by Heather-Leigh

Created on: May 06, 2008

Nobody likes to be judged by his/her appearance. But when others know nothing about you, they form a perception about you and your abilities based on your cover letter or resume. Make sure that these documents market you in the best possible way.

If you are mailing your resume, use quality stationery in a conservative color. Hot pink stands out, but it may for the wrong reasons. Your envelope needs to match the letterhead. Don't use lots of fonts, pictures, or clipart on your resume.

If you are submitting your resume online, create a web version. Type your document in notepad and use basic formatting. If you use special characters, formatting, and bullets from a word processor, they don't translate well to web resume software that many HR firms use. (The one that we use at work inserts squiggles and squares for special characters.) You want your document to look good when it's received.

Spell check your final document. Then proofread it several times. Make sure that it has your name, email address, and phone number. Make sure that your job titles and all dates are correct. Make sure that your education and skills are correct.

Many companies use software to scan the resumes for the first round of eliminations. To get past the first gatekeeper, make sure that you include words that are in the job description or ad.

Make sure that your document is formatted correctly. Use even margins on all sides. Break text up into sections with headings, subheadings, and bullets. Don't use tiny fonts and dense paragraphs. You want them to read your document. Don't make it difficult for the reader.

When you're finished, proofread it again. (I had a student who was dejected after sending out hundreds of resumes and not receiving any feedback. He later realized that he left his phone number and email off the correspondence.) Get a neutral person to proofread it for you.

I work in an IT department, and I hire technical writers. If the resume is riddled with grammatical or spelling errors, the person doesn't get the interview. If you can't take the time to proofread your own work, what kind of work are you going to do for my company? (Many times for contracted positions, the person's firm submits the resume. If someone is submitting a resume on your behalf, make sure that you're okay with the format and content. You don't want someone else's typos affecting your employability.)

Your resume is your marketing material. Make sure that it speaks on your behalf.

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