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Getting A Job in Washington - Ten Basic Resume Tips
- PURPOSE OF THE RESUME: The purpose of the resume is not to get you a job, but to get you an interview. The resume is the first stage of initial employer/employee contact.
- THE LENGTH OF THE RESUME: A resume (particularly in Washington, D.C.) should be no more than one page in length. If your resume is more than one page, SHRINK IT. A resume is not a comprehensive, detailed history of your life and career- that is a curriculum vitae typically used in academia, the legal profession and other fields. A resume should be a summary of your skills and experience. If necessary, limit job descriptions to one or two sentences, stressing your accomplishments. Your resume should be easy and quick to read.
- PAPER COLOR: White or ivory colored paper is recommended. It is important to avoid bright neon colors or any colors that appear loud and unprofessional. It is not the color of the resume that makes a candidate stand out, it is the clarity of his/her resume.
- PROOFREADING: It is important to have three different people proofread your resume for mistakes. The most common mistakes are spelling errors, inconsistency, and gaps in dates. Ask current or past employers, your colleagues, and your mother or father to critique it for the common errors.
- RESUME STYLE: In Washington, D.C., it is important to list your resume with experience first. This is the first item people will look for. Education and skills should follow. For recent college graduates, it is perfectly acceptable to list your education first since experience may be limited. Experience and skills should follow. It is also important to list internships. This will help recent graduates show some experience and familiarity with the public policy profession. Make sure your resume is written using one font of a reasonable size ( 8 point is too small, 14 point is too large), and does not mix several different typestyles or fonts. Again, the key is to keep it neat and simple.
- SHOW DATES AND LOCATIONS: It is important to list dates and locations for any held jobs, internships, etc. Make sure that dates showing large gaps or overlap are justified. Do not forget to note the dates of educational degrees, graduation, graduate studies, etc.
- AVOID LONG SENTENCES AND LARGE BLOCKS OF TYPE: At first glance, your resume will be briefly viewed. Make your resume easy to understand, avoid acronyms and lingo. You do not want someone to have to sit and think about what you are trying to convey. Don't list your college courses. Employers already have a good idea of what classes you probably took in college.
- TAILOR YOUR RESUME: It is fine to tailor your resume so that it emphasizes your skills concerning a particular job. For example, if your are seeking a political job, you should indicate all relevant political experience (College Republicans, College Democrats, or campaign experience, for example). If it is a research position, emphasize these experiences and so on.
- LOCAL ADDRESS: It is very important to have a local address for D.C.-area employers. If you do not have one, try to list a friend’s or relative’s address in the area who can easily relay a message in a timely fashion. This is a judgement call on your part. If an employer realized you're being less than honest about where you actually live, then that might be a factor in interviewing and hiring. Typically, employers are looking to fill a position within a month and need to start the interview process immediately. It is also important to list your e-mail address if you have one. The best advice is to move into the area as soon as possible to be available for interviews and networking.
- For an entry-level position, omit an “objective” to avoid limiting your employment opportunities.
- Unless you are right out of school, it is not customary to put your high school on your resume.
- Also, there is no need to put “References available upon request” on your resume. It is understood that you will furnish furnish references when asked.
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