Your Resume: Things To Avoid
- Personal information (marital status, religion, race, etc.).
- Letters of recommendation, unless directed otherwise. These typically come after an interview.
- References, unless directed otherwise. This practice is outdated. Have a list of references ready in case you’re asked for them after an interview.
- Salary Requirements. If salary requirements are necessary, employers will ask for them, and they will typically be part of the cover letter, not the resume. If included, be sure to indicate a salary range (e.g., $40,000 – $50,000), not a single salary.
- Negative details. These can work against you.
- Clichés. Try to avoid phrases like “team player” and “strong communication skills” as these are overused.
- When describing your experience, start each sentence with an action verb. Do not use “I” when describing your experience.
Your Resume: Key Points
- A resume is your way of highlighting your skills and accomplishments.
- Don’t include negative details; save these for the interview (only if asked!).
- Always send a resume if given the option.
- In a chronological resume, employment experience is given priority. List jobs starting with most recent.
- When formatting, remember: less is more!
- Be consistent with stylistic choices (bullets, font size, font type, etc.) and don’t overuse them (bold, underline, italics, etc.).
Sample Resume
First & Last Name
123 Main Street
Anywhere, NJ 11111
name@email.com
(555)-555-5555
SUMMARY
Seasoned inventory control manager with 3+ years of experience supporting store operations, managing employees, and improving store performance. Looking to contribute these strengths to the overall success of your organization.
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
Big Superstore, Anywhere, NJ, January 2017 – present
Inventory Control Manager
- Oversee daily tasks, including inventory management, monitoring orders, and developing reports.
- Coordinate with external inventory agency the semiannual storewide inventory for company stockholders.
- Enhanced inventory control practices by using forecasting techniques. Led to a decrease in overordering.
- Collaborate with other store managers to maintain consistent store merchandising and product availability.
KB Supermarket, Anywhere, NJ, March 2010 – January 2017
Shift Supervisor (June 2013 – January 2017)
- Supervised grocery department, 15+ employees. Trained new hires, delegated daily tasks, and performed quarterly employee evaluations.
- Oversaw ordering and fulfillment of 1,000+ products.
- Led merchandising programs to improve product visibility and increase sales.
- Increased annual department revenue by 30% between 2013 and 2017.
Clerk (March 2010 – June 2013)
- Promoted to shift supervisor. Recommended by department manager and store manager.
- Maintained fully stocked shelves to meet high customer demand.
- Demonstrated quality work both independently and as a part of a team.
EDUCATION
NJ State College, August 2014 – May 2018
BS in Business Administration, May 2018
CERTIFICATIONS
Retail Management Certificate, County College, May 2019
CPR Certification, Red Cross, July 2017
ADDITIONAL SKILLS
Skilled in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
Fluent in Spanish
