How to Write a Winning Resume

Resume Appearance

The overall appearance of your resume is also important. A sloppy looking resume will greatly lessen your chance of getting a job interview. The first thing that an employer, or personnel manager, evaluating your resume will notice is it's appearance. There are several different things that can be easily done to increase the overall appearance of your resume.

The first of these appearance factors is the paper that your resume is printed on. There are many different kinds of paper other than regular typing paper. You could make an improvement by using colored paper. I suggest a subdued color like tan, off-white, or gray.

Next, you could use a better grade of paper. Go to a local office supply store and examine the different types of writing paper. You'll notice some big differences. Pick out a nice looking, more expensive grade of paper for your resume.

The next thing to consider is the quality of the text that is typed onto the resume. Never use a low quality printer to type your resume. It's very important that you make sure the writing on your resume looks good. This means clean, crisp, and sharp looking letters.

A third aspect of your resume's appearance is more subjective. It takes into account such things as the letter spacing, how each section is arranged, and its overall appearance. Some resumes simply look better because of the way they have been designed. At the end of this report, you'll see an example of a properly prepared resume.

Never overcrowd the resume. Leave some "white space" so that important points can appear to “pop out.” Never submit a resume with handwritten corrections. You can highlight sections of a resume by using a different typeface or size or by using”bullets." If possible, use larger letters for the headings used in the separate sections of the resume.

Never try to be too fancy by using wild colors, cute graphics, and so forth. Don't be overly creative. A simple, straightforward, factual resume will do nicely. Make it stand out, but stay conservative.

Another phase of your resume's appearance is its accuracy. Make sure there are no misspelled words! Mistakes will create the wrong image. Your accuracy indicates the quality of your work.

Make sure that the punctuation is correct. And make sure that all of your columns line up. See that all of your facts are correct. Don't say you attended 3 years of college, but only show two years worth of grades. Potential employers will note all inaccuracies and wonder why they appear in your resume.