The Myth of the Perfect Resume, and How to Create One You Can Tweak

The Myth of the Perfect Resume, and How to Create One You Can Tweak The Myth of the Perfect Resume, and How to Create One You Can Tweak 2 Undeniably, each resume you submit should be tailored to the situation and job youre applying for. And if you can nail the formatting, youre on the right track. Here’s how to put together a perfect resume that you can tweak for different  situations.   Figure out your format. For the most part, the format that you choose for your resume will largely depend upon what stage of your career you’re at. For example, an entry-level job candidate or recent grad might opt for a reverse-chronological resume, which is really considered a traditional resume. It includes, in descending order: contact info, a career objective line, professional experience, education, and other skills. A functional resume, on the other hand, has a different framework, focusing more on the skills and experience that satisfy the requirements of the job posting. This format can be great for hiding those pesky employment gaps, and help employers to quickly identify if the job seeker has the necessary qualifications for the position. Much like its name implies, a combination resume blends the best from both the reverse chronological and functional resumes. It starts on top with the summary of qualifications (which includes skills and experience that relate to the job), and is then followed by a listing of experience, education, and skills. Don’t forget your fonts! With so many fonts to choose from, you might be tempted to pick a pretty or artistic font to use on your resume. But experts agree that resume fonts should be simple and easy-to-read, since your application has to be legible for the applicant tracking system (ATS), which might reject your resume if the font is too flowery, for example. So even if you’re a diehard Lucida Handwriting fan, opt for more traditional typefaces instead, such as Calibri, Cambria, Times New Roman, Verdana, and Arial. Size up the sizing. Sure, you want to pack a lot of info on your resume, but reducing the typeface to 6pt isn’t going to cut it. The standard size font to use is 12pt- if you need to squeeze in a little more info, you can drop down to 10.5, but no lower, since it will make your resume harder to read. If you’re still running out of space, it might be a good idea to give your resume a read through to see what information you can eliminate. Keep it current. When you go to list your previous work experiences, keep dates in mind. You don’t want to include prior work that’s over 10-15 years old (unless, of course, you’ve been working in the same job for that length of time). Adding older jobs on your resume can confuse a potential boss- they might think that you don’t have enough relatable work experience for the job, and it’s also going to make your resume way too long. Remember, employers want to know about your current work experience, not stuff you did back in the 80s or 90s. Edit your work. Sometimes, spending too much time reading, writing, and revising your resume can make you blind to big ol’ errors, like misspellings or other grammatical errors. Before submitting your resume online, take some to do some serious resume editing. Start by reading it aloud- it can help you catch mistakes that you might miss by scanning it instead. If possible, have someone else proofread it as well. That way, your talents- and not your typos- will shine. Check Out More Resume Tips