Whenever a friend, client, or family member asks me to look at their resume, the phrase, “I want it to be perfect” always appears in their plea for help. The is just a little problem; there is no PERFECT resume. This troubling fact is what keeps at least 3 “evolving” resumes on my desktop all the time. So, what are your, future, employers looking for in a resume? Here is a short list of hints:
1) Consistency: Make sure your lists, sentences, and dates all have the same look.
- If you use May 2010 once, don’t use 5/2010 somewhere else.
- If you are using lists, just use lists, if you are using sentences, only use sentences.
2) Length: Even if you have been in the work world for 30 years, keep your resume at 1 page.
- For teachers, fine artists, and free-lancers you might look into preparing a CV/Curriculum Vitae
- i. Here is an example: http://jobsearch.about.com/od/cvsamples/l/blcvsamp3.htm
- For those just out of college, you no longer need to include high-school clubs and sports teams. Your future employer wants to know what you were doing during college.
3) Contact information: Please have a friend look at your resume and dial the phone number and e-mail the address you have written on your resume. How will an employer contact you if your phone number and e-mail address are incorrect .
Font/size: The two most widely used fonts are New Times Roman and Arial. Font size: 10-12. Resume screeners for large companies look at resume’s eight hours a day, every day. If they have to use a magnifying glass to read it, they might just put your resume to the side.
Adam Glendye, LAPC
aglendye@growcounseling .com
