Format, Content, and Order of Information
Pick out your two or three favorite sample resumes. Examine them from top to bottom. Here are some basic questions to consider:
What first impression does the resume generate? How is it formatted?
What appears first on the page?
How does the resume identify the candidate? Does it include a street address, an e-mail address, and a phone number?
Does the resume include a brief yet effective objective and a qualification summary?
Does the resume present educational information before or after a qualification summary? Before or after experience? How will you present this information?
How does the resume order information about the candidate's work history, qualifications, and objectives?
Does the resume use as few lines as possible, reserving most of the page for critical content?
Does the resume use columns, with dates on the left and descriptions on the right, or a block format?
Are headlines centered or left justified?
Does relevant information appear under clearly phrased and focused headlines?
You may have been told that it was bad to write in books, but in this book you should write your response to the sample resumes as you review them. Anyone's first response to a resume is often purely visual; therefore, as you read, note the ways in which you can give your resume a greater visual impact.
Look at the answers to these questions, and let them guide your resume writing. The resumes you selected jumped out at you for a reason, and you can use the aspects you like to form your own resume.
Formatting Basics
The font you choose is the key to a well-formatted resume. Fonts should be traditional, easy to read, and common. You don't want to create a beautiful resume in some obscure font that will be replaced on your reviewer's computer by an automatic bad font substitution (probably destroying all your careful line spacing and other formatting work as well).
Bookman Antiqua, 9-Point |
Palatino, 8-Point |
Bookman Antiqua, 10-Point |
Palatino, 9-Point |
Bookman Antiqua, 11-Point |
Palatino, 10-Point |
Century Schoolbook, 9-Point |
Times, 9-Point |
Century Schoolbook, 10-Point |
Times, 10-Point |
Century Schoolbook, 11-Point |
|
Times New Roman, 9-Point |
|
Garamond, 10-Point |
Times New Roman, 10-Point |
Garamond, 11-Point |
Times New Roman, 11-Point |
For headlines, increase the font size two points at a time until the headline is emphasized but not disproportionate. You can highlight important elements with CAPITALIZATION, boldface, and
Most current word-processing systems let you save documents directly as PDFs. Your software should explain how you can do this. The beauty of PDF's is that they allow you to use more creative formatting, such as graphics. Just keep in mind that a cluttered page will confuse your reader; use only those elements that help you present yourself effectively.
Consistency is the key to readability and effectiveness. Resumes are rarely read very thoroughly at all. Most employers say they review each resume for less than a minute before keeping it live or filing it. You want employers to be able to pick up important information just by scanning your page. Review the samples for illustrations of effective and not-so-effective highlighting techniques.
Identify Yourself
Maybe you don't need an eye-catching logo, but you do need to begin your resume consistently. Letterhead is the best and easiest way to do this. You can design your own very simply, using the features in any word-processing program. Letterhead features your name on the first line.
Letterhead includes your full mailing address, the telephone number(s) where you can be reached during business hours, and your e-mail address. By the way, lose any cutesy or gimmicky e-mail monikers like Partyallnight@ or Muscleman@; it's hard to take such names seriously. Set yourself up with a free address at a major search engine to keep your job search correspondence easier to track. This keeps it separate from your personal e-mail or your work e-mail.
Never use a current employer's e-mail address. You don't want your prospective employer to think (or know) you aren't giving 100 percent to your job while you're working. Also, take the time to review your voicemail messages on the phone numbers you include on your resume, both home and cell. While you're in the job market, refrain from music, clever hellos, or other weird greetings. Try not to think of this formality as stifling your personality, but rather as improving your chances for getting the interview.
The point is to make it as easy as possible for your reader to recognize you and to contact you with minimal effort. Use the same letterhead for all your job-related documents, including cover letters, thank-you notes, or submissions of reference information. This is also part of creating your personal brand, as defined in Chapter 1.
Summarize Yourself
Targeted resumes use qualification or achievement summaries to present objectives and goals. Summaries follow or even replace the statement of objectives, depending on what you learn in your self-assessment and goal research (steps four and five). Sometimes these sections come at the end, providing the resume with a solid bottom line. Chapter 4 details issues related to objectives, as well as qualification and achievement summaries.
Putting Your Experience in Order
The best resumes present the job seeker's most significant experiences first. Entries are grouped under headlines. They include undergraduate and graduate degrees, specialized training, and work history. Education can come at the top, as the first or second category, or last. Candidates with plenty of valuable on-the-job experience generally list that first, saving the bottom of the page for a summary of their education.
Most recent graduates put their education at the top of their resumes. Your academic achievements may be significant, but you should think about where and how you want them to appear. Don't list education first just because you think you should; you might make important work history, projects, and other achievements look less important by bumping them farther down the page.
Academic achievements and honors can be presented in a bulleted list. To figure out what belongs on this list, think about courses, papers, and projects with special relevance to this field. You might also have pertinent extracurricular or community experience. In general, these activities should follow your education and employment entries. Most good resumes do not have a personal interests section. Include yours only if you're sure it emphasizes your goals and qualifications in the field.
Finally, it is important to note that your resume does not need to end with “References available upon request.” That's a given.
