How to Make Sure Your Resume Gets Read

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You’ve probably spent a lot of time thinking about the content of your resume, from job descriptions to what keywords to use to help catch a recruiter’s eye. But have you thought about how all of your details will look on the page? A well-designed resume doesn’t just look good, it is also readable, which makes it easy for anyone reviewing your resume to scan and find information. Readability is an element of good graphic design, but you don’t have to be a designer to make your resume easy on the eyes. Here are several tips that will help your resume get read:

Be consistent.
Stick to one or two fonts, and two or three typefaces to distinguish different types of information. (Bold for job titles, or italics for dates, for example.) Keep the point size between size 9 and size 12 and use a traditional font like Times New Roman or Helvetica. You can use a slightly bigger point size to emphasize important information such as the companies you’ve worked for. Use the tab key to make sure that information starts at the same place on the page from line to line.

Be logical.
Create a structure that makes sense, working from a template or an example if it helps you. Align things like company names, job titles, and descriptions of your duties on your resume so that your recruiter knows where to find the information he or she is looking for at a glance. A common format is to begin a line with your job title and company name, then use the tab key to put your employment dates at the end of the line. Your job description would go on a new line, perhaps with a bulleted list of accomplishments, before starting again on a new line with your next job. Make sure to list your most recent job first, and work backwards to your least recent.

Don’t crowd.
The best resumes are only one page long. Sometimes people like to get around this rule by making the page margins incredibly small, which means they can fit a page and a half ofinformation onto one page. But trying to read a resume like this is apt to give your recruiter a  headache. Instead, keep margins of at least .8 inches on all sides of your text. Consider the amount of whitespace between your text as well, and consider separating sections with a hard return.

Need more tips for improving your resume? At Burnett’s Staffing, helping you with your application materials is only one service we offer. We also help find a job that’s tailored to your unique abilities and desires. Contact one of our specialists to get started today!

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