<p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Fear not! We’ve come up with the 20 basic rules that will get you that much closer to success.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><br></p><h2 style="text-rendering: optimizelegibility; margin: 40px 0px 20px; font-family: &quot;Barlow Semi Condensed&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 600; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 32px; line-height: 38px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">1. Keep it to One Page</h2><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">This is a biggie! If a hiring manager’s spending<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.themuse.com/advice/you-have-6-seconds-to-grab-a-recruiters-attentionheres-how-to-do-it" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(56, 82, 212); cursor: pointer; line-height: 1.2em; outline: none; text-decoration: underline; transition: background 0.2s ease-out 0s, color 0.1s ease-out 0s; border-radius: 0.25em; margin: auto -0.25em; padding: 0.25em;">six seconds</a><span>&nbsp;</span>looking at your resume, he or she might not even get to the second page! Unless you’re applying to be an executive or a partner somewhere, one page will be sufficient and is a widely accepted “best practice.” To cut it down, remember the purpose of it—it’s not to showcase everything you’ve ever done, but rather to show that you have the background, skills, and experience for the job at hand.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><br></p><h2 style="text-rendering: optimizelegibility; margin: 40px 0px 20px; font-family: &quot;Barlow Semi Condensed&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 600; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 32px; line-height: 38px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">2. Avoid Spelling or Grammar Errors</h2><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Another biggie. There are some recruiters who will discount your resume the second they see a spelling or grammar error. Although it can be painful, make sure you don’t just read over your resume several times, but also that you have a friend take a peek, too.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><br></p><h2 style="text-rendering: optimizelegibility; margin: 40px 0px 20px; font-family: &quot;Barlow Semi Condensed&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 600; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 32px; line-height: 38px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">3. Watch Your Tenses</h2><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">This is another common error that can really hurt you in the eyes of hiring managers. As a general rule, if something on your resume is in the past, use the past tense (managed, delivered, organized) and if you are still actively in the role, use the present tense (manage, deliver, organize).</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><br></p><h2 style="text-rendering: optimizelegibility; margin: 40px 0px 20px; font-family: &quot;Barlow Semi Condensed&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 600; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 32px; line-height: 38px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">4. Avoid the First Person Pronouns</h2><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">As a general practice, don’t use words like “I” or “me” or “my.” So, instead of saying “I hit and exceeded company sales quotas 100% of the time” say “Hit and exceeded sales quotas 100% of the time.”</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><br></p><h2 style="text-rendering: optimizelegibility; margin: 40px 0px 20px; font-family: &quot;Barlow Semi Condensed&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 600; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 32px; line-height: 38px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">5. Send Your Resume as a PDF</h2><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Saving your resume as a PDF (rather than a Word and document) freezes it as an image so that you can be sure hiring managers see the same formatting as you. If you send it any other way, there’s a chance that the styling, format, font, and so on, could look different on their computer than yours.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><br></p><h2 style="text-rendering: optimizelegibility; margin: 40px 0px 20px; font-family: &quot;Barlow Semi Condensed&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 600; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 32px; line-height: 38px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">6. Label Your Resume File Correctly</h2><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Too many people save this important document with random or generic file names like sgks123.pdf or resume.pdf. Remember that recruiters can see the name of the file that you send them and also remember that they get tons of resumes every day. Make it super clear whose resume they should click on by saving it under a logical name like FirstName_LastName_Resume.pdf.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><br></p><h2 style="text-rendering: optimizelegibility; margin: 40px 0px 20px; font-family: &quot;Barlow Semi Condensed&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 600; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 32px; line-height: 38px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">7. Format in a Logical Structure</h2><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Even more important than naming the file in a logical manner is laying out your resume in a logical manner. How you lay it out really depends on where you are in your career path and what you’re looking to do next. While chronological the default, it’s not always the best way to make your case. Muse writer Lily Zhang lays out<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-better-ways-to-organize-your-resume-depending-on-who-you-are-and-where-youre-going" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(56, 82, 212); cursor: pointer; line-height: 1.2em; outline: none; text-decoration: underline; transition: background 0.2s ease-out 0s, color 0.1s ease-out 0s; border-radius: 0.25em; margin: auto -0.25em; padding: 0.25em;">the other options</a><span>&nbsp;</span>that might work better for you.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><br></p><h2 style="text-rendering: optimizelegibility; margin: 40px 0px 20px; font-family: &quot;Barlow Semi Condensed&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 600; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 32px; line-height: 38px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">8. Make Sure It’s Easy to Read</h2><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">You might be tempted to just shrink the text to get your resume to fit on a page. (Which is funny, because remember all those times in school when you made it 12.5 to make it longer? Life!) While you can adjust the size to some degree, never go below 10-point font.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><br></p><h2 style="text-rendering: optimizelegibility; margin: 40px 0px 20px; font-family: &quot;Barlow Semi Condensed&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 600; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 32px; line-height: 38px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">9. Keep it Organized and Visually Appealing</h2><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Remember how hiring managers usually spend just six seconds looking at your resume? Help them maximize that time by making your resume super clear and easy-to-read. You want each section bolded (maybe capitalized) and each job title bolded. Make your life easier by<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-41-best-resume-templates-ever" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(56, 82, 212); cursor: pointer; line-height: 1.2em; outline: none; text-decoration: underline; transition: background 0.2s ease-out 0s, color 0.1s ease-out 0s; border-radius: 0.25em; margin: auto -0.25em; padding: 0.25em;">using a template</a>.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><br></p><h2 style="text-rendering: optimizelegibility; margin: 40px 0px 20px; font-family: &quot;Barlow Semi Condensed&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 600; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 32px; line-height: 38px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">10. Keep it Consistent</h2><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Just like you want your verb tenses to be consistent throughout, it’s also important that the formatting is, too. If one title’s bold, the other titles should be bold. If one bullet point has a period at the end, the other bullet points should have that as well.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><br></p><h2 style="text-rendering: optimizelegibility; margin: 40px 0px 20px; font-family: &quot;Barlow Semi Condensed&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 600; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 32px; line-height: 38px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">11. Include Context</h2><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">When you list out your experience, be sure to include context. What city, state (or country) did this job take place in. Did you travel and operate in multiple cities? What dates did you have that experience? Was it for five months or five years? Context matters!</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><br></p><h2 style="text-rendering: optimizelegibility; margin: 40px 0px 20px; font-family: &quot;Barlow Semi Condensed&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 600; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 32px; line-height: 38px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">12. Quantify as Much as Possible</h2><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Anyone can say that he or she excelled at his or her last job. So, you need to prove to the hiring manager that you truly did. Numbers, percentages, and supporting facts go a long way in showing that you have a track record of success. For example, rather than saying “successfully hit sales quotas” as a bullet point in your resume you should say “successfully hit sales quotas 100% of the time and exceeded goals by 25% in the last 5 months.” You can even<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-to-quantify-your-resume-bullets-when-you-dont-work-with-numbers" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(56, 82, 212); cursor: pointer; line-height: 1.2em; outline: none; text-decoration: underline; transition: background 0.2s ease-out 0s, color 0.1s ease-out 0s; border-radius: 0.25em; margin: auto -0.25em; padding: 0.25em;">do this</a><span>&nbsp;</span>if your position doesn’t involve using numbers.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><br></p><h2 style="text-rendering: optimizelegibility; margin: 40px 0px 20px; font-family: &quot;Barlow Semi Condensed&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 600; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 32px; line-height: 38px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">13. Name Drop (and Title Drop) Like You’ve Never Done Before</h2><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">This is your chance to brag. If you got a promotion or a raise because of your performance, you should mention it. If you worked with the CEO of the company or were a point of contact for a large, corporate customer, mention their names! This goes a long way in showing that you can run with important people. It shows that you’re confident. It shows that you’re capable. (Of course, make sure you’re presenting the facts accurately and not exaggerating.)</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><br></p><h2 style="text-rendering: optimizelegibility; margin: 40px 0px 20px; font-family: &quot;Barlow Semi Condensed&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 600; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 32px; line-height: 38px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">14. Don’t Include References</h2><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Don’t use any of your precious space to include the names and contact info for your references (or to write things like “references available upon request”). This document’s for recruiters to decide if they want to talk to you, not your references. If they get to the point in the application process where they want to speak to these people, they will reach out to you and ask for those names. Until then, no need to mention.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><br></p><h2 style="text-rendering: optimizelegibility; margin: 40px 0px 20px; font-family: &quot;Barlow Semi Condensed&quot;, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 600; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 32px; line-height: 38px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">15. Use Your Judgement When it Comes to Creativity</h2><p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Some industries are more creative than others. If you’re working in digital media or design or elementary school education, it might make sense for your resume to be creative and colored. If you’re applying for a job in finance, operations, or most corporate jobs, you probably want to keep it black and white and structured. Be thoughtful when it comes to your creativity (or lack thereof).</p>