Do’s and Don’ts for Job Seekers in the Nonprofit World – Your Resume
Resumes are scanned quickly by hiring teams, looking for EXACTLY what they specified in their job description. Make sure they can find what you offer them easily.
Do:
1. Review your resume every time you send it out. Read the job description for key skills. Are those listed in your resume?
2. Find a format that works for you. Formats change over your career. Don’t be afraid to change or have several different formats from chronological to skills based to a CV style.
3. Make sure it is accurate. If you haven’t graduated don’t write that you have a degree. If your degree is in Public Policy don’t write that it is in Public Affairs.
4. Make it readable. Not too crowded, readable font, and with readable margins. Organize your information so the hiring team can see what they are looking for. Most recent positions first in chronological order and above the fold helps a lot.
5. Make your accomplishments count. Be concrete, specific and when possible, quantify your accomplishments.
Don’t:
1. Have typos. Many hiring teams throw out applicants on the basis of bad spelling, spacing and grammatical errors. It is a sign that you didn’t take the time to check.
2. Be inaccurate. Some hiring teams research the accuracy of your boasts. Confirm that you did indeed graduate from a specific program with a specific name, for example.
3. Use jargon/abbreviations. You want the readers to understand what you are saying and they may not have the same frames of reference you have.
4. Put everything on it. Tell them about what’s important for the job, not your whole life story. Don’t include your GPA, graduation honors, etc. unless you know your field requires it. Don’t include graduation dates and experience more than 10 years old.
5. Assume you should have a photo.
