Follow These Do’s and Don’ts to Help You Craft the Perfect Resume

Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Zety.com.

A top company seeks an employee. They’ve got a matching 401(k) plan, an espresso machine, ergonomic chairs, and work you feel passionate about. You’ve found your dream job.

So why are you angering the hiring manager instead of making them interested? I know. You didn’t mean to frustrate and annoy them. But you did. So what did you do wrong?

Resume writing is not as straightforward as you may think. There’s so much more to consider than just listing your academic and vocational history and checking for typos.

There are resume rules to follow and resume mistakes to avoid along with bad options and good alternatives.

There are resume do’s and don’ts, and we’ll walk through them together, from start to finish, until we get it sorted.

1. Start Your Resume the Right Way

There’s the right way, and then there’s the wrong way. Which side are you on? Follow these important tips to start your resume without error.

Don’t mass-spam your resume to every business in a 50-mile radius. That’s bad resume etiquette, and you’ll just get mass-rejected.

Do tailor your resume to the job description. Write a resume for this one job, as if no other jobs exist. Drop the company’s name, identify relevant resume keywords, and so on.

Don’t just start writing. You won’t create a winning resume like that.

Do use a resume outline so that you can plan which sections you’ll include and what goes where.

Don’t choose the reverse-chronological format when you should have chosen the combination format.

Do make sure that you choose the right resume format that fits your experience, education, and skills.

Don’t make it too long. And make that a one-page resume if you have little work experience or go for a two-page resume if you have a lot. That third page is one of the most common resume mistakes.

Do trim it down and make it focused. As Laszlo Bock, Google’s former SVP of People Operations, stated, “A crisp, focused resume demonstrates an ability to synthesize, prioritize, and convey the most important information about you.”

Don’t make your resume a nightmare to read by using weird fonts and headache-inducing colors. Don’t use cursive fonts, either, or anything too creative.

Do make your resume easy on the eyes. Use legible, appropriately-sized and styled fonts, a discernable margin on all four sides, clearly-defined subtitles, and high-contrast colors. Choose the best resume layout possible.

Don’t pack all the resume sections into an illegible mass of alphabet soup.

Do use simple subheadings to allow the hiring manager to easily skim to the section or sections that interest them. Make these subheading titles about 14- to 16-point font size, easily discerned from your smaller text.

Don’t skim through the job description in question or read it just once.

Do read the job description and then reread it. Make sure that you have considered every possible resume keyword and the perfect candidate the recruiter has in mind.

2. The Heading Statement

The heading statement — your resume summary or resume objective — is likely to have the most eye time since it’s at the top of the page.

Recruiters spend an average of just 7 seconds skimming resumes initially, according to our HR statistics report. So, that makes it super important to get a summary or objective right.

Don’t start off with a generalized summary, nor one that reads like an outlandish pipe dream.

Do curate a summary of yourself that makes you stand out as uniquely qualified to take on the job. Remember, this is your elevator pitch, so make it sound like one.

Don’t use first-person pronouns (e.g., “I,” “my”). This looks unengaging and unprofessional.

Do start each bullet point with power verbs and action words such as “spearheaded” or “analyzed.”

Don’t misuse the heading statement by choosing a resume summary when you should have included a resume objective, or vice versa.

Do read up on their differences, if you’re unclear.

Don’t use passive voice on resumes. It feels evasive and unclear: Menswear department was managed by me.

Do use active voice in resume writing. It is concise and to the point: Managed menswear department.

Don’t make it too long. Definitely don’t make your resume objective or summary more than four sentences in length.

Do make your resume summary or objective a few sentences that form one concise paragraph.

Don’t list the things that you are looking to receive if they hired you, such as, “Looking forward to advancing my career and gaining useful experience.”

Do make the resume about the employer. Explain and detail to them how hiring you will benefit the company.

3. Experience

This is the body of your resume, most of the time, and accounts for more than half of the real estate used on most resumes. You’ll want to do it right. Here are some helpful pointers.

Don’t dismay at not having the “right” experience. Everyone had no experience at one point in their lives, so keep that in mind.

Do get experience. Do some freelance gigs from Upwork, volunteer at some local organizations, or do an internship that will give you valuable skills.

Don’t add every single work position you’ve ever held or list experience that’s outdated or irrelevant.

Do curate the best, most relevant, past job positions that add benefit to your resume.

Don’t just list your responsibilities — the employer needs to know how well you performed them.

Do list quantifiable achievements on your resume, such as “increased productivity by 32%” or “reduced company waste by $13,000 in 2017.”

Don’t use sneaky workarounds to mention experience that should have been kept confidential. Bock, who we mentioned before, used to reject applicants with great tech experience who mentioned something like “consulted with a major software company in Redmond, Washington.” That kind of wording signaled to him that they had signed confidentiality agreements but were trying to name-drop anyway (Microsoft, in this case).

Do just skip it. If you signed a confidentiality agreement, you understand that you will not be able to name-drop in the future. The new employer wants a hire they can trust, and if you do this, why would they trust you to work for them?

Don’t use the same tired action verbs like “managed” or “led” to itemize your work experience.

Do implement and introduce the perfect power words to properly reflect your skilled job history.

Don’t list your promotions and multiple positions within the same company the wrong way.

Do know when the situation calls for stacking your titles in one listing or separating each position in its own entry. Use our helpful and handy questionnaire to make sure you get it right.

Don’t use the wrong verb tenses or go back and forth between tenses on your resume.

Do use the proper tense. If it was a past job that you no longer work at, use the past tense. If you’re listing a current position, use the present tense. And whatever you do, keep them consistent through each listing.

Don’t use over-the-top jargon, cliches, or meaningless buzzwords that are too domain-specific. A study from Princeton says you’re overcompensating.

Do use buzzwords when they are also resume keywords in the job description, or when they are popular enough to be used by most people in the given industry.

Don’t use these four titles: Founder, Entrepreneur, CEO, and Owner. As LinkedIn mentions, they raise flags. “Would she fit well here when she’s previously been the boss?”

Do avoid these unless you absolutely must, such as for a parallel position.

4. Education

You’ve got it, so you flaunt it, right? Well, it’s not as straightforward as that, mind you. The education section is often more important than most job seekers imagine. Here are some education section tips.

Don’t list a low GPA. This can hurt your chances rather than help.

Do skip adding your GPA if you feel that it is too low. Include it only if it is required by the employer.

Don’t only add one GPA when you list two items in your education section.

Do put either both GPAs or none of them, instead.

Don’t add your high school if you have a university degree.

Do add your high school if that is the highest education level that you’ve completed.

Don’t lie in your education section. A credit short of a diploma is not a diploma. Also, don’t round up your GPA.

Do state exactly what you have as far as your education. If you are truly embarrassed by something in your learning past, it is better to leave it off your resume entirely.

Don’t underestimate the importance of an education section, nor one that is properly placed.

Do make sure that your education section is either right before or immediately after your resume work experience section.

5. Skills

Your skills section sounds easy enough, right? Well, the fact that many people get this wrong suggests otherwise. From simple resume mistakes in listing your skills to the bigger ones that could cost you the interview, here are some things to keep in mind.

Don’t list every single thing that you know how to do. Restaurants don’t care about your nunchuck skills, and a flight attendant resume need not include your Adobe Photoshop skills.

Do look through the job listing to find skills that the hiring manager is looking for.

Don’t list skills that are a no-brainer. Everyone writes about their unparalleled proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, but do you really know each program within Office, and is it even relevant?

Do add less obvious skills. A good rule of thumb: If you’d feel proud to tell a hiring manager about the skill, add it.

Don’t brag. Avoid calling yourself the “best of” this or “exceptional” that. Recruiters, like many people, don’t like braggers.

Do let your experience and qualifications speak for themselves.

Don’t include resume keywords from the job listing word for word. This is too tailored to the job description, and will make it seem that you don’t really have the skills that you list.

Do make it sound like you actually read the job posting and took the time to consider it by using your own words except for key areas where it matters most.

Don’t guess what would make a great skills section.

Do read our guide to tell you exactly how to create the best skills section for your resume.

Don’t add skills which are obsolete. They’ll make you look obsolete.

Do add skills which are current, and the only exception should be if the job listing specifically requires knowledge of the ancient technology.

6. Extra Sections

Here are some do’s and don’ts for any extra sections on your resume.

Don’t forget to list your relevant certifications.

Do add a certification section if you have one which would help you land the job, such as a food safety certification for a chef resume.

Don’t add a references section.

Do save that valuable real estate on your resume for something more important, as the hiring manager knows that “references are available upon request.”

Don’t dismiss a hobbies and interests section for your resume. Don’t include hobbies and interests that are completely irrelevant, however.

Do consider if a hobbies and interests section would benefit your resume.

Don’t forget that your volunteer history may be a good source of work experience.

Do add your volunteer section as an extra, if you have it, and keep it separate from your work history.

Don’t miss out on any other important sections on your resume.

Do add other sections to your resume if you think they are relevant and if you believe that they will help you score a job interview.

7. Your Personal Details: Contact Info and Social Media

This part of your resume often gets overlooked, and because of that, people make many avoidable mistakes. Let’s take a look at some obvious issues and some that are less apparent.

Contact Info Do’s and Don’ts

Don’t use your middle school email address, such as [email protected]. Also, don’t use a provider that seems dated.

Do use a clean, professional email address with just your name from a current, respectable email provider.

Don’t misunderstand the difference between your mailing address and your home address.

Do add your mailing address (if you add an address at all) to be sure that you get any follow-up correspondence. Only add your home address if it’s the same as your mailing address, or in the case that the recruiter is looking for a local candidate.

Don’t add your home phone number or a second cell phone number, as this can increase your chances of missing a call.

Do use your cell number, as that’s likely to be by your side all day.

Don’t leave that old voicemail message that says, “Hi, sorry I can’t come to the phone right now, I’m either passed out drunk or partying. Leave your name and number.”

Do redo your voicemail to be professional. You don’t want to have a perfect resume only to blow it because you forgot to update your outgoing message.

Don’t include a photo of yourself.

Do include a profile photo if you are an actor or a professional model or looking for a similar position where your appearance should play a role in the hiring process.

Don’t tell them unnecessary details or add personal facts that could be discriminated against, such as your age, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, etc.

Do list just the basics, but consider others only if they are necessary, such as date of birth to serve alcohol.

Social Media Do’s and Don’ts

Don’t add every single handle of the social media sites you’re on. Also, don’t think that adding social media seems unprofessional.

Do add the basic accounts you have on social media, like Facebook, Twitter, and especially LinkedIn. Social media links on your resume are part of the modern job hunt.

Don’t leave your personal social media profiles unaudited. Whether you provide them with links to your Facebook and Instagram or not, they will probably try to look you up regardless.

Do clean up your online presence. Delete or mark super-private those posts that would cause anyone to have doubts about your professionalism.

Don’t forget the importance of your LinkedIn profile. Also, don’t have a LinkedIn profile that doesn’t resemble your resume.

Do optimize your LinkedIn profile page and heading summary statement to align with your current job search goals. Unsure how to do that? We’ve got a great post on that right here.

Don’t include links to your personal blog, at least until you’ve audited it for quality and potentially offensive material.

Do link to your personal blog or your website if you’re proud of your previous posts and if you think it can help build up your candidacy (like a professional portfolio). Also, consider making a professional website that will be your professional face online.

8. Finishing Touches and Sending It Off

You’re just about there. You’ve got a stellar resume and you’re almost ready to attach it and your cover letter to an email and send it off. Here are some finishing touches.

Don’t forget the applicant tracking system. An ATS, in simple terms, is software that a hiring manager may use to help sort through the hundreds of applications they receive for each job opening. If the ATS can’t read your resume, you might as well not have sent it.

Do optimize your resume for an ATS. Include a .DOC version, and include a PDF version only if you know that the text can be read by ATS.

Don’t think that sending your resume via email is like sending any other email.

Do personalize the email with the hiring manager’s name, the company, and tailor it in the same way that you would your resume and cover letter.

Don’t leave out the keyword “resume” in the subject line of the email.

Do check the job description once more to see if they ask applicants to send emails with something specific in the subject line of the email. If not, go with the position title, any reference number, if required, your name, and the word “resume.”

Don’t name your resume files improperly or haphazardly.

Do use a naming convention across all your attachments that includes your name, hyphens or underscores, the position you’re targeting, and the word resume or cover letter.

Don’t make typos. Also, check to make sure that your contact information is correct and that your facts are accurate.

Do double-check your resume before allowing it to be sent out. Better yet, get a second pair of eyes on it by letting a friend or family member read through it. Then, scan your resume and cover letter (and email) with a tool like Grammarly.

Don’t have the resume run over so that you have just a mostly-empty second page with just a few lines at the top.

Do trim the fat. Find a way to fit it all neatly onto one page, or add some more items to make the second page look less like a blank sheet of paper.

Don’t get lazy and send your email to the catch-all public email for the entire company, unless the job listing specifically asks you to do so.

Do find the email address of the hiring manager and send it to the right email address.

Don’t submit a resume as an online Office link or Google Doc and forget to grant the correct viewing permissions.

Do make sure that your resume link is public for those who have the link. Otherwise, just stick with uploading a .doc or .pdf to an email.

One final thing: don’t forget that you do need to include a cover letter along with your resume! Do employers read cover letters? Yes, some still expect it, and you should include one unless they specifically tell you not to.