Start by making a list of all the jobs you had and the dates and Tailor your list to the position you’re applying for. Consider stating your objective and format your resume. Include an address, phone number and email address. Proofread, proofread and proofread again

1. Start by making a list of all the jobs you had and the dates. Don’t leave anything out. Include jobs, awards, educational degrees, skills, personal projects: anything that would be impressive and/or interesting to anyone (even if not impressive or interesting to everyone). Even after your resume is finished, maintain this list. That way, you don’t have to revisit those portions year after year. Organize your list by category.
2. Tailor your list to the position you’re applying for (this will require a bit of research). Trim out each item that is not directly relevant to the job and add on two or three sentences explaining the relevance of each item. Whenever possible, list your experience in terms of accomplishments and achievements rather than tasks and responsibilities. Show your success. You may end up with many different versions of your resume, each one emphasizing a different set of skills.
3. Consider stating your objective. Again, keep this short and to the point, a single sentence. Personalize it to the position. Make sure your objective doesn’t contradict the position you are applying for. Many employers will ignore an objective; so if it doesn’t add something to the resume, don’t include it.
4. It’s time to format. Mind the look and feel of your resume. It should have clean lines and be easy to read. Make it two pages max, and only one page if you’re just out of school – if you have more to share, save it for the interview. The font should be 10-13, no smaller, no bigger, but you should be able to read it well when you print it out. Black and white is best unless you’re emphasizing your artistic or publishing skills (and even then be careful and tasteful). Keep the format neat and organized.
5. Include an address, phone number and email address. But, do not include an email that shows you shouldn’t be taken seriously, such as beerandboys@email.com. Don’t use your current employer’s name, number or email, either. If necessary, get an extra email address with a professional name that you can use for job searches.
6. Proofread, proofread and proofread again. Have a friend or professional that you trust proofread. Have an enemy proofread. Have a stranger proofread. Then proof again! Take criticism well and remember that just because someone suggests something doesn’t mean you have to make the change. Don’t boast about written communication skills with a typo.
7. Toot your own horn, but be careful you don’t toot it too hard you don’t want to inflict disadvantageous damage. There is a fine line between fun and permanent damage Try not to cross that line for the love of god don’t cross IT!.
8. Follow directions. This is a huge indicator of responsibility to a hiring manager. If the ad says “no calls please,” then don’t call! If the job description asks you to provide your salary history, then you will probably want to include that information in your resume. However, this is not an absolute: it may limit your negotiating power to get the best possible salary.

Few More Tips:

• Jobs are listed in reverse chronological order, so the current (or most recent) job appears first.
• Achievements, awards, key responsibilities, and so on should be in bullet points. Company names, titles, dates, and headings should not be.
• Not quantifying accomplishments is one of the biggest, most common mistakes made on resumes. Many people also make the mistake of rehashing the job description rather than showing where they did something noteworthy.
• For more, my book, Get A Job! Your Guide to Making Successful Career Moves may be useful. The website is also designed to be like a cover letter and resume for the book itself applying for the “job” of helping you get a job. You can get ideas from the format of the book’s resume to incorporate in your own resume.
• Also search the internet for (your target job title) + “resume” – collect 20 or so resumes, and use the best of what you find in them to make yours stronger and more effective.
• And above all, never lie on your resume. If you get found out, which is easier than ever in this day and age, you could lose that dream job you’ve tried so hard to get.