Tips for Readable Resumes

Tips for Readable Resumes

• Give priority to your skills on your resume. Employers want to know what you can do, not just where you have been. This is why scannable resume systems are set up to read skills. Place the important skills at the beginning of the resume where employers can see them first. Also, scannable database systems store a fixed number of skills so that those that come later may not be included in the database. Insure that your skills and occupation-specific keywords match your objective.
• Place your name, address, and phone number with area code in a block format below the top margin. This key information helps interested employers reach you and is the preferred format for scannable systems. Put your name on each page.
• Use generous margins and plenty of white space. One-inch margins enhance the readability of your resume. Balance the body of the resume so that the content is not compressed. For multiple pages, insure that information is balanced over the pages. The final resume should be a high-contrast image - dark ink on white or light colored paper.
• Use vertical and horizontal lines sparingly and include a quarter inch of space around them. (Scanning systems can confuse lines and characters.)
• Avoid graphics and shading. Shading reduces the contrast making text hard to read. Graphics may catch the human eye but do not make sense to scanning systems.
• Use a font size between 10 and 14 points. Limit use of script, italic or underlining. DO NOT highlight information using bold or CAPITAL letters.
• Stapling or folding diminishes the visual appearance of the resume and affects scannability. Avoid fasteners and consider sending your resume flat in a large white envelope.
• Be sure your resume is high quality and professional. Laser print your final copy. Remember, this is your advertisement to employers.
• Choose a typeface (font) that is easily readable rather than decorative: Times New Roman, Arial, Courier New, Century Schoolbook.

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SHOW - Don't Tell

Remember being in elementary school? Wasn't it great when you could bring something to school for SHOW AND TELL? Lesson #1: It's great to be able to bring something that no one else has. You get more recognition. Lesson #2: If you show your classmates something, it has significantly more meaning than if you tell them something. They literally have something to touch. It seems more real.

When you tell a prospective employer that you are a good salesperson, it doesn't seem to pack much of a punch. When you show a prospective employer that YOU ARE a good salesperson by sharing stories of your accomplishments, then you have a better chance of making a good impression. Quantify those accomplishments and you are poised to get yourself a job offer.

For instance, if you increased production of the best selling product at your company, by HOW MUCH did you increase it? 15% 20% 25% Quantify your accomplishments whenever possible. Numbers SHOW results.

Your accomplishments are what distinguish you from your competitors in the job-search process. All things being equal, if a hiring manager were looking at two identical prospective employees who could handle the tasks of the job perfectly well, but one had accomplished more than the other, who do you think is going to get a phone call?

Employers are all about results. Employers are all about the bottom line. Show an employer how your accomplishments affected the bottom line in a positive way and you will make a huge impact. In your resume, you have to show the employer why you are the best person for the job. SHOW the employer that you have something to offer that no one else does. Make yourself look better than your competitors. Use descriptive active language to engage the employer when reading your resume. Make your words jump off the page and grab the reader's attention.

At the same time, you have to guide the employer through your resume clearly and professionally so that only one conclusion can be reached: YOU are the best candidate for the job. If you simply state your previous job title and the duties you performed, you are not helping them to SEE who you really are. You're just telling them what you have done before. Quantify your accomplishments and let them see just what you can do for them.

For more information about writing Professional Resumes, follow this link to: Resume Examples