Leaving a long-lasting impression
A few weeks back, I wrote a segment on building your resumé. Now, I am writing a second part where I help you perfect your resumé.
We are going to start off with font size and style. As I mentioned in the previous segment, the standard font size for the body of your resumé should be 12.
It should never be smaller than 10, otherwise individuals will have trouble reading it.
The font style is your choice, but it is recommended that you use regular fonts like Arial, Calibri and Times New Roman.
Next, list the most important information first. The information you want to add is completely up to you. Be consistent. Everything from dates to abbreviations and formatting should stay the same throughout your resumé.
Use reverse chronological order, in other words, list your recent work, degree, honors and activities first and work backwards in time.
Make sure you lead with titles or company names when typing out your work experience.
You want for the name of companies and your positions to be one of the first things an employer sees when looking at your resumé. Dates can be pushed off to the far-right side of the page.
List specific skills, experiences and honors that tie as close as possible to the job you are applying for. Do not mention experiences, skills or honors that are not relevant.
Use brief statements. Most of the time, employers look for brief, direct sentences. If your sentences are too long, it may cause them to skip it. Use past tense when listing old jobs or internships and present tense if you are currently working there.
When describing the things you did in your old jobs or internships, make sure to use three to five bullet points.
Make sure they are strong sentences. It is recommended that you start with an action verb and quantify the results of your work whenever possible.
Make sure your resumé meets the needs of your employers. You want to let your employers know that you meet the requirements they are seeking.
Lastly, proofread! This is a crucial step for obvious reasons. Misspelling could be frowned upon by employers.
Remember, you are trying to impress them. Follow these tips and your resumé is guaranteed to stand out.