Resume Writing Tips   Step One   Name and Contact Information Introduce yourself with the name you use in your personal and professional life. Full Name Home Address Home Phone Number Work Phone Number Email address   Step Two   Objective or Profile You should not overlook the importance of the objective part of the resume. The objective tells the potential employer that you are moving in a certain direction; it relates your work preference(s); and it is used as a center point from which to review and analyze your resume. Make sure the objective is brief, clear, and consistent with your accomplishments and skills as written in your resume. (If you have more than one professional goal, you should consider developing more than one resume with each presenting a different objective.) You can use a profile to serve as an alternative to an objective statement. You are able to present your strengths at the very beginning of the resume.   Step Three   Education Education is important to many hiring managers. List your most recent educational experience first. Include: Degree Earned (A.S., B.S., B.A, etc.) Major institution(s) attended Date of graduation (If not complete, indicate as “In Progress”) Minors or concentrations Any industry related certifications Any special workshops, seminars, related coursework or senior project   Step Four   Work Experience It is important that the employer be aware of your skills and on-the-job abilities. All significant work experience should appear in chronological order. Include: Name of organization The title of your position Location of work (city, state) Dates of employment, including month started and completed. This is the most important part of a resume, especially for technical candidates.  It is important to provide the reader with an overall description of the company, department or project that you were working on.  Proceed with an in-depth description of your responsibilities within the department or project.  Be sure to list, in detail, all of the specific technologies utilized and your accomplishments. Cite specifics, such as development language/s, number/type/O/S/version of servers installed/administered/maintained, number/size/type of databases installed/administered/maintained, monetary budgets, time periods/efficiency improved, which demonstrate progress or accomplishments due directly to your work. Do not be concerned with being too detailed or having a resume that is too long.  In all my recruiting days, only once have I had a client comment that a resume was too long.  After reading this section of the resume, the reader should have no doubts regarding your technical experience and ability. Draw focus to your achievements in describing work responsibilities by using action words to communicate your skills. Begin sentences with action verbs. Portray yourself as someone who is active, ambitious, and proactive. List the most important and related responsibilities first. Step Five   References   Usually, you should not list references on resumes unless space is available at the end. Note, however, that you should have a typed list of references available at the interview. Include the name, title, employer, address, business and home telephone number. State at the bottom of your resume: References: Furnished upon request.   Step Six   Review   Proofread, proofread and proofread. Be sure to catch all spelling errors, grammatical weaknesses, unusual punctuation, and inconsistent capitalizations. Proofread the resume over a two day period to allow a fresh eye to catch any hidden mistakes.   Have a trusted friend review your resume. Be sure to pick someone who is attentive to details, can effectively critique your writing, and will give an honest and objective opinion. Seriously consider their advice. Get a third and fourth opinion if you can.