The following was compiled from information provided by the Unemployed Help Centre

• Design your resume to fit YOU. It's a personal portrait of your working personality
• Create a positve Impression. Highlight your qualifications, but save the details for the interview
• Be clear and concise. A dictionary or thesaurus can be helpful in selecting descriptive, business-like terms
• Describe your duties and responsibilities. Stress the positive. Don't just list your skills, illustrate how you used them. (reduced waste in department, increased sale 15%)
• Include only positive data about yourself. Any questions an employer my have can be answered in the interview
• Keep your resume up to date. Always re-type or print your resume, don't pencil in changes
• Keep your resume short, one or two pages
• Your resume should be typed and perfect. Watch for typing, spelling and grammatical errors. Make high quality copies
• Use Action Verbs to describe your duties. Saying "I was assigned to the invoicing department" tells the employer where you worked, but not what you did. "Processed the bulk of the companies invoices" is more descriptive
• List positive and pertinent information first. Seeing what skills you have that apply to the job you are applying for may keep the employer's interest better
• Tailor your resume for the job you are applying for. Stress skills and qualities most pertinent to this job
• Pay attention to appearance, layout and spacing. Aim for some white space and not large paragraphs
• Avoid gimmicks, cute sayings and outlandish formats
• Do not sign or date your resume
• Avoid using acronyms as the employer may not be familiar with them
• Hobbies and Interests are necessary only if they apply to the job
• Volunteer experience is an asset, but only if still active or with in the last three years
• Workplace training is helpful when indentifying qualifications and relevent skills
• Don't include your references with you resume. Say "Referenced available upon request. This gives a reason for the employer to contact you
• A resume is the first step. Never underestimate the importance of direct contact and following up
• Always accompany a mailed resume with a cover letter