We cannot stress how important a well written resume is. Over and over again, we find that our clients decide if they are going to interview a candidate by quickly scanning their resume. We have several occasions where we had a great candidate only to find they wrote a poorly constructed resume, and were not interviewed. Your resume is the first impression an employer has about you. It is the initial advertisement of you, your experience and accomplishments. Employers feel that if a candidate cannot write a proper resume, it is a reflection of the type of employee they would be. Spend the time to write an appropriate resume. The following tips are suggestions for writing a resume.

Paper

When printing your resume for a job interview use plain white paper. Colored paper is not advisable.

Fonts/Format

Use a 10 or 12 point font size and use simple-to-read fonts. The most common fonts used are Arial, Times New Roman and Verdana. Bullet points and bolding are good to highlight key information. An easy to read resume will get noticed and the greater the chances it will be read. Proof read your resume several times for spelling and grammar errors. Resumes should never have any errors.

Length

Some people will tell you to keep your resume to one page. This is fine if you only have a few jobs to list. For candidates who have been in the industry for several years, two pages is often more appropriate.

Contact Information

Your contact information should be on the top of your resume, centered. Be sure to list your address, cell phone number, and email address.

Objective

Sometimes it's better not to list an objective. If you are going to list one, be specific.

Professional Summary

This is an optional sub-heading but usually good to include. Give a brief description of actual qualifications and skills you have acquired and your strengths/accomplishments. List specific measurable accomplishments, and not just generalizations.

Education

List advanced degrees first. List your degree and the name and city of the university. List any industry related designations and all state bar licenses. Any education prior to attending a university is not necessary to list.

Employment History

State the name of the firm/company, city, state, title of position, and dates of employment. List employment history in reverse chronological order starting with our current or most recent employer.. Always list your dates of employment with month and year. For example, April 2005 - Present. Employers are skeptical of resumes without dates of employment listed. Write a paragraph about your job. Here is where you not only describe your job functions and duties, but also list projects, accomplishments, etc. It is very important to list accomplishments on a resume.

Accuracy, Accuracy, Accuracy

Remember if your employment dates, educational dates and other information are incorrect, it could result in no offer - or worse yet, a rescinded offer. Spelling and grammar are also part of accuracy. Check and double check for any spelling or grammatical errors. These types of resume errors are another main reason why candidates don’t get interviewed.

Software Formatting

Microsoft Word tends to be the preferred format for resumes although PDF formatted resumes are also acceptable.

A well-written resume will reward you. It is well worth the time!