Resume Format 101Once you have nailed down where you will submit your resume, you want to start planning your resume format. What do I mean by resume format? Actually, two things: 1. The font and paper selections you make. 2. The layout of the information on the page. If these two don't seem like a big deal, try reading anything done in black ink on bright pink paper in 8pt Arial Narrow font. Do your eyes hurt yet? Mine do just thinking about it. Paper When you are choosing a paper for your resume, the minimum quality is white, 20 pound bond. This is essentially standard copy paper. However, you can use a thicker bond and soft neutral colors like gray and cream. Even a soft pink or blue wouldn't hurt, so long as it is a very soft, understated color. These types of paper give the reader the sense that care and thought was put into the resume. It also shows that you understand the importance of presenting yourself, whether in person or on paper, in the best possible way. So, invest in a small package of heavy bond letter paper. Find it at your local office supply store for about $8.00 for 100 sheets. Font The size and type of font used in a resume determine how easy it is to read. If an employer has to struggle to read the print, you can be sure yours is going in the circular file. Not what you want. So, the key is to make the content easy to read. The two most commonly used fonts are Arial and Times New Roman. Times New Roman has the advantage of being a serif typeface. This means the letters have that little tail that seems to guide the eye from word to word, down the page. Times New Roman has been shown to be easier for most people to read. However, in this day and age, with the internet such a pervasive force, Arial has found more acceptance. It is gaining in popularity with Times New Roman. Both of these are acceptable fonts to use. Just make sure you make the font large enough. Anything under 12pt. will cause eye strain. It is not worth shrinking the font to save paper if doing so costs you that dream job. Now that we've got that out of the way, let's look at the elements of good formatting. When you are creating a resume format or CV, there are a few formatting issues that matter. A lot. 1. White space. White Space This refers to the space on the page NOT covered in type. If a page is too cluttered, it discourages reading. This is exactly what you DON'T want. So, put some white space in there! What does this mean? It means to double space between sections. It means to have empty space immediately after your letterhead heading. When we read, our eyes need a place to rest. We naturally feel more comfortable and have an easier time reading text with white space. Think of it as resting places for your potential employer's eyes. Give him or her plenty of it. Bullet Points When you list information, you want it to be easy to read. The easier your resume is to read, the better chance it has of making it past the trash can. Bullet points draw the eye to a list. For instance, if you have experience in bookkeeping, your list might look like this: accounts payable accounts receivable tax preparation file management As you can see, without bullet points, the list confuses the eye. However, if you simply add bullets:
Your eye has no trouble working down the list. *WARNING*There is no reason to get too fancy with bullet points. In fact, if you get too elaborate, you reduce the odds of being read instead of the other way around. As in most of life, keep it simple. Consistency The final, and most important aspect of your resume format is consistency. This means that if you capitalize your title once, you should capitalize it each time it is repeated. In the case of our bulleted list above, for example, none of the words are capitalized. However, what about this:
Doesn't make much sense, does it? There is no rhyme or reason. The same applies for spelling. If you spell a word, such as "colour" with the "u" once, spell it that way each time. Changing to "color" will break the consistency of the text and distract the reader. Your reader is someone you want to impress. Consistency applies to layout, also. Make sure that if you do something one way in the beginning of the document, you do it that way throughout. Address these resume format issues and you are on your way to a great resume. What now? Return to the Career Plan main page or Return to Career Tools HQ Home from Resume Format
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