Whether you are new to looking and applying for jobs or you are just getting back into the swing of things and you have pulled your old resume out of the drawer for revision; your resume can always use a spruce. Here are 10 important tips that will help you to create or update your resume:
1. Design
The first step to creating a resume is to choose a design or format, or to make one on your own. There are many basic resume formats but you have to be careful about the ones you choose because many of them are just cookie cutter resumes for the masses, in other words they are too typical and basic to really stand out. Make your resume unique and interesting by adding some nice looking design techniques like the following:
- Color
Most resumes are black and white; instead of doing what everyone else does get your potential employers’ attention by using another color like navy blue, dark purple, brown, etc.
- Fonts definitely avoid using too many fonts in your resume, using more than three makes your design look sloppy and unorganized. But using about two different fonts can help you create a nice looking hierarchy and organization within your resume copy.
- Bullets
Organize small snippets of information within your resume with bullets so that it looks cleaner cut and so that it is easier for potential future employers to read.
- Horizontal Format
If you really want to think outside the box in terms of design you can try a horizontal layout, most resumes are vertical which means yours will stand out in a crowd.
- Graphics
If you have a lot of statistics to represent in your resume you might want to try spicing it up and using graphic images like pie charts and bar graphs to make your numbers look even more impressive.
2. White Space
Leaving a good amount of white space is a matter of design but it is also a subject in its own category. This is because leaving white space makes it possible for future employers to write thoughts, ideas, and notes on your resume itself if they feel so inclined.
3. Multiple Formats
You should have several resumes in several formats; your resumes should be tailored to different types of jobs in different work environments for different types of companies. Your resume should also be available in many different formats; this means a potential employer could look at your resume online or physically. Set up a website or blog that contains your online resume as well as having multiple physical copies.
4. Contact Information
Don’t forget to include your contact information, and make sure it is correct; if an employer can’t reach you then you can’t be offered a job. Also, include different forms of communication so that your future employer can choose the one he or she prefers. Include the following forms of contact:
- Phone number
- Address
- LinkedIn URL
- Facebook URL
- Website URL
5. Links
Be sure to include links to your social media, online portfolio, website, articles, and other online information within your resume. If your employer wants to look you or your previous work up they should be able to do so easily.
6. Short/Concise
You are not writing a novel and if you are applying for a more popular position then you have to make your resume stand out quickly and efficiently. Make your resume easy to skim by keeping the sentences short and the words concise, powerful, and meaningful.
7. Edit, then Edit it twice’
Look over your resume two or three times, edit it, then have three or for colleagues and friends look it over for more editing and revision. Get the opinions of others on how it looks and sounds before sending it off.
8. Printing
Printing in Brookhaven is a great place to use as an example of the type of quality you should expect in your printing services. Your product should be exactly what you want and more, also be sure to remember to print your resume onto a heavier and higher quality paper.
