Resume Tips

Keep it Simple

This is possibly the most important principle of good resume formatting. The last thing you want is for your resume to confuse or put off an employer so it’s important that you make it as easy as possible for them to process. Use a 10 or 12 font size. Choose a basic but modern font like Arial or Helvetica. Make sure there is a lot of white space to break up the page. Your main focus should be on readability.

Keep It to a Single Page

While there are certainly situations where all of your important training, experience and credentials will require multiple pages, in most cases a single page should suffice. Cut your content as much as possible to get to that one-page mark. It could be just a matter changing your layout to make it all fit, or dumping things like the antiquated “Objective” intro.

Make Sure Your Contact Info Is Prominent

While it’s really not necessary to include your mailing address anymore, make sure your phone number and email address are clearly visible at the top of the page. Also, consider including your LinkedIn profile URL and other social media if relevant (and doesn’t include any potentially unsuitable content!).

Proofread—then Proofread Again!

Making sure your resume is free from grammatical and spelling errors is critical. Too many times perfectly qualified candidates have their resumes tossed aside because they neglected to spell check. Your resume is a representation of you and your work so don’t give employers any reason to think negatively of you.