Resume Tips from Google, Microsoft and Goldman Sachs

#EndResumeFails

Resumes continue to be a big part of the job search and the hiring process. They are not going away! The HBCU Career Center shares resume tips because one of our goals is to end resume fails! We created and use the #EndResumeFails hashtag across our social media sites because we believe that too many resumes are tossed into the trash for formatting and content issues that could very easily be addressed.

Although these resume tips are from recruiters and HR professionals at Google, Microsoft and Goldman Sachs, they apply across all professions and would improve anyone's resume. Before you add your resume to our job board, go through this list and see if your resume meets these standards.

Resume Tips From Google

Hiring data from Google states that they get about two million applications each year. That would mean they know a thing or two about resumes. Here are resume tips from Google.

1. Use .pdf format to save and send documents.

2. Check for typos. Check for typos. Check for typos.

3. Bullets make information jump off the page. Use them.

4. Don't forget your contact information. They can't get back to you without it.

Quoting Laszlo Bock directly, resumes should describe activities this way:

"Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y], by doing [Z]. But just to make it easier to remember, let's shorten it to X-Y-Z." 

Resume Tips From Microsoft

1. Keep resumes simple.

2. Show your impact as you describe your duties.

3. Instead of an objective, tell them about you.

4. Use formatting that presents a clean and uncluttered look.

Chris Bell of Microsoft says, "I've seen some [skill paragraphs] that have taken up three to four lines of space."

Resume Tips From Goldman Sachs

When asked what applicants should include on their resumes when applying for jobs at Goldman Sachs, Edith Cooper, Head of Human Capital Management advised the following:

1. GPA is important.

2. GPA is not everything.

3. Avoid a 3-page resume.

4. Volunteer. Then include it.

5. Get involved with campus groups.

"Its not one thing versus another, it's the overall experiences of an individual," says Edith Cooper.