Resume Dos and Don'ts

Don't: Talk Yourself Up

It's not that you're not worthy of the credit, but allow your experience to speak for itself. Recently, Meg came across a résumé that was "over the top," she says, "an advertisement of himself more than what he had done for the companies."

While you should definitely note your achievements, awards you've received and milestones that set you apart, there's a difference between giving your track record and tooting your own horn. Leave the personal information out of it.

Also, keep in mind that every industry is a small one. You have no idea who a future employer may know from your old office, and you don't want to get caught fluffing up your actual responsibilities.

Do: Tailor Your Résumé to the Specific Job at Hand

Meg suggests having tailor-made versions of your résumé to fit different job positions. Essentially, tweak your past jobs to highlight the applicable experiences from each.

"I think a lot of people make a résumé and mass produce it to every job they see," Meg says. "But if your résumé doesn't have the right keywords, it's not going to get picked up."

Keywords can be especially useful on job boards, and by reading a job description, you should be able to figure out what those keywords are. Meg says employers often use the job boards before any other type of recruitment, and when this is the case, tailoring to a specific job will help your résumé float to the top in a search for qualified applicants.