Resume guide - Page 2/2
By: Kristi Hagenbach

Presentation

The presentation of your resume is important because it reveals your sense of individuality, your level of maturity and professionalism, and your creativity. Please remember, however, that this is merely and introduction to yourself, it is not a full-length movie version of you. Remember, also, that the name of the game in resume-writing is readability--it needs to be clear and straightforward.

Paper – standard letter size, white, or ivory rag paper is preferred

Font – professional, easy to read, black font (i.e. 10 pt. Arial or Times New Roman)

Appearance – use short sentences or bulleted statements under logical and obvious

headings and subheadings. Do not use full paragraphs; make it easy for the reader to scan for key issues, abilities, etc.

Length – This is a controversial issue; although some hiring managers prefer a single-

page resume because it is convenient and takes less time to read, most people agree that executives no longer expect a one-page resume from applicants (especially if an applicant has decades of experience). The key to this "length issue" is to remember that, no matter what length your resumes ends up, you need to keep it as concise as you can. Brevity shows that you are a clear thinker, succinct with words, and you know how to determine what is and is not important. Get to the "meat" of the matter and cut out superfluous, redundant, and excessive details. Another tip is this: do not tinker with font sizes and margins in order to make your resume appear either smaller or "more important." A good resume communicates quickly, clearly, and with personality.

Content

The desired resume is conservative in style with a focus on key achievements – it is not your life story. Don’t try to tell everything about yourself—save information for the interview. And make sure that you are always TRUTHFUL! In addition, although it will take extra time and effort, it is a wise idea to customize your resume according to each job for which you are applying.

What should I include?

Overview/summary of experience at top

Experience/"Professional Experience"

    • display how previous job tasks relate to the position for which you are applying
    • do not use exact dates—months and years are adequate
    • more experience does not mean more words—it means more powerful words describing higher level positions
    • if you have several seemingly unrelated jobs, do not feel obligated to list them all; focus on a few key jobs that are most linked to the position for which you are applying

Education

    • do not list high school or grammar school education if you are a college graduate

Technical abilities

    • display your functional/technical abilities
    • use up-to-date buzz words for technical positions

Addendum is an option

    • if you have created several urls or websites, for example, list them here
    • list awards you have received, etc. here

What should I NOT include?

    • objective
    • hobbies/interests (unless requested or directly related to the position)
    • "references available upon request" (this is assumed)
    • salary information (unless they specifically ask you to provide this information… in which case you should put salary information in your cover letter)
    • reasons for termination or leaving a job
    • phone number/email of your present job if you employer is unaware of your intent to leave
    • personal information (philosophy, age, social security number, spouse’s occupation, etc.)

Writing Style

Professional language, not "intelligent sounding mumbo jumbo"

    • do not use lofty language, long sentences, big words, or puns
    • use one- or two-syllable words rather than multi-syllable words; they are more clear
    • use the buzzwords, but don’t overuse professional jargon
    • do not use action words (i.e. sparkled, streamlined… these words are outdated)

Proofread

    • read it over—do not just rely on your computer’s spell check
    • have others proofread for you

E-Resume

Plain text or ASCII format

    • 10 pt. Courier
    • line length no more than 80 characters (some resume assistants suggest no more than 65 characters)
    • if your hardcopy resume includes columns, bullets, or graphics, bear in mind that these things can get warped; contemplate using a simpler format for your email version
      • use dashes (-), asteriks (*), and arrows (>) and limit use of bold and italics

Keywords

    • use words they will search for in a word search—words from an ad or from job description itself

When emailing a resume, remember:

    • include a cover letter and state where you found the ad
    • use job title and/or job reference number as subject of message
    • follow up with e-mail or phone call a week or so after you submit it
    • no attachments!!! (with so many viruses on the web, a lot of companies stop attachments at the firewall)
      • if a company does request your resume in attached form, be sure to send both the cover letter and resume in one file

Helpful Links: