A resume is an advertising tool. It communicates your skills, major strengths and future potential, and it lets an employer see your value to their organization. A resume’s purpose is to get you to the next stage – the interview. In order to do this, the resume must grab the reader’s attention with strong selling points.
Warning
? Don’t include accomplishments from high school. Unless the experience is extremely relevant to the position for which you are applying, it is inappropriate to include it. Employers are interested in what you have done recently.
? Don’t use a font that is difficult to read. Arial is a good choice.
? Make sure you proof-read your résumé. Incorrect grammar and spelling make a bad impression on potential employers.
Visuals
Most employers spend less than one minute scanning a résumé in order to determine whether it’s worth a second look.
Design your résumé so it says the most about you in the fewest words. Reflect your uniqueness and emphasize your assets. One page is strongly recommended, but some people require two if they have gained a great deal of relevant experience.
Use white space, bold type, bullets and italics to draw the reader’s eye down the page, and make it visually attractive.
? Use Bullet points
? Use action verbs
? Be consistent in tense
? Avoid long paragraphs
Be consistent with your format – margins, font, italicizing and capitalizing.
Limit your résumé to one page. except for in
extreme circumstances, when your relevant
experience might necessitate a second page.