Some people write a resume as if the purpose of the document was to land a job. As a result they end up with a really long and boring piece that makes them look like anxious job hunters. The objective of your resume is to land an interview, and the interview will land you the job (hopefully!).
Like it or not, employers will usually make a assessment about your resume in 5 seconds. Under this time frame the most important aspect will be the title that you listed on the resume, so make sure they grab the attention. Try to be as descriptive as possible, giving the employer a good idea about the nature of your past work experiences.
For example:
Bad title: Accounting
Good title: Management of A/R and A/P and Recordkeeping
Font: Use an easy-to-read font such as Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, Cambria, or Garamond.
Size: Stay between 10 pt. and 12 pt. Your name can be larger than 12 pt.
Margins: Ideal margins are .75" all around, and no smaller than 0.5".
Hiring managers, especially in technical fields like engineering, seek candidates that can help them solve a problem or satisfy a need within their company. Consequently, you can't be a solution to their problems without stating how you solved similar problems in other companies and situations.
Focus on what you did in the job, NOT what your job was there's a difference
Include a one or two top line job description first, then list your accomplishments
For each point ask yourself, What was the benefit of having done what I did?
Accomplishments should be unique to you and mostly about you
Avoid using the generic descriptions of the jobs you originally applied for or held
This point is valid both to the overall order of your resume, as well as to the individual sections. Most of the times your previous work experience will be the most important part of the resume, so put it at the top. When describing your experiences or skills, list the most important ones first.
Resumes that include a long list of "responsibilities included..." are plain boring, and not efficient in selling yourself. Instead of listing responsibilities, therefore, describe your professional achievements to attract the employer and be apart from others.
Irrelevant information such as political affiliation, religion and sexual preference will not help you. In fact it might even hurt your chances of landing an interview. Skip it.
It is a good idea to update your resume on a regular basis. Add all the new information that you think is relevant, as well as courses, training programs and other academic qualifications that you might receive along the way. This is the best way to keep track of everything and to make sure that you will not end up sending an outdated document to the employer.
Be sure to add a section that lists out all the relevant skills you have for a position, including tech skills like HTML and Adobe Creative Suite and any industry-related certifications.
It would be difficult to emphasize the importance of proofreading your resume. One small typo and your chances of getting hired could slip. Proofreading it once is not enough, so do it twice, three times or as many as necessary.
