10 Tips For Writing A Professional Résumé

1. Start with an attractive layout. Use bold and italics to highlight key points.

I do not recommend downloadable templates because they are very generic and dull. Get creative but not crazy. You can use a little touch of color if you are modest.

2. Justify the text instead of using left align.

Most people are accustomed to reading justified text. This will make your résumé easy to follow.

3. Choose a common font. Times New Roman, Arial, and Verdana are some of the best fonts for a résumé.

Now is not the time to experiment. Most computers do not have 600 different fonts installed so the file will not read correctly if you use your decorative fonts.

Do not use cutesy graphics such as candy canes or teddy bears if you want to be taken seriously.

- Yes, I have really received a résumé with teddy bears and candy canes on it.

It is NOT appropriate for business correspondence, and I guarantee your résumé will be canned if you do this.

4. Do not use the word "I" in your résumé. Start each sentence with a powerful verb.

- Organized annual student symposium by securing speakers and working closely with marketing department executives.

- Implemented production bonus incentives and "best practices" matrix for all divisions raising overall productivity by as much as 40%.

5. Write a proper cover letter for each position you apply to. Do not ever send out a résumé without a cover letter.

This is basic business etiquette. Personalize each cover letter directly to the position you are applying to. A generic cover letter will not work to your benefit. If possible, address the letter directly to a person. If you do not know the hiring managers name, use "Hiring Manager".

6. Print your résumé and read it word for word.

You can use the grammar and spell check function, but don't rely on it.

7. When you have a degree, list only the year that you obtained your degree.

When you list your dates of attendance, many résumé scanning systems will not recognize that you obtained a degree, only that you attended college for a period.

8. Deactivate all e-mail links and web addresses in your résumé and cover letter.

To do this in MS Word, highlight the link with your mouse, go to the "Insert" drop down menu, scroll down to and click "Hyperlink", and on the lower left-had side of this screen there should be a little button that says "Remove link", when you find it, give it a little click and voila! Alternatively, you can highlight the link with your mouse, right click on it, and scroll down to "remove link" to deactivate the link.

9. Be consistent!

For example, don't list one date as 1/2004 and then list another date as 9/22/2004.

List software consistently. MS Word and Microsoft Excel are both correct, but not consistent when used together.

10. Adhere to punctuation and capitalization rules.

Use a reference manual if you do not understand standard punctuation and capitalization rules.

Jennifer Anthony is the owner of ResumeASAP, offering professional and affordable résumé writing services.

If you have comments about this article, or if you are interested in learning more about professional résumé writing, please contact Jennifer Anthony by e-mail or by calling 1-888-722-5211.


More Resources

Preparing For Your Job Interview: What You Need To Know To Be Successful
In the limited time an interviewer has with you, their mission is to know you and assess your worth, especially in relationship to the other candidates interviewed. Asking you questions is the way they accomplish that mission.
One Step at a Time in the Job Search
What is the first step to take in a job search?Let's start with "Who Am I?" If the job seeker can answer that question easily, then the rest of what to do, comes easily.It is often the hardest thing to do in a job quest, or anything else in life.
Why Human Resources Are The Real Key To Success In This Information Age
The rapid changes that have mainly been brought about by the information age are numerous and irreversible. They have affected our way of life on virtually every front and have left many old companies in ruins while causing other new ones to swiftly emerge and grow to great unprecedented profitability, literally overnight.
How To Get a Job Offer From Every Interview
About four years ago a friend told me one night that she had an interview the next week and was looking for some comfort as she was extremely nervous, as most people are about interviews. I thought back on my my carreer and realized that in the nine year of my career I had been to thirteen interviews and, more importantly, that I had received a job offer from every one of those interviews.
20 Ways to Advance Your Career
To survive and thrive in today's competitive environment, it is not just what you know. You also need to be competent.
Rekindling Passion for Work
Passion comes in many forms. I'm focused on the version of passion that is "boundless enthusiasm".
Recruiting Excellent Job Candidates
An independent recruiter, recruiting agency or executive search firm is charged with tracking down excellent potential candidates for available job positions. Despite the fact that there are innumerable people seeking positions of employment in the 21st century, it often seems to a typical recruiting agency that qualified men and women are few and far between.
How to Get Hired by Being Obvious
If you want a drink of water, do you hire a focus group or pick up the Yellow Pages? No. You go to the kitchen, fill a glass and drink.
How to Get Paid More Without Being Pretty or Good Looking
Guess what. The results are out they are ugly.
Job Interviews: Answering Whats Your Greatest Weakness?
Many interview guides advise candidates to answer the common "What's your greatest weakness?" question with a positive trait disguised as a weakness. For example, "I tend to expect others to work as hard as I do," or "I'm a perfectionist.
Can You Compete?
Are you looking to hire the best talent? Are you thinking about adding a new employee who will significantly impact millions of dollars in YOUR business? Do you want to hire the best? Then you need to show and convince your next hire that you are serious about him joining your team.In March, we received the following candidate's response to two high level interviews.
12 Steps to Targeting Success in Your Career or Job Search
Is your job search sagging? Are you still looking for that ideal next job? Or are you about to begin looking for new work and are not sure of the best way to go about it? What you need is a way to evaluate your job search strategies to see whether or not they are working effectively for you. Ready to get started? Here are 12 building blocks to a successful job search and the goals that will help you get to where you really want to be in the world of work: 1.
Job Interviews -- The Real Reasons Why You Need to Follow Up
Effective follow-up after a job interview is often a key reason why someone gets a job, even though there are other equally qualified candidates. Many candidates treat follow up as an optional add-on to their job search.
7 Tips for Writing Winning Resume Cover Letters
Writing a good resume cover letter is something you should seriously consider when preparing to send off your resume to potential employers.Here are seven important cover letter writing tips:Address the individual by name.
Is a Career Change on Your Horizon?
Making a career change is nothing new in today's job market.I've heard it said that the average American changescareers at least once in his or her life.
From Bumbling Bosses to Cranky Co-Workers - How to Overcome What Makes You Hate Your Job
I'll be the first to admit that I hated my job. It took many years for me to come to this realization since I kept accepting promotions in the hopes that the awful ache inside of my chest would go away.
Supplement Your Skills and Improve Your Work Position
It is often said that the majority of people are but a few checks away from homelessness. Without a consistent income, this may be a true statement.
Stand Out From the Crowd with Simple Marketing Methods
Although today's job market can be very competitive, many job seekers overlook simple techniques that will catch potential employers' attention. Apply these eight ideas to stay ahead of your competitors and get hired now!1.
Have Enough Money to Change Careers - Five Key Steps
At every talk I give, I ask the audience to tell me the reasons why people don't change careers. The most common answer given each time is "lack of money.
Overcoming Inertia in Job Change
If you can hold on to an optimistic belief in the possibility of success, you have a very powerful motivator of change. But not everyone can, or will need help to do that as some are naturally more optimistic than others.

More Careers & Employment Information:

Related Articles

It Takes Time
The story goes that after one of Ludwig van Beethoven's performances, several people were offering him their congratulations, when one woman commented, "I wish God had bestowed me with such genius." "It isn't genius, madam, nor is it magic.
More Companies Using Job Interview Phone Screening
Planning and preparing before you begin to send out resumes could save you some embarrassing moments when you receive that unexpected call.You just never know when that phone is going to ring.
Top Ten Networking Strategies To Get A Job, A Promotion, Or Make A Sale
Whether you are networking to find a new job opportunity, gain a promotion, or close a sale, you have two main goals with the networking interaction:1. To be remembered so that when opportunities appear, people will think of you as the perfect person to handle things,2.
Your Interview Secret Weapon
Have you ever been on a date where you had nothing in common so you spent your time asking questions about the other person's past?"Where did you work before that? Where did you grow up? Where did you move to after that? How many brothers do you have?"You get the idea. Your brain is in escape mode and your mouth is simply buying time until you can leave.
Four Job Interview Mistakes That Can Torpedo Your Chances of Success
What are the worst mistakes job hunters make? It turns out there are four big ones. These four mistakes turn up repeatedly when executives responsible for hiring talk about the reasons why someone didn't get a job offer.
The Not-So-Effective Cover Letter
Here's a newsflash: Cover letters work, plain and simple. This is why I'm intrigued by the fact that a) jobseekers rarely submit them and b) hiring managers seldom read them.
Identity Theft and Your Online Job Search
While identity theft is nothing new, the Web has opened up whole new world of opportunity for identity thieves.According to the FBI, identity theft is the top online fraud.
What To Do When HR Calls...
Generally, when you present yourself as a prospective candidate for a new employment opportunity, your information will filter through the Human Resources department. Since every company has their own hiring process, understand that you cannot always control when HR will call you.
What You Should Know About A Medical Billing Specialist
Whether you are a person who is thinking about becoming a medical billing specialist or a company looking for a medical billing specialist, then this article is for you. There are several things that you should be aware of in the medical billing industry and I will walk you through them so that you will have the background information that you need to help you make a decision that will best suit your needs.
5 Tips for Customizing your Resume
Gone are the days of the bland, generic one-page resume. Employers these days are more impressed by a resume that is customized and they tend to give jobs to interviewees that have a bit of knowledge about the company.
Defining Success Your Way!
In my career advising practice, I often find that my clients are not clear about what success means for them. Our society defines success primarily around three elements: power, money and fame.
Where Do I Go From Here?
Making Your Future Work Better For You. It's the commonest concern people have about their careers. Where am I heading? Is this the right direction for me? How can I tell what will suit me best? Making good career decisions doesn't have to be agony if you clear away a few misconceptions.
Finding Success In Todays Job Market
This year we are experiencing the most dynamic and rapidly changing economy in all of history except for next year, and the year after, and the rest of our working lives. The days of being able to get a college education, then get a good job for life, which will give you financial security and retirement are gone forever.
Career Job Satisfaction - Get Off the Treadmill - Exit Your Rat Race!
Get Off the Treadmill - Exit Your Rat Race!We can all get in a rut from time to time. Who hasn't had a moment in their lives where you've asked yourself the question: "Why am I doing this?" Whether it's who you've become, the business you are in, your career, relationships, where you live or all of the above - sometimes you realise you're just not where you want to be - and you're not sure how you got there! It sure feels like your own version of a rat race though.
Four Important Questions to Ask Your Interviewer; Do You Really Want to Work for This Person?
Many job seekers miss a golden opportunity when they are asked towards the end of an interview if they have any questions. If they feel the interviewer adequately explained the position, they make the mistake of answering "No" to this question.
Looking for Work in All the Wrong Places
The Question: After identifying a potential employer, I get contact information, do my research and send out my resume and cover letter, requesting an interview for a management or human resource position. I am listed with recruiters and staffing agencies and call them every week.
Make Your Career Offshore Proof
There has been a lot of talk recently about American jobs moving overseas?offshoring is the buzzword for it. During difficult economic times it is often easy to find a scapegoat to blame for a downturn in jobs.
How to Change Career Horses in Mid-Stream
You'll get wet but the reward just might be a more fulfilling ride!In Survival is Not Enough, author Seth Godin says change is the "new normal." Rather than thinking of work as a series of stable times interrupted by moments of change, Godin says we "must now recognize work as constant change, with only occasional moments of stability.
Unlimit Your Life!
Do you have a tendency to think in absolutes?Is everything good or bad, black or white?This type of thinking can severely limit your options. Or worse, prevent you from getting an accurate picture of what'spossible.
Theres No Need to Pad Your Resume
It seems like a good idea, harmless in fact. Your friends assure you that everybody does it and that employers rarely check resume facts.