I’ve looked at hundreds and hundreds… and… well… hundreds of resumes over the course of my 35+ year career. A resume is your first impression, and too many times people just slap words on a page and think that their careers speak for themselves. Then they wonder why they aren’t getting any calls for interviews.

Here are a few things I’ve learned over the years on how to make sure your first impression – your resume – gets you noticed.

Tip #1 – Formatting: If it’s hard to read… no one will read it.

Imagine you arrive at the interview for your dream job in rumpled clothes with food stains down the front of your shirt. Unless you’re auditioning for a part in a play about dirty laundry, you probably won’t get a shot at the role… even if you’re the perfect person for it.

Your resume is the wardrobe of your career summary. It has to be appropriate to the position you are seeking, easy to look at, and easy to read. 

First off, make sure there is plenty of white space. Margins do matter, people! I cannot tell you how many resumes I’ve reviewed that have no margins. The words literally run off the page as if they are trying to escape the visual chaos. Or a potential job seeker has crammed too many lines on the page, the professional experience section spilling right into the education section with not even a hair of a space between them. If you need two pages for your resume, use two pages. If you think you need more than two pages, unless you’re in a field where a longer CV is required (like college faculty), edit until you’re on two pages or less with proper margins and spacing.

Next, choose fonts wisely. If you do an Internet search for “best fonts for resumes” you will get some great ideas on what will work best for you. I also suggest searching for sample resumes of individuals in your field and seeing what fonts they use. And remember, no one thinks Comic Sans is appropriate for a resume. No one. 

The size of your font is important too. I don’t like to go below 10-point font (though 11-point is better) because type that is too small is just as bad as minimal margins. The objective is to have someone read your resume, so make sure it is legible. If it looks like you will need a secret decoder ring or a magnifying glass to decipher your letters and words, your font is too small.

Layout is another important consideration. There is no “one perfect layout,” so you have options. Again, I would suggest examining sample resumes in your field to find layouts that might match not only your style but also the preferences of the hiring manager. 

A resume is more than just a summary of your career and skills. It is a visual representation of your ability to communicate, present yourself well, and remain organized. Choose its look wisely.

Tip #2 – Language: It’s an adventure story, not a lullaby.

Your resume should wake up a hiring manager, not put her to sleep. Use action-oriented words. Be brief but make an impact. There is no prize for packing extra words into your career history.

Instead of this:  “Helped management achieve corporate goals and surpass them through facilitation of quality work from employees whom I managed and who had fewer than seven years of experience.”

Snore….

Try this instead: “Led team of 12 entry- and mid-level professionals to exceed corporate goals by 75%.”

Cut to the chase and do it with as few action-packed words as possible. Did you help management meet its goals or did you lead a team to exceed goals? “Helped” is nebulous. “Led” demonstrates activity and influence.  If you were the team’s leader, say so.

This is a good time to talk about humility, which is an admirable trait, but your resume is no place to downplay your abilities and achievements. If you are having trouble taking credit for and showcasing the work you have done, pretend you are writing the resume for someone else. Or, better yet, have someone else write (or at least review) your resume. Those in positions to hire staff do not have the time to dig into what you have done and try to tease out where you deserve praise. You need to show them – front and center – what an asset you have been to previous employers and how you can be an asset to them.

Tip #3 – Search Terms: It’s all about the algorithms.

While we are talking about words, choose yours not only to put your best foot forward but also to match the language you find in the job postings. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay, and many companies use it to screen resumes. If you are not getting calls for jobs for which you are clearly qualified it might be because you are not using the same language as the “bot” that is combing through all the applicants’ submissions looking for certain words and phrases. 

For example, let’s say you are seeking a role that requires experience with StatisticalX, a data analysis software (that I just made up), and you are so skilled your current co-workers call you “the StatisticalX guru.” You have found your dream job, one that is so perfect for you it seems they created it with you in mind, and the posting says “proficiency in StatisticalX required.” But in your resume and cover letter all you say is that you have “advanced skill in various statistical analysis software packages.” When AI screens your resume and doesn’t find StatisticalX it may kick your submission to the reject pile without a human being ever seeing it.

Study postings of jobs you would love to have and make sure you have included the same language in your resume and cover letter. Even if a hiring manager is not using AI, they will be scanning for key words and phrases to see if you are a match. Make it easy for them to see that you are. 

Tip #4 – Error-free: Proofread until it hurts… then do it one more time.

Once, many years ago, I was in a pretty intense job hunt and sending out resumes in a blizzard. For those of you born less than 30 years ago, I was actually sending resumes and cover letters on paper, in envelopes, with stamps! I know… the dark ages.

But I digress. I had a basic template for my cover letter and had to change only a few details on each before printing and sending. One of those details was the name of the organization to which I was applying. You see what’s coming next, don’t you? In one of my letters, I forgot to change the name of the potential employer, so, while I sent the letter to the ABC Organization, I addressed it to the LMN Organization. Believe it or not, they actually brought me in to meet with the hiring committee, a large group of people with very intimidating faces staring at me, and then they literally tossed my letter at me, my mistake circled, and asked me to explain myself. 

After I turned 14 shades of pink and apologized on my knees, I asked them why they brought me in for an interview. Are you ready for their answer? They thought it would be fun and never intended to hire me. This group of alleged professionals actually admitted that they brought me in for an interview so they could humiliate me. That is one job I am glad I never got.

That said, I blew my chance at being a serious candidate by not proofreading my work. Do not let that happen to you. Read your materials as if your very life depends on them being free of errors. And don’t just look for spelling and punctuation errors; also look for formatting errors. Have you indented sections in a consistent manner? Are you applying your fonts in a uniform way (same size font for headings, for example)? If you put periods at the end of every bullet point, have you missed any? If you list the first position in your career history as “title, employer, dates,” have you followed that pattern for all of your positions?

If you are not good at proofreading, ask someone who does have that talent to double-check you. Don’t leave anything to chance. Not getting a position you want because they hired a more qualified candidate is one thing. Losing the job of your dreams because of a spelling error in your resume is not only painful but also unnecessary.

Tip #5 – Honesty: It really is the best policy.

This one is easy, and I’m not going to spend a lot of time on it. Are you ready? Here’s the advice: Don’t lie. Just don’t do it.

If you managed a team of two don’t say it was a team of 20. If you increased sales by 57% don’t say “by nearly 100%.”

If you get caught you will regret it. It could cost you a job AND a career if word gets around that you are a liar.

So, tell the truth. It’s easier to remember, and it is really the only way to go if you want folks to know you have integrity.

Conclusion

Resumes come in all shapes and sizes. Your best bet is to find a format that works for you, matches the industry in which you wish to be employed, and follows the simple advice of:

• Make it easy to look at and read
• Use impactful language
• Remember to use terms that match the job postings and what employers are seeking
• Proofread to make sure it is error-free
• Tell the truth… always

Happy job hunting!