Forget substance, this one’s all about style. Of your resume that is.
It’s always good to stand out and make a positive impression. When entering the workforce, you should strive to be creative, unique, and let your individual skills shine.
While most people know not to use scented paper, graphics, colors, or Comic Sans fonts, here are a few additional tips on how to write an effective resume from our friends at ResumeTemplates101.
Resume fonts & sizes:
- The most common font to use is Times New Roman, in black and size 12 points.
- Other serif fonts (with tails) to consider that are easy to read include: Georgie, Bell MT, Goudy Old Style, Garamond.
- Popular sans serif (no tails) fonts include Arial, Tahoma, Century Gothic, and Lucida Sans.
- Any of the above fonts would be reasonable for a resume as long as you consistently use one font only.
- Make your headings and name stand out, think of your resume like a blog post or newspaper article.
- Make headlines bold, Italicise, CAPITALISE, or underline. And feel free to increase the font size to 14-16 points.
- Try and keep your resume to one page, leave the reader wanting to know more.
Resume formats:
Resume formats are a bit more debatable than resume font or size. But, obviously, you want the most important information first.
- Contact information. List your full name, address, and contact information at the top of the page. You should center the information and be sure to bold and CAPITALIZE your name.
- Value statement. State the role you are applying for and what values you bring to the job. Objectives state what you are trying to accomplish, value statements explain why you should be hired.
- Core strength. List industry keywords and specific skill-sets that pertain to your job and industry. This is a high-level overview of your qualifications and industry knowledge.
- Experience. However, if education is not the strongest component of your resume, go ahead and list your experience first, starting with your most current job and all your responsibilities.
- Education. Clearly state your schooling from the most recent institution you’ve attended, with all dates, locations, and certifications received.
- Honors & Awards. After education and experience, you can list your professional skills and any relevant awards or certifications.
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