Final Thoughts
- Keep your resume short! One page should suffice.
- Proper spelling is paramount. A perfectly wonderful resume will be overlooked if it has
spelling errors. Keep a dictionary by your side and have your resume read by several
friends (who can spell). A spell checker on a word processor is a good way to rough out
spelling errors but don't rely on it totally. It can't detect words that have been used
improperly (e.g., "if" in place of "in"); good grammar is essential.
- Keep your descriptions crisp and clear. A short phrase like: "created a database
system to handle an inventory of over 2200 items" is better than long expository
statements.
- Strive for balance. Visually attractive resumes command more reading time than cluttered
pages filled with big blocks of print. White space is welcome as long as it does not
consume too much of the page.
- Be professional, packaging counts! Good quality bond paper is essential. Colorful
resumes are eye-catching but often inappropriate, sticking to white or buff or some other
neutral shade is the best approach.
- Avoid the appearance of a photocopied resume. Having your resume typeset by a commercial
printer is the most professional option, though more costly and difficult to make
modifications. Laser or ink jet printed resumes are appropriate. When using a word
processor to typeset and reproduce your resume, you must use a letter quality printer
(e.g., the laser printer) and not a dot matrix. With a word processor you can experiment
with different formats, you can experiment with various type faces, you can store your
resume for future revisions. You can also tailor your resume to fit a particular job. As a
side note, avoid the temptation of using multiple fonts in your resume -- this usually
makes the resume look cluttered and busy.
- Typeset or computer runoff -- whatever way you go, just be sure that your resume
represents you well; it is an employer's first impression of you.