Just recently I’ve been creating a few tips of the day on Twitter and I thought it would be a good idea to amalgamate into 20 Quick ‘n Easy pieces of advice. I think you’ll find they are effective!

• When writing your resume if you are a “techie” talk to humans first, to business second. Don’t hide behind acronyms when communicating.
• Your resume should be about quantified achievements and value propositions. Use CAR (Challenge Action Result) examples to position yourself.
  
• Eliminate clichés: no “I have excellent interpersonal and communication skills and I am have good organizational skills”
  
• Word templates should be eliminated. If you can’t make a page look nice, hire a typist if you can’t afford a professional writer.
• Don’t live your live publicly on the web, unless you are happy for your current or next employer to see it. Bad judgment may negatively impact your career
• Create a profile at linked-in and nurture the contacts you make there.
• Do not make replying to advertisements on major job sites your only strategy.  Use other strategies to apply for a job.
  
• Eliminate stock standard clichés in your resume like “responsibilities included, duties included and responsible for”.
• Updating a resume before the dream job is advertised is much better than a massive panic after the advertisement is posted!
• Ensure your resume is targeted to the role you are seeking by showcasing relevant and transferable skills.
• Never start a cover letter with “To whom it may concern”. It sounds impersonal and out of place as a personal introduction.
• In the absence of having a real name for a cover letter, Dear Hiring Authority or Dear Human Resources Manager is ok. Never “To Whom it May Concern”
• Keep a career journal at work to jot down small victories and daily ‘atta boys’. They will be of great value when writing your resume.
• For graduates when writing your resume. Do what senior execs do: delegate and capitalize on the talents of others. Use a professional.
• Remember the reader doesn’t know you or your company. Stay away from non-standard acronyms in resumes.
• When looking for professional resume writers, it is important to choose a certified writer.
• Don’t use SMS/text speak in emails or communications with employers. Ampersands (&) look sloppy and lazy in documents!
• Check for spelling errors by searching your resume for frequent typos such as “Manger”. The spell check won’t pick it up!
• When reaching a recruiter’s voicemail, forget the “Call me back” message. Use 10-second introduction along with name and contact to sell yourself.
• Knowing what your references will say in advance will allow you to delete/add references before having to actually rely on them!

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