’s the case. Spell out any acronyms you think could be questionable, and explain any terms you think some readers of your resume might not understand.

College students, too, need to be aware of “inside” jargon. At Stetson University, my alma mater, for example, we have an annual charity fundraiser called “Greenfeather;” freshman-orientation leaders called “FOCUS” advisers; and a volunteer organization called “Into the Streets.” The school’s graduates routinely use those terms on their resumes without any explanation, as though everyone knows what Greenfeather, FOCUS, and Into the Streets mean. Look at your resume from an outsider’s perspective — and explain (or eliminate) any unfamiliar terms or acronyms.

Bonus tip: Be sure to list locations (city and state) for all your past employers. It’s resume protocol to do so, and employers expect to see that information. I’m constantly amazed at all the resumes I see that list names of past employers, but don’t tell where those employers are located.

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.

Copyright by Quintessential Careers. The original article can be found here. Reprinted with permission.