Tips for an Effective Resume

Tips for an Effective Resume

If your resume is more than one page, don't forget to place your name on every sheet. This way, if your resume pages are separated, the reader will know that it belongs to you!

To draw the reader's attention to relevant information, position the most important information on the left side of the page or near the top of your resume. For example, the name of your previous employer and your position title (relevant information) would be located on the left side of the resume where as the dates of employment (less critical) would be located further to the right.

Use White Space

Creating "white space" in your resume imparts a sense of calm organization that allows the reader to be more comfortable. Crowded resumes seem too difficult to read and can cause the reader to lose focus. Look at your resume upside down and from a distance. See what your initial reaction is to the layout and revise it if necessary.

Pay Attention to Font

Section headers can be bolded and the size of the font may be increased, however the recommended font size is usually between 11 -12; not smaller than 10pt) in a resume. Select fonts that are easy to read and that are not spaced too close together. The most common resume fonts are: Times New Roman, Arial, Garamond, and Helvetica.  Try them out to see which ones work best for you.

Emphasized words and/or section headings help guide the reader's eye to listed qualifications. Too much bolding and italicizing can be overkill in resumes and should be used sparingly. Try reading your resume without any bolding or italics then identify what needs to be emphasized.

Proofread!

On a resume, spelling mistakes and grammatical errors are a "NO! NO!"  You can not rely on "Spell Check" to catch them. Your resume should be proofread several times, by yourself and others. Also, be sure to triple-check your phone numbers and e-mail addresses for accuracy, an employer will likely move on to someone else if he or she tries to contact you and gets a wrong number.

Graphics

Graphics should only be included if they enhance the resume. Don't discourage the employer from considering you by trying to be too cute. A simple line can separate sections without blocking the flow of a resume.

Keywords

Keywords are vital component of writing a winning resume and carrying out a successful job search. They connect you to job postings and communicate multiple skills and qualifications to prospective employers.

Scannable Resumes and Electronic Resumes

In an effort to reduce large volumes of resumes received on a regular basis, many organizations electronically scan resumes to be entered into databases. Due to this, you may want to save a special version of your resume that is geared specifically for electronic submissions. A scannable resume contains the same information but the formatting is a lot simpler than a hardcopy. Use the following suggestions to create a scannable friendly resume.

How to Use Keywords in Scannable Resumes

To give you the best chance of your keywords being recognized by the scanner use NOUNS that reflect skills and experience sought by a potential employer and then focus on them. Action verbs are still important to a scannable resume, however for the initial automated applicant screening and ranking process additional attention must be giving to the keyword nouns.   Use wording in the job announcement when appropriate, and avoid acronyms.

Scanner-Friendly Resumes

In addition to using keywords, you can make your resume "scanner-friendly" by following these formatting suggestions:

Use clean, easy-to-read fonts like Times, Times New Roman, Garamond, Arial, Palatino or Helvetica to avoid extra diagonal lines  and keep all text at least 12 points in size but no larger than 14 points; anything smaller becomes too difficult to read, while larger fonts make the resume look sparse.

Remove any italics, bolding or underlining. Use all caps to emphasize words or phrases.

Bullet points may be used, but they must be solid. You could also change them to asterisks (*), dashes (-), plus signs (+) or other standard keyboard symbols.

Limit or avoid complicated layouts with columns, graphics, shadings and underlining.

Electronic Resume Submissions

The formatting guidelines are similar to scanner-friendly resumes with some additions. When submitting a resume electronically:

• Save As a "TEXT ONLY," or "PLAIN TEXT" version.
• The WHOLE documents font should be changed to Courier, 12 point.
• Reset margins to: 1" for left margin and 3" for right margin.
• Change any text you may have centered, all text should be flush left.

Resume Do's

• Use a readable font (not less than 10 pt) and print on a laser printer
• Limit your resume to two pages
• Spell out months and addresses: January, not Jan.; Street, Road and Avenue, not St., Rd., and Ave.
• Abbreviate all states in your addresses, for location of employer and school (AZ, not Arizona); spell out states in body of description (e.g., "Sales responsibility for Arizona.")
• Spell out names of foreign countries
• Capitalize languages: German, not german; Spanish, not spanish, French, not french
• Write all years fully: 2003-2004, not 2003-04
• Avoid periods at the end of bulleted items
• Keep it simple, concise, visually appealing, and avoid overcrowding
• Use actual numbers (2,3,4) rather than spelling out (two, three, four)
• Include the phrase "Authorized to work in the US on a permanent basis" if you are not a US citizen and you have this authorization
• Tailor your objective to the position; be specific in what you want and what skills you offer
• Pay careful attention to spelling, punctuation and grammar by checking each word. Proofread your resume several times and have at least three others do so. Many employers will eliminate a candidate from consideration if there are grammatical or typographical errors on the resume.
• Use good quality white or off-white paper (at least 20 lb. Bond)
• Make it action-oriented. It should communicate the transferability of your experience and the "value-added benefits" you bring to the employer. Use phrases to show where you've made a difference - in a job, in a leadership role, in volunteer position, in a team project, etc.
• Focus on facts and figures by quantifying accomplishments when possible
• Use short phrases, not long sentences, that convey a positive, concise description of your accomplishments, not your tasks
• Use words that convey results (e.g., reduced, gained, brought, advanced, expanded, saved improved, increased)
• Use strategically selected key words and buzz words pertaining to the industry and position you are seeking. They will not only catch the eye of a recruiter but will also improve the "scan-ability" of your resume.
• Keep your "skills file" where you can continually update your accomplishments, professional development activities, and accomplishments, no matter how small they may seem. These lists will provide you with the information you need to include on your résumé and to negotiate a raise or promotion.

Resume Don'ts

• Do not abbreviate degrees (Bachelor of Science in Business, NOT BS in Business).
• Do not abbreviate school/ college names (Grand Canyon University, Ken Blanchard College of Business, NOT GCU, KBCOB)
• Do not place references on resume. Have a separate sheet for references.
• Do not lie, exaggerate or use humor.
• Do not include personal information such as weight, height, marital status, social security number, age, race, religion, or political  affiliation
• Do not use graphics (unless you are applying for a graphic arts/design position)
• Do not list detailed descriptions of unrelated job duties
• Do not use words such as I, me, or my
• Do not exaggerate your experience
• Do not start phrases in experience section with "Responsible for" or "In charge of"
• Do not state salary
• Do not use abbreviations without spelling out what they stand for

*Develop a first draft of your resume and bring it by Career Services for review.