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A strong resume can't land you the job by itself, but it can prevent you from even getting your foot in the door. Here are some tips for writing a professional resume:

First, keep it to a single page. Don't tack on additional pages, because whoever's at the other end of that job posting has a mound of information to sort through and a limited amount of time to do it. Keep it brief and concise.

Second, make it all look very neat on the page. Use a consistent font, no giant type sizes, white paper, black ink. Standard stuff. I know it's tempting to personalize with funky colors and crazy fonts, but resist. Let the words on the page get all the attention.

Next, there's the holy trinity of education/experience/skills. It's usually a good idea to list education first, but if you've had great experience or just completed a prestigious internship, you could lead off with that. Again, though, keep it concise.

I've told you what to include, and now I'll tell you what you don't need (unless it's specifically requested in the job posting). You don't need an objective. You're applying for the job, so they know why you're sending them your resume. Also, they probably read it in your cover letter. You also don't need to list references. If they're interested in you, they'll contact you for names and phone numbers.

And finally, the absolute, end-all, must-have item on your resume is....the truth. Don't lie. About anything. They'll catch you.

Happy Hunting.

Learn more about this author, Colby Cannon.
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