Marketwave

Like most companies, we have a process in place that involves sending our job description to local colleges for posting; reviewing cover letters and resumes from interested candidates; screening and narrowing down the pool through phone interviews; and bringing the top candidates in for in-person interviews before making our decision.The cover letters and resumes we received during our search for a summer intern have run the gamut – some are the preferred one page, while others are two or three – verging on short biographies.

But, what really stood out this time – and made it fairly easy to whittle down the candidate pool – were three things:

1. Typos
2. Inconsistent formatting
3. Grammatical errors

Here’s your checklist for a solid resume:

1. No typos – nothing can take you out of the running faster than typos. In the resume world, they’re simply unacceptable.
2. Check consistency – if you’re going to bold face your job titles, then bold face all of them; if you’re listing your experience starting with your most recent job, don’t intersperse the list – keep it in reverse chronological order.
3. Double-check your grammar – if you list bullet points for a past job, they should all be past tense – not just some of them.
4. Proofread – have someone else proofread the final version. After looking at a document 10 times, it’s easy to see things that aren’t really there.
5. Keep it professional – resist the urge to revert to “text message” type cover emails.

Has tweeting and 140 character-based communication slackened writing skills? If you’re a hiring manager or review resumes regularly, please share your thoughts with us. What has your experience been lately?