Resume Tips

The Do\'s and The Dont\'s
© More from this issue

          

Networking: Make the Most of Every Opportunity

Resume Tips - The Do’s and Don’ts

Dealing With The Media During The ‘Silly Season’

Avoiding Major Mistakes in the Interview Process

How to Handle Coaching Salary Negotiations

Should a Coach Employ an Agent?

A Little Psychology For A Winning Focus In Job Interviews

Resumes are a vital weapon for anyone in the hunt for a new job – including football coaches. But exactly what constitutes a good resume? And, perhaps more importantly, what constitutes a bad one? American Football Monthly sought the advice of Monster.com, the leading global online careers site, to bring you the do’s and don’ts of resumes:

Resume “Do’s”
• Customize your resume and tailor it to your industry.
- Accurately portray your line of work and choose language
specific to your field.

• Be clear and concise.
- Keep your resume to one or two pages.
- Try to showcase everything in a positive light.
- Present your information and experience in an organized way.

• Use verb phrases whenever possible.
- Action verbs help enhance descriptions of work experiences.
- Keep verb endings similar and in the correct tense.
- Do not use pronouns – keep the resume impersonal.

• Always check for spelling or grammar errors.
- Do not give a potential employer a reason to discard your resume.

• Be clear and direct about the type of position you are seeking.

• Find out which skills the employer is seeking and highlight your
compatibility.
- Remember, the resume is your first opportunity to showcase
why you are the perfect person for that job.

• Attach dates to your past experience

Resume “Don’ts”
• Don’t lie
- Don’t try to stretch dates, titles, or education to hide any facts.
- Don’t risk your integrity by exaggerating or falsifying information.

• Don’t make the resume illegible
- If your career warrants a two-page resume, create a resume that truly reflectsthe full range of your experience and accomplishments.
- Don’t reduce the font size so much that it becomes difficult to read.

• Don’t write a generic job description
- To show that you are more qualified than the competition, do more than justlist your job responsibilities. Present specific accomplishments and achievements:awards won, etc.

• Don’t make excuses
- It is not necessary to include the reasons you are no longer working at eachjob listed.
- Don’t offer explanations for changing past jobs.
- Don’t present negative information.

• Don’t list every job you have ever held
- Focus on your most recent and most relevant career experience. - It is notimportant to list each and every job you’ve ever had.

• Don’t include personal information
- Employers do not need to know your marital status, age,
race, family or hobbies.
- Don’t offer personal information that is unrelated to job
performance, such as height, weight, sex or date of birth.

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