How to Make Your Resume Rock, Not Flop

by Debra Wheatman on Jun 11, 2010 in Resume Writing, Resume Writing Advice

Strong content with an aesthetically pleasing format is by far the best way to generate interest and get the interview. Having written and reviewed thousands of resumes (over 10,000 at this point!) I am still amazed by how many common errors are made on resumes and cover letters – the kinds of errors that will immediately send your resume to the trashcan. Making your resume ‘reader-friendly’ complemented by a strong proofreading (resulting in zero errors) will solidify your first place position in the interview line.

Opening Paragraph: A good way to help the reader understand the difference between responsibilities and achievements is to separate the information into a bullet point and paragraph style. The paragraph part should come directly under the titles of your positions. The paragraph should consist of 5-6 lines of information that provide a brief understanding of what you do; and for smaller companies, I recommend adding something about the business so the reader gains information about the nature of the company and industry.

Bullet Points: After you draft your paragraph you should have key achievements – these are the bullets. The reader will be drawn to this information where you will provide examples of the work completed and the outcome. Where possible, make sure that there are metrics to support your work. I don’t advise a bullet that is longer than three lines. If it is getting that long, consider a sub bullet to talk about the project in further detail. For each main bullet, I recommend two sub bullets so the information looks complete.

Size Matters: Do not try to cram all of your information onto one page. If you have enough content for a 1.5- or 2-page document, go for it. There is nothing worse than trying to read a resume as if you are reading the fine print on a sweepstakes. You want to engage the reader, not send them to a Duane Reade for reading glasses. If the font is too small, your resume will quickly make its way to the ‘No’ pile.

Formatting Fiasco: The overabundant use of formatting will not score you any points. You want the resume to be aesthetically pleasing and easy to read. I understand you want to make sure you stand out; but, preparing your resume with a lot of glitz (aka underline, bold, italics) is distracting. The resume should be professional and not overly busy.

Inconsistent Use of Punctuation: To have a serial comma or not, that is the question. If you use it, make sure you use it everywhere. Consistency is king (or queen as the case may be) on your resume. Using periods at the ends of your bullets? Fine. But they need to be everywhere. Same rules apply for numbers. Make sure that you present them in a consistent manner. My general rule of thumb is to write out numbers under ten; for numbers over 10 I use the numeric equivalent.

Capitalizing on Capitalization: Proper nouns should be capitalized. Period.

Widows and orphans: If you have one word on a line by itself rewrite it so that it is on one line only or add additional words so that it extends onto the second line. It looks strange to have only one word on a line.

I repeat myself under stress; I repeat myself under stress: Repetitive word use in your resume is BORING. Get a thesaurus or go online and choose different words that mean the same thing. Select verbs that are exciting and allow your audience to learn how interesting and compelling you are as a candidate.

Spelling (sp) Errors: Nothing screams careless like spelling errors. Spell check is not enough. Check your work and double check it. Read it backwards to catch those spelling errors that are trying to slip past you!! Get another set of eyes. Get it right.

Until they meet you and find out how wonderful and engaging you are – your resume is your representative and the definitive gateway to the interview.