by Michael Skinner

Created on: February 04, 2010   Last Updated: August 10, 2010

What employers want to know is that they are not going to pay for your education.  You are going to hit the ground running from day one.  You are a self starter who is going to take the bull by the horns and make hamburger.

Oh by the way, watch the cliche's.

Employers want to now what you did, when you did it and what tools you used.  A machinist should be able to describe the milling machine he used in detail.  He should know the make and model.  A programmer should know the difference between Oracle and Sql Server and he should know what an ANSI standard is.

Avoid passing writing.  Never say a meat slicer machine was used.  Say you ran the slicer.  And cut that salami up but good!

Another thing that gets an employer's attention is lots of degrees and certificates.  You will get negative attention if you clutter up your resume with your underwater basket weaving certs but the fact that you are a certified marksman might well help when you go for that after-hours security job.

In some fields you can take more risks than others.  If you are going for a job in the graphic arts, a resume might be the place to show you know how to strut your stuff.  The same might go with desktop publishers and anyone going for a job where art or the printed words are the mainstays of the profession.

If you are going for a job as a banker, you should probably not go with that resume that shows a child's hand-print on the cover.  Let the person who wants to run a daycare try that with his resume.

Everyone wants to know if your coworkers hated your guts.  Prove you were not persona non grata by including references in your resume.  Make sure the references are relevant, appropriate and timely.  References from the dead are not helpful to your cause.  Nor are phone numbers and email addresses that don't work.  If all you can get is a tepid response from someone you asked to give a reference, skip them and find someone who was enthusiastic about your work.

If you have career goals that can be met by the company you are interviewing with then consider including them in your resume.  If you are undertaking studies that will be relevant, though this is more speculative, you might consider including them as well.   Don't make any bonehead mistakes with this maneuver.  Don't say you are taking typing courses when you are going for the job as administrative assistant.  These kinds of entries are best to fill out a resume that might otherwise be a slender reed to stake your job prospects on.  If you are just out of high school or just graduated from college, then pad your resume with such entries.

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