Resume Tips and Techniques

A well-prepared and well-written resume should be viewed as an important aspect for every job search.

The key to a quality resume is the content. Most prospective employers initially take about 30 seconds or less to scan a resume. When preparing your resume, put yourself in the shoes of a prospective employer - scan your resume briefly to ensure that you are effectively communicating the message you want to get across to the reader.

Please review and consider the following tips and techniques relating to resume preparation:

  • Do not skip a job, even if you were employed for a very short period of time. It is more important to provide a hiring authority with full and complete disclosure of your work record. Omitted information that is subsequently discovered (and it usually is by thorough recruiters and hiring authorities) will likely cause the recruiter to question the validity of your entire resume.
  • Present your resume in reverse chronological order, beginning with your current or most recent job. We highly recommend this resume style over the functional resume style.
  • Ensure that your name appears on all pages of your resume.
  • Make sure the font size of your resume is no less than 10 to 11 points - it is important for your resume to be easy to read. Keep in mind, too, that when faxing a resume, the type/font size is usually reduced during transmission.
  • Spell-check and proofread your resume thoroughly. We highly recommend that you ask a third party to read your resume closely for spelling and grammar errors.
  • It is very important that you be totally honest in presenting your work and professional history. Your resume should represent a complete and accurate summary of your work history.
  • Print your resume on white or off-white bond. Colored paper does not transmit well via fax or when scanned.