What is the Most Effective Resume Format?

What is the accepted format to ensure you create an effective resume?

There are so many samples out there, it’s hard to know which is the correct resume format. Here are a few things to keep in mind when deciding how to display the information included in your resume, to ensure it gets the right amount of attention.

• Make the document easy to read. Often times, managers receive hundreds of resumes to review, and can’t possibly be expected to read each one word for word. Make sure your document uses a bullet format to break up large chunks of text. You want the manager to be able to pick out the key words quickly and easily. Too much text is overwhelming, and can leave important points unnoticed.
• Typos are a big no-no. Ensure that you carefully proofread your entire document. Get a second set of eyes to do a double check for you.  Reach out to someone who has a great resume, or even seek the help of a professional, i.e. guidance counselor or career coach.   Typos send the message that you are not thorough when completing a task and do not care enough to produce a professional document.
• Avoid using personal pronouns in your document. Instead of saying “I oversaw the entire operation. . . “, simply say “Responsible to oversee the entire operation … “
• Ensure all of your contact information is included at the top of the resume. This would include your phone number and email address. However, include an email address that is professional and clearly identifies who you are. Having an email address of “lovestopartyallnight@hotmail.com” doesn’t scream professional and responsible.
• Use headers and titles to highlight each section of the resume, again, keeping the entire document easy to read and visually appealing.

Remember, this document is usually the first contact you will make with a perspective employer. You must ensure that it stands out amongst the other applicants, and that the person who is reading the resume is intrigued enough to want to learn more about you.

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Also, if you’d like more resume assistance, feel free to check out the resume help resource page.