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3
Little Resume Things
By Kevin
Donlin, CollegeRecruiter.com
It's the
little things that can add up to create a resume that opens doors
for you ... or slams them in your face.
Let's shoot
for that first option, OK?
Here are
three "little things" to watch out for in your resume to
make sure you're putting your best foot forward, sticking that
foot in the door and generating job interviews!
Be
consistent
In your use
of punctuation, abbreviations, job titles, etc., it's important to
set a pattern and follow it consistently as you write your resume.
For
example, you should either abbreviate all state names the same way
(MN, CA or Minn., Calif.), or write them all out in full. Don't
alternate between the two.
Failure to
be consistent will distract readers and ruin the impression you're
trying to make.
Exercise
restraint
When it
comes to choosing the fonts, bullet points and other design
elements in your resume, less is usually more.
Don't
overwhelm readers with a half dozen fonts, heavy italics, all
capital letters or pink paper -- all of which I've actually seen.
Unless
you're applying for a position as a rodeo clown or cake decorator,
keep your creativity in check. Focus much more on high-quality
wording than mind-blowing design.
Limit
the length
There are
other resume writers who say a three-page resume is OK, but
because I've offered my clients an unconditional money-back
guarantee since 1996, I have to go with what works.
So I insist
on two pages as the maximum length for 99.9% of all resumes.
Note:
curriculum vitae, used in Europe and by some professionals in
North America, can run up to five pages, but I'm talking about
resumes here. The only people who will read your five-page resume
all the way through are you and your mother.
As a
seasoned recruiting professional once told me: "The goal
isn't to hit them over the head with everything you've ever done.
The goal is to get a job interview."
I pay close
attention to these three things -- consistent writing style,
restrained layout and a two-page maximum length -- in the dozens
of resumes I write every month. When it comes to the most
important resume in the world -- yours -- you should, too.
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