Resume Tips: What Never to Put in Your Resume

Katie Yeakle, the executive director of American Writers & Artists, Inc. (AWAI), http://www.awaionline.com/bio/katie-yeakle/, announced today AWAI's top five resume-writing tips to help secure job interviews and obtain new clients quickly.

"As the competition for jobs rises in today's economy, it's essential to present a resume that gets noticed by targeted employers and potential clients," says Katie Yeakle.

With over 20 years of experience in the world of direct marketing and publishing, Katie Yeakle shares her top five tips for writing a winning resume:

1. Know your prospect.
Don't focus on a career objective or a formal experience summary. Instead tailor your resume to match the needs of the person reading it. Find out what his most pressing business problem is and offer to solve it. Katie Yeakle says, "Your resume should not be about 'you,' as strange as that sounds, but about how you're going to help the person reading it accomplish his goals."

2. Provide samples.
Include links to successful sales packages, articles, website copy, pro bono work, and more. Try to focus on samples pertinent to the potential employer's industry, and give specifics on how you have helped other business owners reach their goals.

3. Make it easy to contact you.
Place your name, address, and phone/fax/email numbers at the top of the page where it is easy to find.

4. Leave these items off your resume.
Avoid including salary expectations, personal data (social security number, age, sex, marital status, etc.), cutesy gimmicks, photos, and reasons for leaving your previous job.

5. Show your prospect exactly what you can do.
Offer to do a small, "get-to-know-you" project on a freelance basis. This is a great way to get your foot in the door and show what you have to offer without much of a risk to your potential employer. It's a win-win."

"Experience is not a must to land a job," says Katie Yeakle. "Write a resume that is eye-catching, easy-to-read, and effective in selling the benefits of hiring you, and you'll definitely increase your chances of landing a job interview."