Resume- At A Glance

Posted October 3, 2013 & filed under Interviewing

Employers typically look at a resume for no more than 10-20 seconds. They give the resume a quick scan and spot all the information they are looking for. The applicant should present the resume with this knowledge. Making a resume stand out and still following the “unofficial guidelines” to making it “glance-worthy” is extremely crucial. The following is what should be included on the resume and tips for making the resume get past the “glance test”.

Header

• Name
  -Bolding the name will make it stand out
• Address
• Phone
• Email

Objective and Summary

• Avoid using a long and wordy objective statement
• Accomplishments should be brief and include major statistics of what you’ve done previously. Time or cost saving stats are a great example.

Education

• Degree
  -The degree is the most important part of the education section. It should be at the top and bolded.
• College name
• City and State
• GPA- This is a great bonus to add to a resume
• Any schools which a degree hasn’t been received probably shouldn’t be included

Certifications

• It helps to list these separate from education

Computer Skills

• Proficient in
• Knowledge of
• Familiar with
• Any computer skills achieved that fall into these categories are important to list

Experience

• Job title
  -Bolded
• Dates worked
• Company
• City and State
• Details/Duties- avoid paragraphs, list in bullets, and keep short and to the point
• Make sure to list any uniqueness and facts that stand out

Clubs and Organizations

• These could be a major factor when it comes down to it. Employers are often interested (especially when they are having a hard time deciding between two candidates) in what the applicant’s free time is like. It gives a sense of their personality.

Other Tips to Know

• Keep it between 1-2 pages… if possible
• Keep underlining and italicizing to a minimum
• The font should be between 10-12 point font
• Stick with basic fonts: Arial, Times New Roman, Verdana
• Check for spelling and grammar

By: Kaitlin Daniel