| Your resume is the first impression many people | | | | this tactic and it doesn't accomplish the desired |
| will have of your skills and abilities; make that first | | | | purpose. In fact, using the smaller font may move |
| impression count. You must maximize the | | | | your resume more quickly to the reject pile |
| opportunity! | | | | because it is harder to read. |
| This article "7 Tips to Give Your Resume Reader | | | | 5. Keep the use of bold and italicized words to a |
| Appeal" discusses some of the most common | | | | minimum. Use them to highlight specific pieces |
| elements having to do with reader appeal. What | | | | such as companies worked for or job titles. |
| you must always keep foremost in your mind | | | | Bold and italicized words can be useful in |
| with your resume that it's not about you! Your | | | | separating sections of your resume, but don't |
| resume is about your reader and making their job | | | | overdo it. Over use is distracting and can end up |
| of selecting your resume for further consideration | | | | hiding what is important. I've seen people italicize |
| as easy as possible. | | | | entire sections of their resume and I ask to what |
| So here are the 7 Tips. Look for more of my | | | | purpose? Just because you can is not a reason. |
| articles on Resumes and Recruiter Appeal. | | | | Remember the resume is for the reader not you. |
| 1. Leave plenty of white space to make your | | | | 6. Correct any misspelled words, some people add |
| resume look better and for the reader to make | | | | the misspelled word to their dictionary convinced |
| notes. | | | | that they have spelled the words correctly; trust |
| First let's clarify what "white space" is. White | | | | the spell checker. |
| space is the area around your resume where | | | | Misspelled words are a regular occurrence on |
| there is no writing. It's simply open space. White | | | | resumes and they really tell a story about the |
| space makes your resume inviting and | | | | writer. In today's electronic world with spell |
| uncluttered. A resume without white space is | | | | checkers there is no reason for a misspelled |
| off-putting and looks tedious to the reader. White | | | | word. The funny thing is that some people are so |
| space serves a second purpose as well. Once a | | | | sure they have spelled the word correctly and |
| recruiter or hiring manager decides that they are | | | | that the spell checker is incorrect that they will |
| interested in your resume they like to make | | | | add the word to their local dictionary. Remember |
| notes. This is only logical when you consider the | | | | that the word local is part of this dictionary, when |
| volumes of resumes they receive. Notes will help | | | | the word gets to the reader's word processor |
| the reader remember what clicked with them | | | | the misspelled version will not exist and the word |
| about your resume and allow the reader to write | | | | will be identified as being misspelled. You need to |
| the questions to be asked in a follow up phone or | | | | trust the spell checker and not yourself. |
| face to face interview. Make the reader's job | | | | 7. Watch for fragmented sentences with your |
| easier by leaving space for those notes. | | | | bullets; a good rule is don't use periods at the end |
| 2. Use an easy to read font: i.e. Ariel, Calibri, | | | | of a bullet, and the word processor won't show a |
| Times Roman, Courier, etc. | | | | grammatical error. |
| Select an easy to read font and stick with it | | | | Because resumes are not personalized with |
| throughout your resume. Your intent is not to be | | | | pronouns or other identifiers your bullets may be |
| fancy or show that you know a variety of fonts | | | | recognized as a sentence fragment or incomplete |
| or are a master of the word processor you are | | | | thought by your word processor. If you are using |
| using; your purpose is to present your credentials | | | | Microsoft Word; the fragment will be underlined. A |
| to the reader. Some people use several different | | | | way to avoid this error is to eliminate the |
| fonts but to what purpose. The reality is that it | | | | punctuation at the end of the bullet. If you leave |
| sends the reader a message that you may be | | | | out the punctuation there is no problem. The rule |
| indecisive and are easily distracted. | | | | here is to be consistent. If one bullet does not |
| 3. Use bullets, not paragraphs, to emphasize the | | | | have punctuation, no bullets should have |
| point and stay focused. | | | | punctuation. |
| Your resume needs to be easy to read and it | | | | The appearance of your resume can make or |
| must be easy for the reader to pick out the | | | | break whether you are considered for the |
| relevant experience. Bullets make this process | | | | opportunity or not. One typical requirement for |
| much easier. Through the use of bullets you can | | | | most jobs is attention to detail. Breaking the rules |
| highlight the relevant parts of your experience. A | | | | above can be an indication that the writer is not |
| bullet ideally is one line but may be two lines of | | | | attentive to detail and can immediately rule them |
| information. Anything more makes it a paragraph | | | | out for consideration. |
| and you lose your focus. Bullets should not have | | | | For example if you are applying for an |
| multiple sentences or again you are back to a | | | | administrative position and your resume is filled |
| paragraph format. | | | | with spelling errors, misused words, grammatical |
| 4. Use a 10 or 12 pt font for your resume detail. | | | | errors, etc., you are eliminating yourself from |
| A 10 or 12 point font makes the resume easy to | | | | consideration. There are enough opportunities for |
| read. Again the idea is to make it as easy as | | | | a recruiter to eliminate potential candidates, don't |
| possible for the reader and that is your intent. | | | | make their job easier or do their job for them. |
| People use smaller fonts because they think it is a | | | | Until next time - Happy Job Hunting! |
| way to shorten the resume, recruiters recognize | | | | |