Pharmaceutical Career Support

	How To Work Effectively With Executive Network Associates
	Interviewing
	Resumes
	Cover Letters

Resumes
Common Resume Mistakes
Resume Don’ts
Resume Do’s
How Long Should My Resume Be?
Tips On Keeping Your Resume Concise
Resume Template


Common Resume Mistakes

• Too Much Focus On Job Duties - Go beyond a boring list of your job
   responsibilities. Show how you made a difference in each position.

• A General Objective Statement - Most objective statements
   are overused and too general, wasting valuable space. Consider
   replacing the objective with a statement of what you do or your
   expertise.

• Too Short Or Too Long - There is no rule for correct resume length.
   When writing your resume, ask yourself if each statement will help
   you get an interview.

• Using “I” Or “Me” - Your resume should have no mention or “I” or
   “Me” and minimal use of articles. Instead of “I developed a new ...”,
   use “Developed a new...”.

• Including Irrelevant Information - Personal information such as
   date of birth, marital status, height and weight should not be
   included on the resume. Only include interests or hobbies if they
   relate to the job you’re seeking.

• Using A Functional Resume - Unless you have little or no work
   history or excessive job hopping, you should use the reverse
   chronological resume format. It should be laid out as follows:
     • Header (name, address, email address, phone numbeer).
     • A strong summary statement detailing the scope of your
        experience and areas of expertise.
     • Reverse chronological employment history emphasizing
        achievements in the past 10 years.
     • Education – New grads should put this at the top.

• Not Including A Strong Summary Statement - The summary
   should demonstrate your skill level and experience as they
   directly relate to the position you’re seeking. Look at job postings
   and determine what employers are looking for. Next, write a list
   of your skills, experience and education and include these points
   in your summary

• Typos! - Proofread, proofread again and then have several
   friends proofread your resume as well. Pay especially close
   attention to your contact information - phone numbers and
   email address.      back to top


Resume Don’ts

• Don’t print your resume on cheap copy paper. Instead, use a
   good quality stock.

• Don’t make the type size so small that your resume can’t be read
   just to fit it all on one page. If your career history is such that you
   can’t get it all on one page, then create a resume that shows the
   full range of your accomplishments, even if it takes two pages.

• Don’t fake dates, degrees or embellish titles. If a company
   conducts a background check, you’ll never get the job.

• Don’t simply copy the job description of your current position.
   You need to do more than list the job responsibilities. Instead,
   list specific accomplishments and achievements. Use numbers -
   percentages of increase, number of new accounts generated, etc.

• Don’t mail your resume to every job posting on Monster or to
   every ad in the Sunday paper. If you’re not even remotely
   qualified for the position, don’t apply!

• Don’t include your marital status, age, race, family situation
   or hobbies.       back to top


Resume Do’s

• If you’re going to use an objective statement, do make sure that
   it’s concise (ideally, one sentence) and written in plain English.

• It should be specific and customized for each resume that you
   send out. Be sure it describes what you can offer as well as what you want.

• Do use numbers to highlight and quantify your accomplishments.
   As you prepare to list your accomplishments on your resume,
   consider ways that saved, earned or managed money in your
   current or past positions. “Time is money”; also consider ways
   to show how you can manage, make or save time.

• Do mention how much or how many of something that
   you’ve overseen. The more that you focus on money, time,
   and amounts as they relate to your accomplishments, the
   better you’ll present your successes and highlight your value
   to a potential employer.

• Do email your resume vs. faxing it, whether to a recruiter or
   directly to the company. An emailed version is generally
   cleaner and easier to read.      back to top


How Long Should My Resume Be?

• Times have changed and a resume no longer has to be one
   page in length. There is no one rule that works for everyone.
   A resume should be long enough to entice a hiring manager to
   call you for an interview.

• When deciding on resume length, keep in mind that your
   resume is a marketing tool, not an autobiography. Keep it concise
   and focus on your key selling points. You don’t need a list
   of accomplishmenst and job responsibilities from a job you had
   early in your career or from a job unrelated to your current
   career goals.

• Use a 1 page resume if:
     • You have less than 10 years experience.
     • You’re changing careers and your experience
        has no relevance to your new goal.
     • You’ve had 1 or 2 positions with the same employer.

• Use a 2 page resume if:
     • You have 10 or more years experience that relates to
        your current career goal.
     • You need space to list and prove your technical skills and knowledge.

• Use a 3 page resume or longer if:
     • You’re a senior level manager or executive with a long
        record of accomplishments.
     • You’re in an academic, scientific or medical field
        and have an extensive list of publications, professional courses,
        speaking engagements, licenses or patents.
     • You can use addendum pages after page 2 or 3. Then you’ll
        be able to decide whether to send the full document or
         just the first few pages based on the requirements outlined
         in the job posting.       back to top

Tips On Keeping Your Resume Concise

• Avoid repeating information. If you’ve held similar positions
   with more than 1 employer focus on your accomplishments
   in each position instead of repeating job responsibilities.

• Minimize old experience. Companies are most interested in
   what you’ve done recently. Briefly state your early career
   experience without going into details. Simply state the
   company name, years of service and position(s) held.

• Don’t include irrelevant personal information, hobbies and
   outdated technical or business skills.

• Cut down on job duties. Instead, use a paragraph that briefly
   highlights your responsibilities and then use bullets to list
   your most important accomplishments

• Remove “References Available Upon Request”. This is an
   obvious statement so it doesn’t need to be included on your
   resume.

• Eliminate personal pronouns and minimize the use of articles.
      back to top


Resume Template
Click here to download a resume template to use as a starting point for your own resume, in Microsoft Word format.

(PC users: right click the link, and select" save as",
     then save on your computer)
(MAC users: hold "ctrl" while clicking the link, and
     select "download link to disk", then save on your computer)
           back to top

©2003 Executive Network Associates. All rights reserved.
Contact Executive Network Associates 860.409.7550