Printing:
Ensure that you are presenting a high quality resume. No smudges, marks, stains or anything that will take away from the visual appeal of your resume. If you are faxing or emailing your resume it is out of your control; however, if you are delivering a resume ensure that you print it on quality paper in easy to read fonts.
Length:
A good rule of thumb is to have a one-page resume. Some things will have to be excluded but it will help you to prioritize the relevant points of your resume. If you are a senior employee with a lot of experience you may need to go to a second page but for most people starting their working life or even those half way through, one page should be all it takes.
Sum up what you are trying to say. Present the high level points of each statement and deliver them in the most appealing way possible. Statements like "doubled profitability" or "reduced customer complaints by 50%" are high impact and are sure to get the employers attention.
Order:
Most employers value experience over education and this is usually what they want to see first. You should consider this when formatting your resume. If you have an outstanding education, like an MBA from Yale then it may set you apart. For the most part your experience is going to be the selling point.
Resume Dos:
- Include name, address, phone number, email.
- Spell out abbreviations
- Spell out numbers (under 10)
- Put your name in bold
- Supply a phone number that you can be reached at all times, ensure you have an answering machine or voicemail
- Provide email if possible
- Highlight strengths
- Downplay weaknesses
- Spell check
- Grammar Check
- Constant verb tense (First person - I, or third person - He/She)
Resume Don'ts:
- Use the word resume
- Political or religious information
- Fluffy rambling "objective" statements
- Salary information
- Full addresses of former employers
- Reasons for leaving jobs
- Include personal information, hobbies etc.
- Name names
- Misspell words
- Poor Grammar
- Mix verb tense
|
