| Although many resumes are now sent digitally, | | | | presentations, performances, etc. need to be |
| paper resumes are still essential for distributing at | | | | cited. Use consistent, tabs, indentations, and line |
| job fairs, circulating throughout your network, and | | | | spacing to create white space. Two attractive |
| bringing to job interviews. Like the digital version | | | | pages with white space are preferable to a |
| the paper resume must convey that you are the | | | | difficult-to-read one page resume. On a two page |
| best candidate for the job, but it also needs to be | | | | resume,the most important information: |
| visually appealing. A well designed resume is more | | | | Summary, Skills, Experience/Accomplishments |
| likely to be read and passed on to decision | | | | should be on page one. |
| makers. | | | | 6. Format - Organizes and Emphasizes Information |
| 1. Attractiveness - The Paper | | | | There are four basic resume formats: Reverse |
| Most employers like conventional looks and styles. | | | | Chronological Format, Functional Format, Hybrid |
| Paper should be white, off-white, eggshell or a | | | | Format, and Curriculum Vitae (CV). There are |
| very pale shade of gray. When hand delivering | | | | many books, e-books, on-line sites, and templates |
| resumes for professional, managerial, or executive | | | | to help you prepare your resume in any of these |
| positions, the resume should be printed on a high | | | | formats. |
| quality paper that contains a rag content of 25 % | | | | The format you choose should catch the reader's |
| and has a watermark (a faint image ingrained in | | | | eye and maximize your qualifications. |
| the paper). For lower level positions, any decent | | | | 7. Groupings - Threes and Fives, Twos and Fours |
| paper will do, but the heavier 24 pound paper | | | | Certain groupings are more attractive than others. |
| makes a better impression than the thinner 20 | | | | Copywriters almost always group their text or |
| pound paper. Themed paper (musical notes, small | | | | bullets in groups of three. It is brief and powerful. |
| illustrations) is a good option only for those in | | | | People will read three lines of print or three |
| creative fields. | | | | statements. Five short statements are also |
| 2. Attractiveness - The Print | | | | attractive. Three or five skill groups, |
| Ideally your resume should be laser printed, and it | | | | accomplishments, or sentences make an |
| goes almost without saying that it will be done on | | | | eye-catching arrangement. An arrangement of |
| a computer. If you are an older job seeker, do | | | | two and two can also be an eye catcher. There is |
| not emphasize it with a typewritten resume. | | | | no hard and fast rule for groupings, but do group |
| On your resume use no more than two | | | | accomplishments, skills, etc., so they are pleasing |
| typefaces. The best typefaces to use are: Times | | | | to the eye and catch the reader's attention. |
| New Roman, Arial, Verdana, or Helvetica. Using | | | | 8. Words to Avoid - Some Words Are Lethal and |
| Helvetica for Headings and Times New Roman for | | | | Some Words Waste Space |
| text and lesser headings is an attractive | | | | Do not reveal that you have been fired and do |
| combination. Boldfacing headings is also an | | | | not state your past salaries. Avoid mentioning |
| excellent way to give them prominence especially | | | | salary in your cover letter as well. If they ask, tell |
| if you are using one typeface. | | | | them it is negotiable. |
| Font refers to the size of the typeface. Text | | | | Do not put your Social Security Number on your |
| should be in 10 -12 point font; headings in 14 or 16 | | | | resume; it's too dangerous in this age of identity |
| point. | | | | theft. |
| 3. Consistency - Decide on a Style and Stick to It | | | | It is assumed that your references are available. |
| Font: Be consistent in your use of typeface, font | | | | Save the space for more valuable information. |
| size, bold, capitalization, and italics. Pick a style for | | | | Omit the phrase, responsibilities included. Hiring |
| major headings, minor headings, text, and dates, | | | | managers are looking for accomplishments. Job |
| and stick to it. | | | | descriptions may tell what you did but they don't |
| Line Spacing, Tabs, and Indentations: Again be | | | | sell you. |
| consistent and use these to give your resume | | | | The articles, the, a, and an waste space, crowd |
| some white space. | | | | sentences, and do not clarify meaning. Eliminate |
| Bullets: Using one style of bullet throughout the | | | | them as much as possible. |
| resume looks best, but in some resumes bullets | | | | 9. Read It Aloud - Double Check Your |
| and check marks work well together. | | | | Communication Skills |
| 4. Open Spaces - Graphic Attention Grabber | | | | Read your resume out loud to see how it sounds. |
| The contrast between dark print and white space | | | | If it does not sound right to you, it will not sound |
| attracts attention and makes the resume | | | | right to the person that you are sending it to. If |
| readable. The one page resume advocated by | | | | you stated in your resume or cover letter that |
| some resume gurus too often gets done in small | | | | you had strong communication skills, do not give |
| print, is right justified, and covers the entire page. | | | | them a resume that does not back this up! |
| It is dark and difficult to read. Too many words | | | | 10. Proof read - Check your spelling and your |
| jammed together are tough on middle-aged eyes | | | | grammar |
| and younger readers who did not grow up reading | | | | Spelling errors or typos reflect poorly on your |
| small print will not carefully read a densely packed | | | | image. They suggest that you are careless, and |
| page. For resumes that will be hand delivered or | | | | give a hiring manager an easy way to disqualify |
| travel by U.S. mail, go for the white space. | | | | you. Proofread your resume and then to make |
| 5. Length - One Page, Two Pages, or More | | | | sure you have no spelling or grammar mistakes |
| Under most circumstances your resume should | | | | get another person to proofread it. Finally try |
| not be longer than two pages. Academics, | | | | reading it backwards to look for punctuation |
| researchers, authors, and musicians may need | | | | mistakes. |
| longer resumes if books, publications, | | | | |