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- Your resume should be easy to read. You are looking to make a serious, professional first impression. If printing, stick with high quality, heavy, and white or off-white rag.
- Use simple, easy-to-read typefaces. Your resume is rarely the place to show your artistic ability. Your goal is to make sure the reader stays with your resume long enough to learn something about you. Times New Roman, Book Antiqua, and Univers fonts are good choices.
- Use dates. For each position you've held, make sure the reader can determine when you were there. Someone is certain to ask you for this information.
- Omit needless items. Don't pad your resume with irrelevant information on minor hobbies. Noting that references are available upon request is not worth the space either.
- Don't fudge, and never, ever lie. Explain clearly what your responsibilities were, what you did and how you fared. Be proud of what you've accomplished, but be honest about it. If any of your job titles are confusing or do not really reflect what you did, take a moment to clarify your position.
- Nothing will eliminate a candidate faster than a cover letter or resume full of typos or grammatical errors. Proofread your resume and cover letter!
- Bullet point format is best wherever possible, and be clear and compelling. After reading your resume, a reader needs to be able to summarize your job history clearly and concisely. In general, don't separate your accomplishments from your work history; it's confusing, time consuming to reconfigure, and likely to result in your resume being put aside.
- Your resume should be tailored to the job you're trying to get. You would be amazed at the number of resumes that come in with objectives bearing no resemblance to our needs. If you don't have the time to respond directly to a search, why should management expect your work to be any more precise or responsive? Read the ad, or listen to the recruiter, closely. Try to respond directly to the skills being sought.
- If submitting blindly to a company, recruiter, or job portal, be sure to utilize keywords in your resume that match those found in job descriptions to which you are applying. This will maximize the likelihood of your resume surfacing during a database query.
- Your resume should be only the first part of your contact with a potential employer. It's surprising how many candidates do not write cover letters or, once interviewed, take the time to write a short, but personal, thank you note.
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