If you've been looking for a job and haven’t had any success, it might be time to take a critical look at your resume. Remember, this is a marketing document that needs to hook your reader immediately and eventually make the hiring manager want to get to know you.
Job seeker, stop lamenting about the job market and focus on something you can change - your resume. A quick update may be just the fix you need to put you ahead of the competition.
Style
Don’t get too fussy with your design. The most effective resume employs a basis visual style. Use a common serif font such as Time New Roman in 11 or 12 points. Your name should be in a font that is a little larger than the rest of the resume. Furthermore, headers should stand out in some way, so consider bolding and capitalizing them. As a rule, keep your resume visually uncluttered.
Header
Begin your resume with an address header. Design the header to also serve as the letterhead for your cover letter. Additionally, you can easily cut and paste it onto any follow-up correspondence with the targeted company (what follow-up correspondence, you ask? Remember, always write a thank you after an interview and include pertinent details from your interview for a personal touch.). Using the same letterhead will make for a professional presentation.
The header consists of your full name, address, phone number, and email address. If you go by a common nickname, such as Jim for James, Dan for Daniel, or Becki for Rebecca, then use that on your resume. If you don’t do this, your new boss will forever call you by your formal name.
Only include one phone number on your header. You don’t want to give the hiring manager too many options on how to contact you. Also, make sure your email address sounds professional. If your home email has forever been honeypiebear@home because that’s your pet name, sign-up with one of the free email services during your job search.