4 Ways to Instantly Improve Resumes

Your resume is often your first point of contact with a prospective employer; it is critical your resume makes the right impression. Remember, an employer is likely to have a number of resumes to review. You need to stand out so it is you they call for an interview.

Fonts
Choose a plain font type and a reasonable font size so that your resume is easy to read on screen or on paper. Ariel is a clear font type, and size 11pt or 12pt is a good size. Line spacing at 1.5 lines also improves readability.

Keep your choice of fonts and sizes consistent throughout the document. If you want something to stand out use bold or underline. A variety of font types and sizes will make the resume look messy and make it harder to read.

Layout
Your resume is not an essay, so it should not look like a continuous slab of text. Start your resume with your name and contact details, laid out in point form. Break the body of your resume up with headings, such as: 'Employment History', 'Education', 'Interests' and 'Referees'.

Keep the details you provide in your resume as short and to the point as possible. The duties you list under each job should be laid out in point form and should be kept brief. Your resume is not an opportunity to display beautiful prose; it is a chance to show prospective employers that you can write clearly and concisely. When an employer scans a resume they are looking for specific experience and attributes, make sure it is easy for them to find this information.

Try to keep your resume to 3-4 pages at maximum. Remember to use key words that fit the role you are applying for so that a quick scan of your resume will still catch the reader's attention.

Transparency
You need to be as honest and transparent in your resume as possible. A trained resume reviewer will look for gaps in your history. If you have taken time off work, it is best to include an explanation, e.g. travel.
You may or may not get a chance to explain gaps in an interview so it is better to pre-empt the objection and not leave gaps in the resume in the first place.

Most people will also spot anything that looks vague or ambiguous. Make sure your titles clearly reflect the roles you have performed and that the duties you list make it easy to understand the sort of tasks you undertook.

Be honest. If you lie in your resume you are likely to get caught out through reference checking or through a slip up of your own in an interview. Remember, it is to your own advantage to be honest about your experience so you do not end up in a role that is not suited to you.

Proofreading
Proofread your resume before you send it to a prospective employer. Any spelling or grammatical errors could lead the person reading the resume to think you lack attention to detail and question your ability to produce quality work in the role you are applying for. Sloppy resumes also show a general lack of respect for the person/company you have submitted the resume to.

Whenever you make any changes to your resume, make sure you proofread it again; you need to make sure that any changes or additions to your resume do not contradict any prior information or make the resume look inconsistent in any way.

Show prospective employers that you value their time in reviewing your resume by making it easy to read. Ensure they are able to quickly match you to their job criteria by using key words that are not lost in excessively long sentences or blocks of text. Finally, inspire confidence by providing a resume without gaps or spelling and grammar errors, so that the reader decides to spend further time with you via an interview.

If you require help in producing a clear and well presented resume, contact Shandel's Proofreading Services. We draw on years of experience in the recruitment industry to formulate premium resumes so you can make the right impression on prospective employers.