In most cases, the resume is going to be the employer’s very first impression of you. Just as a sales representative uses brochures and catalogs to promote their product and/or service, your resume is a part of your marketing literature that should grab the employer’s attention in a very positive way and promote you and the skills you have to offer. Almost every employer will require that you submit a resume either in person, by mail, fax or as an attachment through email or via their company website. The bottom line is that your resume must stand out from the competition. So just how are you going to ensure that it does? Well, let’s first focus on what information should be included on the resume.

Everyone has their opinion and idea about what should and should not be included on the resume. There is no such thing as a resume expert and certainly the “perfect” resume does not exist. With that being stated, there are basic rules that should be followed when writing your resume. The question you should always ask yourself when deciding whether or not to include information on your resume is if that information will help to market you to the employer and the position that you are seeking.

RULES OF THE RESUME

  1. Ideally, you should keep the length of your resume to one page. If you are an experienced job seeker, two pages is acceptable; however, be sure to use that second page effectively. In other words, make sure that you fill the second page with relevant information.
  2. Include an Objective in your resume. If you don’t let the employer know what you’re applying for, you’ve already created a poor impression of yourself. Be clear about what you want so you don’t make the employer guess. They aren’t going to take the time to figure it out.
  3. Use only size 12 Times New Roman or Arial Font.
  4. Single space within sections; double space between them.
  5. Refrain from using any colored fonts. Those job seekers in creative career fields such as interior design, graphic design and others may break this rule as the use of color is relevant to their career and may help market their skills to the employer. Just don’t overdo it!
  6. Don’t include any personal information on the resume. The resume is no place to list your marital status, birthdate, or social security number.
  7. Don’t rely on spellcheck! Always proofread your resume carefully and ask two to three other people to do the same for you.
  8. Use bullets to highlight your skills and accomplishments.
  9. Emphasize accomplishments and results achieved instead of simply listing duties performed for each experience. (i.e. Implemented a new accounting program that increased efficiency in the department.)
  10. Do not list your references on the resume. References should be listed on a separate sheet.
  11. Do not list supervisor’s name and/or phone number, reason for leaving, or wage/salary information.
  12. Print your resume on resume paper.