The Résumé Rider: Safety PreCheck

Today, motorcycles are so reliable that we can fall (no pun intended) into the habit of taking safety for granted and disregard the all-important pre-ride check. It’s very tempting to just want to get on and ride, assuming that everything is okay. But, you know what they say about the word “assume.” The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has developed a simple checklist, summarized with the acronym T-CLOCK that makes doing a pre-ride check an easy habit to adopt. Each letter represents a particular inspection focus:

T = Tires & Wheels
C = Controls
L = Lights & Electrics
O = Oil
C = Chassis
K = Kickstand

Doing a pre-test safety check on your résumé is equally important when applying for a job. If you’ve spent years building your career and hours putting on paper your experience, achievements and education, you don’t want your résumé to put you in the applicant boneyard. Here’s a safety check of what to inspect BEFORE submitting your résumé:

1. Check your grammar and spelling. Don’t rely on spellcheck.
2. Use the correct tense (past roles in past tense, current roles in present tense).
3. Clarity: clearly state what you do, what you have accomplished, and what your career story is.
4. Be consistent with font and type size. Calibri 11 with 12 for headlines is a good rule.
5. Avoid industry jargon and lofty language.
6. MS Word format is preferable over PDF which Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) dislikes and often rejects.
7. Prove your accomplishments with numbers and percentages.
8. Your resume file name should be Your Name Month Date
9. Make sure your resume is readable, leaving some white and blank space for ease of reading.
10. Fact check your content then PROOF READ, PROOF READ, PROOF READ.

Ride safe and WRITE SAFE!

Contact The Résumé Rider and schedule a FREE 15-minute call: