Rules of Resume Writing
Posted in Resume Writing
A resume is a summary of your education, skills, accomplishments, and experience. It's important to have a well-written, updated resume because your resume will help you get an interview.
Produce a professional looking resume that is organized and easy to read. Never handwrite a resume.
Keep your presentation simple and easy to read. Typically resumes are written with 10 - 12 pt font size. Select fonts that are easy to read and that are not too condensed. Times New Roman, Arial, Helvetica, and Garamond are fonts used in many resumes.
Avoid italics, script, and underlined words.
Include personal contact information (name, address, phone number, email and fax number). Include a clear objective and your work experience (company name and location, dates employed, skills, responsibilities, achievements, etc.) Include your education (school degree, school name and location, dates).
Use Action Verbs to describe your accomplishments.
Explain accomplishments and achievements; attach specific dollar amounts, percentages or numbers.
Never include personal information such as weight, height, age and marital status.
Use white space; resumes that appear too dense with copy may seem too difficult to read.
Do not include references. Be prepared with a list of references on a paper that will support your candidacy. A good reference will be able to talk about your work experience and skills.
Print on good quality of paper, white or off-white. Don't use extravagant colors.
Grammatical errors and spelling mistakes have no place in a resume. Proofread your resume several times and show it to others to check.
Limit your resume to two pages. Keep in mind that the average employer spends about 35-40 seconds scanning a resume. It is important to keep it short and to eliminate any extraneous words that could distract a reader.
Include a personalized cover letter that summarizes your skills and experience and your interest in the position.
