The Six Cardinal Rules of Résumé Writing

Fred Runyan didn't want to be left holding the bag when the Northern California-based management consulting firm he worked for completed a pending merger. After 10 years with the firm, the senior consultant knew there would be big staffing changes ahead, and decided to explore opportunities elsewhere.

He needed a résumé, though, so he shuffled through his desk to find the one he'd used to land his current job. He thought a few paragraphs about his decade-worth of consulting assignments would update it sufficiently, so he jotted them down. Next, he dug up a résumé he'd received six years ago that had an attractive format.

He handed the revisions and original copy to his secretary and asked her to make the finished version look like the sample. In an hour, his new resume was done and he felt ready to interview.

Six months later, Mr. Runyan was still waiting for an invitation to interview. He'd received a few phone calls from employers, but nothing more. Discouraged and confused, he didn't know why the response to his mailings was so poor. He had worked for good companies, held responsible management positions and delivered strong results. Couldn't prospective employers see that when they reviewed his résumé?

Apparently not. By not thoughtfully redrafting his document, Mr. Runyan failed to address key issues of résumé-writing, according to résumé writers and career coaches nationwide. To ensure your resume makes the best possible impression, it's essential to meet six challenges regarding its presentation, format and content. These challenges and resume writers' advice on solving them follow.

1. Presentation

You'll need both a print and an electronic version of your résumé. Each version has different visual issues.

Your print resume is considered your primary marketing document and its appearance is critical. To survive next to those of hundreds of equally qualified candidates, it must look sharp and dynamic. Don't have it typed on an outdated word processor and printed onto plain bond paper, as Mr. Runyan did, and don't model it after résumés from years back, says Martin Yate, author of "Resumes That Knock 'Em Dead" (Adams Media Corp., 2000). "Your résumé must be current in its style, format and tone," he says.

Give your document an up-to-date style that attracts attention. This doesn't mean using an italic typeface, cute logos or an outrageous paper color. Instead, be conservatively distinctive. Choose a sharp-looking typeface such as Bookman, Soutane, Krone or Fritz, or, if your font selection is limited, the more prevalent Times Roman, Helvetica or Arial typefaces.

Unless you're seeking a position as a graphic artist, don't put logos or artwork on your resume. However, using horizontal rules to separate sections can give it an upscale look.

Your choice of paper color isn't important, as long as it's conservative--white, ivory or light gray. However, a little creativity is permitted. For instance, consider using light gray paper with a white border or light ivory with a darker ivory border. This is a classy treatment that attracts favorable notice.

Electronic résumé are "Plain Janes" that don't need boldface, underlining or other type enhancements. In fact, using such embellishments may make an e-résumé harder to read once it's transmitted. If you need to emphasize a word, use capital letters to make it stand out, says Tracy Bumpus, executive director of RezAmaze.com Career and Resume Services in Austin, Texas. Also use a simple typestyle and lots of white space for readability.

2. Format

Format shouldn't be your primary consideration when preparing a résumé. When Mr. Runyan saw a format he liked, he tried to manipulate his information to fit it. Other job hunters make the same mistake, says Don Orlando, owner of the McLean Group, a Montgomery, Ala., resume-writing firm. "You can't take an existing format and push your life into it," he says. "It simply won't work."

Decide on a résumé format after your text is prepared. Since each person's career history, achievements and academic credentials are unique, their resume format should be as well. Review other résumé for ideas, but craft your document to "sell" only you.

When you start writing, concentrate on marketing yourself and don't worry about the format. It's likely that when you're finished, the format you should use will become obvious. You'll just need to change headings or margins, insert rules, bold or italic type or edit sections to fit your information more comfortably onto a page.

If possible, adhere to these formatting guidelines:

• Don't expect readers to struggle through 10- to 15-line paragraphs. Substitute two or three shorter paragraphs or use bullets to offset new sentences and sections.
• Don't overdo bold and italic type. Excessive use of either defeats the purpose of these enhancements. For example, if half the type on a page is bold, nothing will stand out.
• Use nothing smaller than 10-point type. If you want employers to review your résumé, make sure they don't need a magnifying glass!
• Don't clutter your résumé. Everything you've heard about "white space" is true. Let your document "breathe" so readers won't have to struggle through it.
• Use an excellent printer. Smudged, faint, heavy or otherwise poor quality print will discourage red-eyed readers.

When preparing your electronic résumé, use these formatting rules:

• 1
• 2
• 3
• next »