A resume is actually written to describe the essence of oneself. One piece of paper with an entire life's history written upon it. No wonder so many people freak out upon consideration of taking pen to paper. This doesn't have to be the case however, with careful consideration of relevant work history and accomplishments, the job seeker can actually better an employment situation. Of course this isn't always the case as many resumes end up in the round file for various reasons. Well then, what makes one resume stand out from the crowd? There are volumes of books written on that very subject, but rest assured that by following the simple steps outlined below, a well written resume will at least pass the first cut.

What not to include in a resume begins with the simple and most basic: no spelling errors or grammatical issues. Start with the built-in spell checker in the word processing program, but have at least 2 or 3 other people proof read it also to make sure there aren't any glaring errors present. This will prevent this paper from getting laughed at as well as exclusion from the round file. When selecting a font type, use Times New Roman or Arial with a size of 12. Anything else looks ridiculous to the trained personnel executive. Don't use slang of any type. If the person reading the document doesn't understand the language, rest assured, it won't make the next round. Finally, don't include experience or education which has not been rightfully gained. This will be found out sooner or later anyway, so don't waste everybody's time.

That's it for now, follow these steps to build a winning resume and get that phone to ring, ring, ring. Good luck and best wishes on getting that winning resume completed.