Designing your resume to grab employer's attention
Job hunting can be one of the most exhilarating and yet one of the most agonizing experiences in your life. While you look forward to the new chapter in your professional life, finding a way to stand out from other candidates, who are at least equally qualified for the position you want, is a difficult task.
Your resume is the first contact your potential employer has with you. A well formatted and a well-written resume can make a difference between getting the interview and getting the job, and being passed over. Most employers receive a stack of resumes of qualified candidates and scan them quickly before they decide whether or not hey want to read further. You only have a few seconds to make a lasting impression. Don't panic. Instead, focus on the design of your resume as it is the first thing your employer, whether on paper or in electronic form.
The most commonly made mistake in resume design include using templates that are already available in Microsoft Word. While these templates provide a quick, easy to follow tools to create your resume, they are outdated, and they will make your resume appear generic and uninviting. Additionally, these templates, while well formatted in Microsoft Word, will not translate well when emailed or uploaded to job search engine web sites.
Second most commonly made mistake in resume design is inclusion of graphics on the page. Your picture and/or any other graphics are not appropriate for a resume. Including anything outside of plain text will make you stand out in a way that makes the employer think you are not taking yourself seriously as a professional, and this is certainly not the first impression you want to make. You can find
samples of resumes on the Internet; search for resumes by your industry to find the templates that make most sense for the job you are seeking. Than work on a blank page to replicate the look and feel of the resume you like.
The following are basic formatting rules for your resume:
- Limit the length of the resume to two pages.
- The page should have one-inch margins, top and bottom, right and left.
- Use left justification only - as a rule, do not center the content of your resume.
- The font and font size should be consistent.
- The bullet points should be basic - use circles or squares, but never any symbols that may not translate well when you email your resume to your potential employer.
- Headlines can be in all caps; the remaining text should not have special formatting.
- Do not underline any of the information in your resume. In the world of Internet driven job applications, underlining in a document implies a web link.
- The font size for headlines should not exceed 14 points; the remainder of the text in the resume should not exceed 12 points.
- Use the Tab key instead of the Space bar to create spaces between the text in your resume.
As a last formatting check point, ask your friends or your family for help in reviewing your resume. Send the resume file via email to a few of your friends - ask them to review the resume and make sure nothing seems out of place. Print out the resume on paper and review to make sure that margins are accurately set, and that the content doesn't appear crowded on the page. Keep in mind - when it comes to your resume, sleek simple appearance, and great writing, will get you the job you are seeking.
Terms of Use for this Private Label Article
Possibly Related PLR Articles:
Aspen Nightlife - The Crystal Palace
If you like comedy, you should visit The Crystal
Palace. This Aspen landmark was established
in 1957, and has been offering quality dining
with satire comedy ever since. The interior of
the restaurant is done in a Victorian style, with...read more
How Diamonds Are Mined
We seldom think about how the diamonds
we wear came to us. Natural diamonds, as
opposed to synthetic diamonds or fake
diamonds, are mined from the earth. There
are currently two methods of mining
diamonds: Pipe Mining and Alluvial...read more
A Popular Auto Responder Marketing Technique
Marketing through auto responder series is a popular strategy to increase repeat website visits and sales. Here is a popular strategy.
EZINE EBOOK
Instead of trying to publish a small daily or weekly eZines, try publishing one large...read more
E-books and Affiliate Programs
Some E-books combine very well with an affiliate program. When the affiliate receives some extra benefit from promoting the viral message, like being able to brand your E-book with his affiliate links, the affiliate makes a sale when a reader buys...read more
How to avoid extra costs at the end of your lease
$250 to dispose of your vehicle, $1000 for extra miles you put on the clock
and $200 to replace the light bulb and the worn tyres-lease agents
constantly nickel-and-dime consumers when their lease runs out.
Here's a rundown of what can...read more
Detox Body in 7 Days with Internal Cleansers
Awareness is one key factor to be able to stay away from illnesses and diseases. With today's medical costs soaring high, it is quite expensive to get sick. And for this reason, many people now are looking for ways to stay healthy. But the more...read more
Locating Sizzling Spots in Paris
Paris has a wide selection of fine dining areas. When visiting Paris you have a choice of restaurants, food circuits and so on. You can also find guides that take tours to some of the best dining areas in Paris.
To consider foods, you want to...read more
Basic Burglar Alarm Equipment
Security and disaster alarms are no longer new to most people. These devices have already been available for quite some time now and have been continuously innovated.
These deterrent instruments are usually found in business establishments....read more
How Can Credit Score System Works for your Financial Needs? A Vital Report that you must be Aware Of
It is natural for us to resort to credit when we are in great financial need, yet we are running out of cash. Instead of pawning our precious assets in exchange for the amount that we need (which is commonly minus the applied interest), we can apply...read more
21 STEPS TO HOME BUSINESS SUCCESS
Fifty million home-based businesses will be in operation by 1997,
according to Link Resource's National Work-at Home Survey. All
around the country, people who want more control over their lives
are starting home businesses
In New...read more