• KEEP IT SIMPLE: Nothing turns off a potential employer faster than someone who uses too many fancy fonts, colors, or graphic embellishments in his or her resume. It too often comes off as if one is trying to cover up something lacking in the substance of the resume. Remember that it is what is in the text that counts—the organization and substance of the content. Full-color graphics, digitized pictures, and the like are nice to look at, but anything gimmicky will usually have a quick date with the trash bin. A nice simple font, or at most two complimentary ones, will do the job nicely.
• DOUBLE CHECK FOR ACCURACY: Correction: one thing turns off a potential employer faster, and this is it. Over 70% of a group of Personnel Managers in a survey once said that when they encountered a spelling mistake, punctuation error, or other careless error in a resume, that resume went into the trash can without a second thought. Avoid anything handwritten on the resume at all costs.
• BE CONCISE and APPROPRIATE: Remember that Personnel can look through hundreds of resumes in a day. Your resume should stand out like an oasis in the desert, not like a sore thumb. Try to determine which questions your potential employer would ask, and answer these questions succinctly. Be precise and avoid anything vague. The best resumes are those longer than 3/4 of a page, but shorter than 2 or 3 pages. A garrulous personality and a sense of humor are nice, but these are better left for the interview.
• SELL YOURSELF: Don't be afraid to take space to effectively illustrate your accomplishments and experiences. Don't exagerrate or lie; just tell it like it is in your own words. Add more headings if you need them, e.g., military experience, professional memberships, publications, languages, portfolio, etc.
• PRESENT A PROFESSIONAL APPEARANCE: This means printing out the resume using a high-quality laser printer or typesetter. It should be on good quality bond paper, at least 20 weight. The best color is white, but other colors such as buff, creme, or a very light gray are also usually acceptable. Make sure that the envelope and cover letter paper match. Use 8.5 x 11 paper. Make sure the type on the envelope matches the type on the resume; little details like this are important. Finally, affix proper postage, and mail it.
