Your resume is one of the most important elements in the job application process. This is the document that will determine whether your potential employer would like to speak with you. As such it is very important to have a good resume. I've seen countless instances of resumes prepared at home that honestly just don't cut it. In today's job market having a resume that clearly stands out is the key. I always say your resume is a place to brag a little and show off your accomplishments, achievement and hard work. There is nothing wrong with doing this as long as it is all true and based on facts. I am not a big advocate or proponent of what I would define as a "broad" or "general" resume where no real details are provided as to what you really accomplished and what kind of duties you were responsible for. As an employer why would I schedule an interview with someone who lists 3-6 bullets of some general information about their duties versus someone who listed 12 items detailing their experiences, how they interacted with other people and departments, what they learned, what they were responsible for and so on. All of these points and details make you stand out from the crowd and will eventually become talking points during an interview.

The appearance of your resume is also very important. I can offer you the following tips on how to make your resume look polished and professional:

1. Do not use multiple fonts and font sizes on your resume. Limit font variations and sizes to two at the most.

2. Try to fit your resume on one page if you can but having it span across a page and half or more should be fine too, but don't go over two pages!

3. Make sure your resume bullet points, paragraphs and heading are aligned correctly on the page, you don't want to have parts of the resume text sticking out of the general flow of text, use a ruler to make sure all text is straight.

4. Spell check your resume before sending it and have a friend or relative proof read it for you multiple times to avoid any embarrassing errors.

5. Make sure you are consistent with your job history and dates of employment. You should remember what dates you put on the resume. You don't want to have an awkward situation when the employer questions your job history and your response is different from your resume.

6. Avoid any gaps in employment history if possible. If you have a gap don't list it on your resume but be prepared to address it during an interview (in detail)

7. Make sure your include an Objective. This should tell your employer what job you're applying for.

8. Double check your personal contact information such as telephone number and email address.

9. If you're not confident in your resume writing skills or just don't like the way it looks ask for help or hire a professional resume writer.

In closing I would recommend that you "speak through your resume" in details and not in broad terms, by doing so you will be different from all the other prospects that are competing with you for the same position.

Jake

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