This article is part of WOSU's, public media in Columbus, Ohio, American Graduate: Getting To Work initiative.

By Marti Smith, Goodwill Columbus

Marti Smith is a Career Consultant with Goodwill Columbus. She’s also the organization’s in-house resume expert. We asked her for the top tips to writing a successful resume.

To learn more about Goodwill Columbus’s programs, listen to Rivet, Episode 5: The Certificate.

1. STRATEGY

• Key information should be seen first
• Industry specific skills tend to carry more weight than soft skills, but both can be effective
• Explain three or more of your key attributes that relate directly to the job description in your Summary of Skills or Accomplishments
• Choose a format: chronological, functional, or combination
• Those with five years of experience rarely require more than one page for a resume

2. MECHANICS

• Double check your punctuation, capitalization
• Proofread, proofread, proofread!
• Check for consistency in line spacing – perfect formatting show the reader you’re detail oriented

3. STYLE

• Trust your instincts and don’t be afraid to be creative in ways that you can to inject power and sizzle into your writing
• Don’t be redundant and repeat things in both you resume and cover letter
• Clearly communicate what you’re trying to say to the reader – the message is what is important!

4. ORGANIZATION AND PRESENTATION

• Again, be consistent with your formatting – inconsistency confuses the reader
• If you’re printing this resume, don’t skimp and use cheap paper – be sure your characters, lines and images contrast well with the paper

IN CONCLUSION

• Check to make sure your ideas flow in a logical order
• See if your word choice communicates your marketability
• While proofreading, make sure that your resume is:
  • Inviting, attractive, appealing, and professional
  • Making smart use of white space
  • Consistently formatted
  • Using language that matches the job description
  • Grammatically sound
  • Prioritizing top skills
  • Presenting your key information in an accessible way

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Rivet is a project developed with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and is part of the national initiative American Graduate: Getting to work. To listen to their podcast series dedicated to alternative career pathways, visit the Rivet website.