Adecco's Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Resume.

Business Editors

MELVILLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 10, 2003

Adecco (NYSE:ADO), the world's largest staffing and human resource solutions company, knows that landing a job these days can be a challenge.

So in keeping with the season, Adecco suggests you dust off your old resume and use these helpful tips for giving it a thorough spring cleaning.

Be Careful Not to Miss a Spot

Spelling and grammatical errors stain an otherwise well-organized resume. In comparing two candidates with the same skills side by side, most employers will be inclined to interview the candidate whose resume does not have any of these easily prevented gaffes. Misspellings and improper phrasing give the impression that you are lax on detail, so after you run a spell check, have a friend give your resume the white-glove treatment to make sure you haven't "missed a spot."

Give Your Resume a Fresh Coat of Paint

This is especially important for graduating seniors who don't have a rich work history yet. In addition to listing your job duties, your resume should include a summary of your accomplishments. For instance, managing a local retail store is great, but managing a local retail store that surpassed monthly sales goals is even better! Don't forget that your activities in college clubs and other organizations count as experience, too. Adding to a club's coffers with an effective membership drive show your initiative and organizational skills. The point is to demonstrate your past successes.

Don't Be a Pack Rat with Words

Toss out those extra words cluttering up your resume. Wherever possible, avoid using complete sentences. Bulleted phrases often impart a greater impact and make your resume easier to read. For a hiring manager who receives hundreds of resumes each day, resumes that are clear and brief can make all the difference.

Don't Dress Up a Mess

Relying on glitzy formatting to get your resume noticed is like putting new drapes on a dirty window. While creative formatting may work for some positions such as marketing or advertising, most resumes should rely more on substance than style. Besides, too many headlines or italicized statements can be confusing, so capitalize or bold only your most critical information. Also, think about organization. List your work history chronologically, starting with your most recent position, unless your last job wasn't related to your career goals. In that case, lead with the most relevant positions under a section titled "Professional Experience" and group the rest under "Other Experience."

Use the Right Product for the Job

You wouldn't use glass cleaner on your wood furniture, would you? The same idea applies when applying for positions in a variety of industries. Tailoring a resume to specific industries or jobs is always a good idea, as you may wish to highlight different skill sets and work experience. If you have time, consider creating a new resume for each position.

Don't Sweep Gaps Under the Rug

If your work history contains gaps in employment, don't simply sweep them under the rug and off your resume in the hope that no one will notice. If you took a break from the workforce, offer a brief explanation in your cover letter or in a short section your resume. If you took a class or got extra training during this time, make a point of saying so--but never lie, about this or anything else on your resume. Minding the "gap" issue will prevent potential awkwardness should an employer inspect underneath that rug!

Find an Expert to Help You

Finally, if you need further assistance, visit www.usadecco.com, where you will find a profile template that will help you create a well-structured resume. You can also search the site for thousands of job listings available across the nation. If you need help finding the perfect temporary or full-time position, the recruiters at your local Adecco office will be happy to meet with you.

About Adecco

Adecco SA is a Forbes International 500 company and the global leader in HR Solutions. The Adecco network connects more than 650,000 associates with business clients each day through its network of over 29,000 employees and over 5,800 offices in 63 countries. Registered in Switzerland, and managed by a multinational team with expertise in markets spanning the globe, Adecco delivers an unparalleled range of flexible staffing and career resources to corporate clients and qualified associates.

The Adecco Group comprises five divisions: Staffing Services (Adecco), Professional Staffing and Services (Ajilon), Career Services (Lee Hecht Harrison), e-HR Services (jobpilot), and HR Support Services (Paywise). In Adecco Staffing, the Adecco staffing network focuses on flexible staffing solutions for global industries in transition, including automotive, banking, electronics, logistics and telecommunications; Ajilon Professional offers an unrivalled range of specialized branded businesses; LHH Career Services encompasses our portfolio of outplacement and coaching; jobpilot e-HR Services focuses on online recruiting activities for the Adecco Group; Paywise HR Support Services provides integrated outsourced business services.

Adecco USA serves more than 70,000 clients a year through a nationwide network of almost 1,500 points of sales and service. With headquarters in Melville, NY, Adecco USA employs about 3,400 full-time employees and places more than 120,000 temporary associates each week.

Adecco SA is listed on the Swiss Exchange (ADEN / trading on Virt-x: 1213860), NYSE (ADO), Euronext Premier Marche (12819). Further information can be found at www.adecco.com.