ALUM-TO-ALUM CAREERCENTER EVENTS STAYCONNECTED ALUMNICOUNCIL NEWS MEMBERBENEFITS

PREPARE & DEVELOP JOB SEARCH

Build Your Resume

Resume Style | Print vs. Electronic | Write | FORMAT & REVIEW

Always ask a friend or colleague to proof any document you are sending to a potential employer. Your resume format is just as important as the content. Use the following checklist to format and proofread your resume.

Paper Resumes

Length

• Try to keep your resume to one page
• For seasoned professionals, your resume may be two pages, but not more
• If your resume is more than one page, include your name and "page 2" at the top of the second page

Paper

• Use bond paper in conservative colors or light gray
• Print your resume, reference sheets and cover letter on same style paper
• The resume should be laser printed or typeset

Margins

• Use standardized margins
• Typically the top margin is 1 inch and the other 3 sides are 1.5 inches
• You may also use 1 inch margins on all sides

Bolding

• Bold key words such as your name, the name of your university and job titles
• Highlight items using bold face rather than changing fonts

Bulleting

• Use bullets to set off your accomplishments
• Use the same bullet style throughout
• Align all bullets
• Limit bulleted information to 1-2 lines
• Don't use bullets in one place and numbers in another

Plain Text Resumes

Format

• Open your existing resume document with a word processing program
• Save it as a text or ASCII file
• ASCII files will eliminate formatting codes and will disable the word wrap function
• Edit your resume using Notepad for Windows or Simpletext for Macintosh
• Highlight key words in your document

Length

• A line should hold only 65 characters
• Count characters on each line
• Limit your resume to one page

Print Type

• Use a standard-width typeface, such as Courier
• Times New Roman is not a standard-width typeface, so 65 of its characters might not translate to the 65 of the reviewer's characters
• Use dashes (- -) or asterisk (*) in place of bullets
• Use the same style throughout
• Limit bulleted information to one or two lines

Your Address

• Omit your home address. Once you post your resume online, the information is public to anyone.

For additional tips on converting your resume to plain text and cleaning it up for maximum readability and impact, refer to our section on Print vs. Electronic Resumes.

© 2002 Johnson & Wales University. All rights reserved.