The Basic Resume Checklist

First and formost, you should be customizing each resume that you send out to meet the specific needs of the employer and position for which you are applying. Remember, resumes are used for three things: to get an interview, to introduce yourself, and to provide a documented, factual work history. You may not like it, but you've got to have one, and if you don't have a great resume, you will be lost in the quagmire of job search. In this section, we explore the many types and uses for resumes. With the help of ILostMyJob.com, you can have a resume that really stands out from the others.

Spelling Mistakes

• Don't use words with which you aren't familiar.
• Use a dictionary as you write.
• Perform a spell check on your finished resume.
• Carefully read every word in your resume. If you write "from" instead of "form," your spell check will be unable to detect your mistake.
• Have a friend or two proofread your resume for you.

Punctuation Mistakes

• Check for periods at the end of all full sentences.
• Be consistent in your use of punctuation.
• Always put periods and commas within quotation marks (i.e., Won awards including the "John H. Malcom Memorial Service Award.")
• Avoid using exclamation points.

Grammatical Mistakes

• Do not switch tenses within your resume. The duties you currently perform should be in present tense (i.e., write reports), but ones you may have performed at past jobs should be in past tense (i.e., wrote reports).
• Capitalize all proper nouns.
• When expressing numbers, write out all numbers between one and nine (i.e., one, five, seven), but use numerals for all numbers 10 and above (i.e., 10, 25, 108).
• If you begin a sentence with a numeral, spell out that numeral (i.e., Eleven service awards won while employed.).
• Make sure your date formats are consistent (i.e., 11/22/05 or November 22, 2008, or 11.22.08. Choose one and stick with it.).