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Tips for Keeping Your Resume Concise
One of the hardest things about writing a resume is that you
need to pack a lot of information into a small space. It's like
writing a telegram. That's especially hard because many of us
alive today have never even seen a telegram, let alone had to
write one!
One important step toward keeping your resume concise is to follow a
standard resume format. These formats
developed because they present relevant information in a tight, easy-to-scan format.
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"As a Human Resources professional, I look for resumes that are easy to read, concise,
and in an effective format. I prefer resumes no more than two pages long if appropriate, but don't pack your resume using small
print. First impressions go a long way."
- All Star Resume Consultant Linda Ballard,
National Director of Human Resources at Ernst & Young. |
Other ways to keep your resume in bounds are:
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Use verbs instead of nouns. Instead of writing "Responsible for ensuring accurate
and timely delivery of financial reports,"
write "Ensured accurate and timely delivery of financial reports," or – better yet –
"Guaranteed accurate and timely financial reports."
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Drop 'I' and other subject nouns when you can. Instead of "I was
responsible for..." write "Responsible for..."
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Use short, single words. Instead of "made an effort to," write "tried."
- Make up rules and follow them. For example, decide you won't list more than three bulleted items describing the
responsibilities for any one position.
'Short cuts' to avoid include:
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Don't over-use abbreviations. It's fine to use abbreviations that are widely used
and easily understood, like abbreviations for
states and academic degrees. Be careful, however, about using abbreviations for companies, organizations, work procedures, etc. An
employer scanning your resume might be curious enough about an abbreviation he or she doesn't understand to give you a call and ask
about it – or they might just use that confusion as a reason to toss your resume aside and move on to the next one in the pile.
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Don't use teeny-tiny or condensed fonts. You'll just make your resume hard to read.
The only thing employers like less than resumes
that are hard to read are applicants who submit resumes that are hard to read.
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Don't whittle away your margins. Try to keep at least a one inch border of blank space around the text in your resume. This makes
your resume more inviting to the reader's eye, and leaves room for the person reading it to make important notes
like, "Great background
for this project! Call her!!!" Besides, a page that's crowded up the very edge with words doesn't make you look
important – it makes you look insecure.
 Return to
the
Resume Writing Tips home page.
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