Sometimes it is the smallest things that make a different in resumes.
Your Phone Number and Email: make sure that your phone number is one that will be answered (either in person or by a machine) during business hours. You would hate to lose the position simply because your prospective employer couldn’t get a hold of you. Make sure that your answering machine message is professional, rather than a cute singsong. Also, make it personal. If someone just hears a computer voice saying ‘You have reached 555-1212, how will they know it’s the right number? It’s best to record the greeting in you own voice (or a family member), keeping the message brief and professional. Similarly, be sure that you have a respectable email address (such as
[email protected]) rather than a silly email address (such as
[email protected]). In today’s job market, you must have an email address that you check regularly. You can sign up for free email at www.hotmail.com, www.gmail.com, and www.yahoo.com.
Your Font: don’t use less than a twelve-point font for anything on your resume. You want your resume to be a document that is easy to read.
Use only one font throughout your resume. You can have your name in a different font (and a different point size) at the top, but otherwise, be consistent with not more than two fonts.
Fonts that have serifs are easier to read than fonts without serifs. A serif is the small line at the end top or bottom of a letter. For instance, if you look at the “l” in Times New Roman, you will notice that it is not simply a line that is straight up and down: it has a small stroke at the bottom and at the top. If you look at the “l” in Arial, you will see that it is simply a straight up and down line. Some fonts with serifs are Times New Roman, Bookman Old Style, Garamond, and Book Antiqua. Some fonts without serifs are Arial, Century Gothic, and Franklin Gothic Book. Although you might choose to go for a font without serifs for a cleaner look, be aware of the basic differences in these fonts.
Use simple fonts. The examples above are all fonts that would be suitable for resume writing. Blackadder, Bradley Hand, Curlz,and Monotype Corsiva are all examples of inappropriate typefaces for a resume.
Your Paper. Use plain white paper for your resume (unless, perhaps, you are applying for a job as an artist). This helps if your prospective employers are going to photocopy your resume. Don’t fold your resume, unless you are applying by mail, in which case fold it neatly in threes into a plain white envelope.
Your Verbs. What tense should you put all of your power words in? Past tense is usually acceptable, but if you find yourself struggling and putting in present tense, sometimes using the auxiliary “have” makes it easier: “have transcribed Beethoven’s ninth symphony” is sometimes simpler than “am transcribing” “transcribes” or “transcribed.” Mostly, just make sure that your use of verbs is as consistent as your use of formatting.
Your Numbers. Never user roman numerals in a resume or cover letter. Spell out (one, two, three) numbers from one to ten. Use Arabic numerals (11, 12, 13…) for any number higher than ten. Spell numbers if they are at the beginning of a sentence. This is not a hard and fast rule; sometimes it is more visually appealing to write “one million” than it is to write “1,000,000”: use your judgment.
Your Layout. Evenly align your text. If your resume is longer than one page, make sure that each heading is contained: your second page should begin with a new heading. Also: if you are using two pages, make sure the second page has your name and a page number on it in the header.