Resume Checklist

Before you use this handout, use the Creating an Effective Resume handout.

I researched:

The job position.

The company.

Whether I need a resume or a C.V.

If I need to write a cover letter.

Resume samples in my field/industry.

Current resume trends.

I considered:

Which samples are appropriate for my industry and resume.

Which trends are appropriate to use in my own resume based on my

research.

The credibility, accuracy, and recency of my sources.

What my audience might value and expect.

Which content sections I want to include.

Which content sections will make my resume most effective.

Adding skills, memberships, honors and awards, and/or references.

How my overall organization strategy makes my resume effective for

the job position.

How to organize the information within each content section.

What a different organization could bring to my resume.

How my formatting and design fit with my industry.

How my formatting and design fit with the job position and company.

How my formatting and design emphasizes important information.

If my resume layout and design choices make it easy to locate

important information.

I included:

Experience tailored to fit with this specific job description.

Content that shows I researched the company.

Content related to the company goals.

Content that accurately reflects my skills and experience.

Skills that can apply beyond a job position to the current application
(i.e., transferable skills).

My contact information for this job position.

I was consistent with:

My formatting and design choices.

The way I describe my experiences.

Using the same verb tense.

My sentence structure.

I avoided:

Constantly repeating words in sentences.

Including content from high school (unless I am a freshman).

Overselling and underselling myself.

Including any unrelated, non-transferable information.

Using keywords that the company is not looking for.

Using a design strategy that is not appropriate for my field/industry.

I remembered to:

Make the resume short, clear, and direct.

Proofread my resume.

Ask someone else for their opinion on my resume.