•  Other Job Seeker Samples
• Résumés/Curriculum Vitae  (Résumé Tips)
• Cover Letters
  

• When you look at the original version of the sample résumé, the first thing that you may notice is how difficult it is to read because of the job seeker's choice of font (typeface). When creating a good résumé, it is important to choose an easy-to-read font so that people reading it will not become frustrated and toss the résumé aside.
• Some easy-to-read fonts include the following:
  

• For the main body of the résumé, the font should be no smaller than 9 pt and no larger than 12 pt for text.

• The most important piece of information in your résumé is your name. To make your name stand out, the size and boldness of the type of your name should be larger than the largest font used in the text of your résumé. Of course, it is also important that your name not take up too much valuable space. Therefore, the font size of your name probably should be no larger than 22 pt.
• If your résumé is more than one page, it is essential that a header with your name and contact information be located at the top of every page. You should also include a page number (as a header or a footer) in case the successive pages become separated from the first page.
• Be sure to remember to use degree/diploma/certificate abbreviations after your name if you have them. You worked hard to get them, so don't be shy about listing them.

• As you can see in the original version of the résumé, the job seeker's name and address take up a lot of valuable space on the page. To avoid this, simply create a header.
• If it still looks cluttered at the top of the page even after using a header, you can create a header that contains just your name and a footer at the bottom of the page for your address information.

• In Paige R. Wilson's original version of her résumé, she listed her job experience and volunteer experience before her education. However, as you can see by her résumé, she has very little job experience.
• When creating a résumé, it is always necessary to put your best foot forward. That means to put your strengths first. Therefore, in Paige's case, information about her education should be listed before her job experience and volunteer experience. As Paige gains more experience in the workplace, eventually her job experience will come first and information about her education will be bumped further down the page.

• At the top of your résumé, it is a good idea to write a few sentences about yourself that will entice a potential employer to read the rest of your résumé.
• This information may include some personality characteristics and special skills that you possess that may not be obvious from your previous job experience.
• Remember to keep this information relevant to the job you are interested in.

• A potential employer will become frustrated and even confused when reading a résumé filled with every little detail about a job seeker's life. Therefore, any information that is not relevant to the job you are seeking should be omitted.
• Examples of irrelevant information in the original version of Paige R. Wilson's résumé: Since Paige R. Wilson is a teacher, her summer job experience as a hostess, waitress, day camp counselor, and tour guide will not help her get a teaching job. Consequently, this information should be cut out. Also, the References section is not necessary to include unless otherwise requested.

• If you compare the length of the original and edited versions of Paige R. Wilson's résumé, you will notice that the edited version is longer. This may seem confusing since we just finished talking about how important it is to streamline your résumé. However, the major difference between the two versions is that the edited version does not include any irrelevant information, but does include important information that she neglected to mention in the original version.
• In the edited version of Paige R. Wilson's résumé, you will notice that she included a brief description of each job. This will give your potential employer a better idea of what you are capable of.
• When writing job descriptions, remember to do the following:
  1. Be brief.
  2. Do not use personal pronouns such as I or me.
  3. Start your sentences with a verb, preferably a power verb. (Refer to edited version for examples.)
• Relevant information that was added to the edited version of Paige R. Wilson's résumé included the following: certificates, publications, awards and scholarships, staff development/continuing education, special skills, and affiliations.

• There is no excuse for spelling mistakes on a résumé. This sends a negative signal to your potential employer that you are careless. As hard to believe as it may sound, a simple spelling mistake may cost you a job.
• There are three spelling mistakes in the original version of the résumé. Can you spot them? expereince (experience); councilor (counselor); govenor (governor)

• Today, it is common for large companies to electronically scan the numerous résumés they receive in order to save time. Therefore, it is a good idea to make your résumé scannable, especially if you are submitting it to a large company. To make a résumé scannable, keep the following in mind:
  • Do not reverse block your name because a scanner may not be able to make the distinction between light and dark.
  • Avoid using underlining when creating résumés. If your résumé is scanned, words that are underlined may not be read properly by the scanner.
  • Use bullets that are solid, not hollow. A scanner may confuse a hollow bullet with a letter.
  • Use an easy-to-read font and an appropriate font size.

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