Resume Tips

In this section, many important points are covered to help you make the most out of your resume.

Making It Readable

Since resumes are often skimmed the first time through, it must be easy for the reader to pick up key pieces of information quickly. Using long paragraphs of over ten lines or using heavy blocks of text can cause readers to quickly put your resume aside.

Honesty

Throughout your resume you should be honest and accurate—but positive. Whatever is stated should be true, but you do not need to tell everything. Both in resumes and in interviews you have a right to withhold certain information.

Never claim to have a college degree if you don’t have one. Neither should you claim a degree from a college other than the one that bestowed it on you. This is the easiest information for employers to check. I know a person who was just 20 credits short of a degree and chose to indicate that he had the degree. He received an offer for a very good position, but it was rescinded after it was discovered he had lied.

For the same reasons, do not claim responsibilities that were not yours, nor job titles that would inflate your actual level of responsibility.

Also, do not exaggerate your accomplishments. There is virtually never a need to do so. Do your best to state your results as accurately as possible and in an interview, be prepared to discuss how you accomplished those results. Results do not have to be stupendous in order to mention them. Simply showing how you improved a procedure or process is good enough. The size of the improvement is less important than demonstrating that you are always looking for better ways to do things.

Do not claim that you did something when it was really done by someone else. If you were part of a team, then you can share in the results of the team. Emphasize your primary responsibilities and then describe both your specific results and the results of the team.

Of course, if you’re a supervisor, you can take credit for the successes of your team. In an interview be sure to describe your role in your team’s results, then show that you are a good supervisor by giving team members credit for the outcome and indicating that you couldn’t have done it without their teamwork, creativity, and energy.

What To Call It

It’s not necessary to type Resume, Qualifications Brief, Profile, or any other such title at the top of your resume. Everyone will know it’s a resume just by glancing at it.

Color And Type Of Paper

While paper is available in a variety of colors, textures, weights, and sizes, there are some standard guidelines you should follow. The color of paper you choose can definitely make a difference in the number of interviews you get. White is always a safe color, but my studies reveal that buff or off‑white paper provides even better results. (Keep in mind that if you believe the resume will be scanned it should be white or a very light off-white.)

The best paper I have found so far is the 20‑ or 24‑pound classic linen made by several paper manufacturers. (I do like the classic linen in white—it is very classy.) Many people also like classic laid. Both classic linen and classic laid have a texture that implies quality without overdoing it. If you prefer a paper without a textured surface, choose one with a “rag” or cotton fiber content of at least 25%. For those seeking management positions a light gray can be effective. Blues and greens have not tested well. Color should have a positive effect; this will nearly always mean you should use light shades. Dark grays and browns or bright colors are not effective. Twenty‑pound paper is always a safe standard. A slightly heavier paper is fine, but avoid heavy stocks. Monarch size paper (7" x 10") is fine for thank you notes, but stick with 8½" x 11" for your resume. Good papers have a watermark, so make sure it is right side up if you print it or copy it yourself. Photocopy shops usually check for this, but it’s wise to double check this yourself.

You can buy all types of fancy papers with borders and other nifty stuff. It’s pretty, but I wouldn’t use it. It feels like overkill and typically distracts from you and what you’ve said about yourself. Most employers are not impressed.

Just as I would not buy paper with preprinted borders, I would not use your word processing capabilities of putting in borders or boxes around text in the resume. If you are pursuing an artistic type of position, the resume can provide an opportunity to demonstrate your design ability. Even then I would keep it simple. Consider including photocopies of a few key examples of your artistic or graphic work.

Avoid Overusing Word Processing Features

One danger of using today’s feature-laden word processing programs is that people are tempted to overuse such features as different fonts, bolding, underlining, and italics. This produces a resume which looks busy and is overdone. The example following is exaggerated to help you see what I mean; you’ll notice your eyes going all over the place, unable to read or concentrate on the job description.

General Motors, Detroit, Michigan 10/87-Present

SENIOR ENGINEER - As part of a team of Software Quality Assurance Engineers, evaluate CAD/CAM software and make recommendations for improvements before software is made available to users within the company. Review functional specifications to ensure all portions are testable and fully meet user needs. REDUCED time necessary to fully evaluate software from 45 days to 18 days.

As a rule of thumb regarding the use of such features—keep it simple.

Size of Type

There are three sizes of type which are typically used for resumes: 12-point, 11-point, and 10-point. I generally recommend using 12-point, because it is a little larger and more readable than 10-point. If you are using 12-point and your resume just barely goes over a page long, you may want to make minor adjustments to make it all fit on one page. Widening the length of the lines may be all you need, or you may choose to reduce the top and bottom margins. Reducing the type size to 11-point may do the trick, and it is also very readable.

If you suspect your resume may be scanned into an employer’s databank, use 11- or 12-point. With 10-point the scanner and OCR software will make more errors and will diminish the quality of your resume. For more on scanning see page 94.

Photographs

Photographs should rarely be submitted with resumes, although they may be appropriate for models, flight attendants, performers, and media personalities. Many organizations are leery of receiving photographs with resumes because it increases the likelihood of age and race discrimination charges. Employers are nearly unanimous in preferring not to receive photographs.

Confidentiality

Employers who receive your resume will rarely inform your current employer. Even if they know your boss, they understand the importance of confidentiality. I would say that only if your boss or company has a reputation for firing people for “disloyalty” should the steps listed below even be considered. If you are truly concerned about confidentiality, your options include:

1. Write “Confidential” at the top of your resume.

2. At the bottom of the resume type and underline, “Please do not contact employer at this time.”

3. Replace the name of your present employer (and possibly your next‑to‑last employer) with a description such as, “A major manufacturer of automotive parts,” “A Fortune 500 Corporation,” or “A National Retail Chain.”

4. Utilize an executive recruiter (headhunter). A recruiter will sell you to an employer over the phone without revealing your name and will send your resume only if the employer is particularly interested.

If your boss suspects you are looking, but you know you are considered a valuable employee, you have nothing to worry about. You are more likely to get a raise than to get into trouble. In one sense, everyone is looking for another job—some are just more active than others. When headhunters call regarding truly great jobs, I guarantee you, virtually everyone is willing to talk. The World War II saying was “Loose lips sink ships.” That’s good advice at work also—do not tell even your most trusted friends at work that you’re actively looking.

Salary

Salary history and salary requirements should virtually always be omitted from a resume to avoid giving anyone a cause for eliminating you.

Want ads frequently ask for desired salary or salary history. I would recommend ignoring the requested information. In this country what a person earns is one of the most personal and confidential bits of information we possess. Not only are you giving away your bargaining position when you state your current salary or salary requirements, but you are giving private information to people you don’t even know.

If you feel compelled to acknowledge the request, you might simply write in your cover letter, “Salary is negotiable.” Another option when asked for desired salary is to indicate a large range. Someone seeking $40,000 might state, “Seeking $37,000 - 47,000 depending on responsibilities.” For someone seeking $80,000, a $15,000 range might be used.

Relocation

If you are seeking a position with a national company, you’d better be prepared to relocate. Since many people are unwilling to relocate, a statement under “Personal” or “Additional,” stating “Willing to Relocate,” will make you stand out in a positive way. If you don’t have a personal section, merely type it in at the end of the resume.

Reason For Leaving

Everyone has a reason for leaving a job, but the resume is rarely the place for stating it. Invariably an attempt to explain the reason will simply raise more questions than it answers. Save the explanation for an interview where the issue can be handled much more effectively. The only time I ever mention in the resume the reason for leaving is if the company or department moved out of state or the company went out of business. Even then it’s best to mention it subtly, so that it just seems to be a part of the resume. Below is an example:

Lead, Order Entry Department—Responsible for scheduling, training, and supervising four employees. Delegated work load, resolved customer problems, and coordinated with other departments. Developed procedures which increased order entry accuracy by 35%. Left due to a merger with NOP Industries when the order entry department was moved to Chicago.

This explanation works well. The emphasis would always be on the job description and demonstrating your successes. The reason for leaving is simply tagged on at the end and it provides useful information. On the person’s resume the reason for leaving two earlier positions was not provided.

Other reasons given can include:

Left when the company downsized and position was eliminated.

Company went out of business in 2002.

The key point to make when a downsizing occurs is to state that the position was actually eliminated. That clarifies that they weren’t dissatisfied with your work, terminated you, and then replaced you with someone else. Although explaining that you left during a downsizing is acceptable, I will rarely mention the reason for leaving when it is due to a downsizing. It is usually better to explain the situation during an interview.

I will often mention the reason for leaving when it was due to a plant closure, the company went out of business, or when a plant closes and moving 80 miles or more was required to keep your job.

Abbreviations

Avoid abbreviations that may cause confusion to readers who are not familiar with them. As a rule of thumb, if you are certain that everyone, from the personnel clerk who may screen the resume to the person with power to hire you, will recognize and understand it, then consider using it. Keep in mind, however, that words are more visually attractive when spelled out. For this reason I generally recommend spelling out the names of states, particularly in the address at the top of a resume. The trend, however, is to use the two-letter abbreviation for states used by the Postal Service. In essence you can’t go wrong if you spell out the states or use the two-letter abbreviation. The key is to be consistent throughout the resume. Some abbreviations such as “B.A.,” “M.A.”, and “Ph.D.” are preferred over spelling them out.

If you are going to use an abbreviation or acronym more that once, spell it out the first time it is used and then put the acronym in parentheses. From that point on you can use the abbreviation or acronym. An example would be: Introduced a Total Quality Management (TQM) program which reduced rejected parts by 22%.

Know The Tradition Of Your Field

Learn what is traditional and accepted for resumes in your industry or field. Although I have tried to give you the principles for writing a powerful resume, I can’t talk about, nor do I know, all the traditions in all fields. While I recommend limiting most resumes to two pages, the four or five page curriculum vitae (the term for resumes used by academics), is perfectly acceptable. There may also be certain formats which are most accepted and expected in particular fields. When you find that is the case, go along with that tradition unless you have a compelling reason not to.

Creative License

In some ways my advice about resumes follows tradition, in some ways it does not. A conservative, tried-and-true approach often works best. This, for example, is why I recommend off-white paper. At the same time I also encourage you to be creative. Can you think of something which might just give you an edge over your competition? When you come up with an unusual idea, ask yourself, “Will it work for me; can I pull it off with my personality?” An approach tried by someone with an artistic, flamboyant personality might be readily accepted, while that same thing attempted by a more conservative, traditional person would not. If you are about to try something rather unusual or “far out,” get the opinions of others first, or try it out in a few cases to see what kind of response it gets.

I mention the creative side because over the years clients have suggested trying things which I never would have thought of. Sometimes I caution against the idea, but more frequently I give my full encouragement. When clients use these creative ideas, they’ve usually worked.

Selecting A Format

The format is essentially the layout of the resume. Many of the sample resumes I’ve included in Sample Resumes To Help You use the layout that I prefer, after having tested many during the past 15 years. An example is found on page 37. I like the format because it is easy to scan and it makes excellent use of space. Throughout the resume there is a balance of white space and text. There are literally dozens of formats with dozens of variations. Flip through Sample Resumes To Help You and you’ll probably find a format you like. If you’ve found a format in the past that you like, and feel it would do a good job of presenting your background, by all means use it. If you do not have a preferred format, you cannot go wrong if you use the primary format used in most of the sample resumes. It is time tested and well accepted.

Always Be Careful About Always And Never

Resume books are often filled with advice such as always do this, and never do that. I rarely use always or never, because there are exceptions. Much better to suggest usually, almost always, rarely, or almost never. Listen to my advice and that of others, but ultimately you must do what you feel will work best for you in your situation.

Create Headings That Catch The Eye

A reader’s eye virtually always goes to the top of the resume to see a person’s name and address. For this reason, the very first impression of you is created by the appearance of your name and address at the top. Naturally you want this to create a positive impression. The following suggestions will help you achieve this.

My favorite heading follows. It is easy to read and is visually attractive.

Rob Thomas

23654 Savoy Lane

Houston, TX 77058

(713) 483-0098

e-mail rthomas@mind.com

Since Rob’s resume is going to use a 12-point Arial font, each line is 12-point except for the person’s name, which is 14-point. I like to use upper and lower case letters for the name, but by bolding it and making it two to four points larger, the name stands out without it overwhelming the top of the page. Now let’s look at several options from this basic layout.

The heading below is identical to the one above except that the name is in 16-point type.

Rob Thomas

23654 Savoy Lane

Houston, TX 77058

(713) 483-0098

e-mail rthomas@mind.com

Some people like everything at the top to be bold. It’s okay, but not my preference.

Rob Thomas

23654 Savoy Lane

Houston, TX 77058

(713) 483-0098

e-mail rthomas@mind.com

Here the only difference is that the name is in all caps.

ROB THOMAS

23654 Savoy Lane

Houston, TX 77058

(713) 483-0098

e-mail rthomas@mind.com

With this one the name is 16-point and each of the other lines is 14-point, with the rest of the resume being either 11- or 12-point. His name is done in small caps.

Rob Thomas

23654 Savoy Lane

Houston, TX 77058

(713) 483-0098

e-mail rthomas@mind.com

With this heading nothing is bold. The name is 14 point, the remaining lines 12 point.

Rob Thomas

23654 Savoy Lane

Houston, TX 77058

(713) 483-0098

e-mail rthomas@mind.com

It is obvious that there are other combinations that could all be attractive. This is not to say, however, that just any heading will do the job. The example below uses 24-point for the name. I think it simply brings too much attention to the name and it feels overwhelming.

Rob Thomas

23654 Savoy Lane

Houston, Texas 77058

(713) 483-0098

e-mail rthomas@mind.com

These days most people use the Postal Service two-letter state code, such as TX for Texas, but if you like, feel free to spell it out as was done above.

In each of the examples above I’ve included the person’s e-mail address. If you have an e-mail address, include it. Some people find it to be the preferred way to communicate, while others would contact you by e-mail if they failed to reach you by phone after one or two attempts.

Show your name at the top the way you want to be called. I’m Thomas Fuller Washington, but I go by Tom and few know my middle name. If your resume says Robert you’ll be called Robert even if you prefer Rob or Bob. If you write Elizabeth but prefer Liz, write Liz. There is no reason to include your middle name or middle initial.

All of the examples in this section had everything centered. That is the most common way to present your name and address but there are other ways as well. For additional ways to create headings, turn to page 3 of Sample Resumes To Help You to review numerous other ways to create a heading.

In virtually all cases your name should appear at the top. Visually that’s the best place for your name. When resumes are scanned into an electronic resume databank it becomes critical. Most systems automatically assume that the top line is your name. For that reason it is best to stick with tradition and put your name at the top, with nothing else on that line except your name.

Showing Work Numbers On Your Resume

If it would be virtually impossible for you to carry on a conversation with a recruiter or employer while at work, it is best to leave your work phone number off the resume. Nearly all such calls that come in during work hours last only a few minutes. As long as you keep your calls short you should not be concerned about using company time.

Justified Left And Right Or Ragged Right?

Books and magazines are virtually always printed using a justified right and left format. This means all of the type starts in a straight line on the left and all ends at the same spot on the right. This paragraph is justified left and right.

With your word processing software you can choose either a justified right format or a “ragged” right format. With a ragged right format, the lines do not end at the same spot. Research is said to have demonstrated that print is easiest to read when it is ragged right. I’ve never seen the results of any research on this matter, but this has been the standard wisdom for a long time. If it is true, why do books and magazines prefer a justified left and right format? By the way, this paragraph uses ragged right. Typically I have used a ragged right format for resumes, but I believe a justified right format looks fine also. It’s your choice.

Using Your Word Processor

Word processing is a wonderful tool, particularly for those of us who remember using typewriters, Whiteout, and carbon paper. There are two particularly helpful tricks that you can do with a word processor: You can use the cut and paste features, and you can manipulate both the font size and margin settings to get your resume to the right number of pages.

Cut and Paste. I strongly encourage you to tailor your resume for each job you apply for. This can take anywhere from two minutes to an hour, but usually can be done in under a half hour. Any time you add new points to your resume, save them in a file labeled Cut & Paste. Once you accumulate numerous sentences you will find that when responding to an ad, you may already have covered that point in a previous resume. In that way you can save time by not always having to create a new sentence when you already have a good one.

To put a sentence in a Cut & Paste file, highlight the sentence and click on the copy icon on your toolbar. Then open the file you’ve already labeled Cut & Paste, and simply click on the paste icon. The text will appear. Then click on the save icon.

When you’re responding to an ad and you already have a great sentence or paragraph to add to your standard resume, go into the Cut & Paste file, highlight it, click on copy, go to the resume you’re working on, put your cursor where you want it to go, and click on paste.

Another way is to keep a printed copy of what is in your Cut & Paste file. When you see a sentence you like, simply key it in where it is appropriate.

Change font size and margins. Sometimes you face a situation where you want a one-page resume, yet several lines of type have spilled over to a second page. Try changing the top and bottom margins. You can often reduce your top and bottom margin to .6 inches and still have plenty of white space. A one-inch margin is nice but not necessary. If I started with one inch at the top and bottom and I had just two lines to get onto page one, I would immediately reduce the top and bottom to .8 inches. If that did not work I would decrease the top and bottom margin in increments of one tenth of an inch.

I might also reduce the right and left margins unless I believed that the resume was likely to be scanned. Although I like one-inch margins left and right, I sometimes reduce them to .7 inches.

A third way to get more words onto a page is to reduce the font size. For readability and scannability, a 12-point font is best. Sometimes, however, just reducing the font size to 11.5-point will do the trick. If not, reduce the font size in half-point increments. Highlight all the text you intend to reduce in size, then click on the font size on your tool bar. Once the font size is highlighted, key in the font size you want, then hit the enter key and the font size will instantly change.

Do not go smaller than 10-point type. An 8- or 9-point font is difficult to read and it scans poorly for resume databanks.

A fourth way to get more on a page is to reduce the space between paragraphs. If you are using a 12-point font, every time you do a double space, it will make a 12-point space between lines. After you’ve finished the resume, those spaces between lines can be changed from 12-point to 8-point or even 6-point. There will still be sufficient white space between paragraphs.

If you want to try this with Word, here’s how to do it. Put the cursor on the first paragraph symbol you want to reduce in size. (There will be paragraph symbols throughout your resume if you are using that function. If you don’t see the paragraph symbol, go up to the tool bar and click on the paragraph symbol. Instantly your resume will be filled with paragraph symbols and there will be a dot between each word.) Leave the cursor there and click on the font size. Then just key in 8 or 6. Hit the enter key and the space will be reduced. Move the cursor to the next paragraph symbol and hit the F4 key (the repeat key). Go through the resume pressing the F4 key any time you want to reduce the font size.

Don’t Rely On Spell Check

As great as spell check is for those who don’t spell well, you must still proofread all of your documents before sending them out. Spell check will catch both typos and misspellings, but it does have a weakness. It cannot determine if the properly spelled word you used is truly the correct word. In other words if you wrote a sentence stating, “I went their for my vacation and returned there pillowcase.” Spell check would not catch the two errors. It should actually read, “I went there for my vacation and returned their pillowcase.” Both their and there are real words in the dictionary of any spell check program, but the wrong words were used. Many examples of similar problems could be used. If the correct word was waste and you spelled it waist, spell check would not catch the error. If you intended to type as but actually typed at, a spell checker would not pick that up.

By all means use spell check. It’s great for picking up misspellings and words that have letters reversed in them like worte instead of wrote, missing letters like lttle for little, or too many letters like tellling instead of telling. Mistakes like this are often difficult for proofreaders to pick up.

No Typos, No Errors

Whether or not you use spell check, you must produce a resume with no errors and no typos. This virtually always requires at least three readings on your part, and readings by two to three other people. Make sure one of your readers is a grammarian so that commas are where they should be and tenses are correct throughout.

Your cover letter is an important document and should be perfect as well. If you tailor each cover letter to each ad, you’re going to be making many changes and additions to it. This makes perfection considerably harder. My recommendation is still to proofread each letter three times and let one or two others read it as well. A spouse or close friend will generally catch errors that have gotten past you.

Put Your Name At The Top Of Page Two

It is usually a good idea to place your name at the upper left corner of page two and also indicate it is page two. Sometimes pages get separated and having your name at the top would help get page one and page two back together again. It would look like this:

Joe Stephens

Page Two

If space is tight you can save a line like this:

Joe Stephens—Page Two

If you absolutely have no room, eliminate your name from the top.

Skip The Clip Art

There’s a lot of clip art available from clip art books and from the Internet. On a brochure or newsletter the art can add a nice touch. Such art virtually never belongs on a resume unless you’re the artistic type and are using the art to show your graphics ability. Preparing a graphically appealing resume is all most people need to do to demonstrate they have nice taste.

Learn The Jargon

Every occupation has its own jargon and buzz words. Learn the jargon and make sure you use terms correctly. Then look for ways to get those words into your resume and cover letter. Not only will this help when a recruiter is doing a key word search to find your resume in an electronic resume database, but it will also help when a real live person is reading it. Using the right buzz words creates the impression that “you’re one of us.” Without it you seem like more of an outsider. Outsiders rarely get called for interviews. Make sure you use the jargon in appropriate places—don’t force it in.

Use Simple Words

Some people believe that the four-syllable word is always superior to the two-syllable word. It is often believed that longer words demonstrate intelligence and a strong vocabulary. Actually, good writing consists of using just the right word that says exactly what you want it to say. That often means a one- or two-syllable word. Keep your writing simple and straightforward. If a two-syllable word captures the thought you want, it’s better than a longer word.

Use Only Words You’re Familiar With

The problem writers often face with using long or unfamiliar words, is that they frequently use them incorrectly. Your resume is rarely the place to try using new words. For one, it’s rarely necessary, and two, using a word incorrectly will seriously damage that all-important first impression of you.

Keep Your Key Information On Page One

Qualifications, education, and your two most recent jobs usually belong on page one. If the employer scans your resume and does not find enough of interest on page one, the person will often set it aside before looking at page two. If your most important or valuable experience took place three or more jobs ago, see Current Job Is Less Valuable Than A Prior Job on page 51 on how to bring your key experience to the forefront.

Claiming It Doesn’t Make It So

Just because you say something or claim something doesn’t mean the employer will automatically accept it or be impressed. Back up your claims with evidence whenever possible. Evidence or proof is not always necessary to cause a person to accept or believe a point you are making, but it sure helps. See page 41 for more on providing evidence.

Determine What You Want To Emphasize With Your Job Descriptions

Use bold type for what you most want to emphasize whether it be your title or the name of the organization. I usually bold the job title. If you want to emphasize dates (something I virtually never recommend) put them out to the far left.

A Useful Font

There is a font style known as small caps. It gives you another format for listing employer names or job titles. Here’s what it looks like:

Exeter Manufacturing

EXETER MANUFACTURING

The middle version uses the small caps in bold. Notice that the first letter E in Exeter is a full-sized capital letter. The remaining letters in Exeter are also capitals, but they are slightly smaller. It’s just a nice touch that can be used. It also looks good for your name.

How you create small caps may vary depending on your word processing software. With Word 97 and Word 2000 in your tool bar, click Format. Then click Font. Under Effects you’ll see one that says Small Caps. Click on the box, hit OK, and start typing in small caps. Use the cap key just as you normally would if you want the first letter to be a full-sized capital letter.

Multiple Resumes

In order to sell you, a resume must demonstrate focus. If you are considering more than one type of job, you may need two or more resumes. In this case you may want to write only one resume, but give it more flexibility by using more than one objective, leaving everything else the same. This is easy to do with word processing.

An example will help. Jim is a very good computer salesperson with no desire to leave sales, but we created three different objectives for him to use in three different versions of his resume: “OBJECTIVE: Computer Sales;” “OBJECTIVE: Electronics Sales;” and “OBJECTIVE: Sales.” Nothing else in the resume was changed. Computer companies got one resume, electronics companies got another, and if Jim saw something interesting outside those two industries, he sent the one that said “Sales.”

Changing the objective, however, may not be adequate if the types of jobs you are seeking are considerably different from each other. Writing a new or modified qualifications section for each objective will often do the trick. Far less frequently, you may need to make small changes in the employment section. Typically that consists of adding an area of experience which was a very small part of your job, but one which will help sell you with that particular objective. You would also look for ways to get the right buzz words in.

Using Cover Letters For Flexibility

A cover letter should accompany each resume you mail out and should be individually typed. The cover letter provides an excellent opportunity to mention points you know are important to that particular employer, but are not mentioned in the resume.

Answering Want Ads

When a want ad provides specific job requirements, there are a number of ways to respond. You can

1. Send your resume with a standardized cover letter;

2. Send your resume with a custom‑written cover letter discussing key points mentioned in the ad; or

3. Customize your resume to hit all the important points in the ad and write a creative cover letter.

Obviously the third approach is most likely to provide the best results, and it really doesn’t take much more time.

As you customize your resume, you may find that the job descriptions require few if any changes, while the qualifications section might require substantial changes. The entire process of rewriting might take one to two hours. If you are really interested in the position and know you could handle it, consider the time as an investment. Taking time to redo the resume will not guarantee you an interview, but it can double your chances. If you lack certain desired skills or experience that were mentioned in the ad, simply ignore those points and really sell what you do have.

Printing Your Resume

Print your resume on a high-quality, 600-dpi (dots per inch) laser printer if at all possible. Most laser printers sold in the last three years are 600 dpi. A resume printed on a 300-dpi printer will look just fine as well, but will not be quite as sharp.

Ink jet printers simply cannot produce the same high quality. If you’re thinking of upgrading to a laser printer, a job search is just the excuse you’ve been looking for. Laser printers are also more economical to operate because their cartridges last longer. Most studies show that ink jet printers cost about nine cents per page versus about five cents per page for a laser printer. Laser printers are also several times faster than ink jets and significantly quieter. Consider buying a used or reconditioned printer. Expect to pay $150 to $200 for a 300 dpi printer and about $50 more for a 600 dpi printer.

Because they are fast and relatively inexpensive per copy, most people with laser printers print out originals of their resume rather than using photocopies.

If you can’t upgrade your ink jet printer, go to a copy shop that has computers and laser printers and make an original. Then have numerous copies made from a photocopier. Use your ink jet to produce your cover letters and to get a resume out quickly when you’re in a pinch. Most people cannot tell the difference without looking closely.

Reproduction

Reproduction quality will have a lot to do with the visual impact of your resume. There are a number of advantages to having your resume reproduced at a professional photocopy shop. For one thing, the top-of-the-line copying equipment used in such shops will produce high-quality copies that are crisp, clear, and almost as good as the originals. The quality of photocopiers most have at home or in the office cannot compete with the equipment at a copy shop.

For another thing, copy shops have a variety of high-quality papers to choose from. You can produce your original resume on a plain white bond and have it copied on your choice of paper.

And finally, copy shops are fast—you can usually be in and out in about ten minutes. They are inexpensive as well. Photocopying will cost you five to eight cents per copy plus eight to eleven cents per sheet for special paper. Many people buy extra paper so their cover letter paper will match their resumes.

Producing originals from a laser printer will also produce a high-quality resume.

Mailing

Traditionally resumes are folded in thirds and sent in a standard number ten business envelope. That is still perfectly acceptable, but consider spending a little more and sending the resume in a 9" x 12" envelope so the resume does not need to be folded. It is not a big thing, but if it is not folded it will look nicer in the stack.

For a really hot job consider having it delivered by an overnight delivery service. For a super hot local job, consider having a messenger service deliver it. The extra effort is one way of saying you want the job. Priority mail also works well. While two- or three-day service is not guaranteed, most letters do get delivered anywhere in the country within three days for $3.50 (2002) for up to one pound.

In these days when many organizations scan resumes, sending the resume without folds takes on greater importance. Sometimes the fold will cause a scanner to misread the resume.

Read Those Reject Letters, Then Toss Them

Most reject letters are form letters that tell you that though you have a fine background, they had many excellent candidates, and they have selected several for interviews who have just the right experience. Go ahead and read such letters and then toss them. Make a note on your sheet that contains the clipped-out ad you responded to and simply write “No” or “Reject.” Then move on.

Occasionally you’ll get a reject letter that indicates that the recruiter liked you, but you simply didn’t have the credentials or experience that some others had. Such statements are rarely made just to make you feel better. It indicates that this is an organization you should stay in touch with. Write the recruiter thanking him or her for the nice note. You could follow up a week later and ask for advice on how to break into the organization, assuming you really are interested in it.

When the Recruiter Calls

When a headhunter, corporate recruiter, or hiring manager calls you to arrange an interview, listen to all the person has to say and take notes. After agreeing to an interview, ask the person for more details about the position. Since you are keeping track of all ads you respond to, you would try to find the ad while you are speaking on the phone. Since the recruiter may have found your resume posted on an electronic resume database, it is possible that you would have no information about the job prior to the call. So, whether you have an ad to look at or not, ask further questions about the position. The more you can learn about the position, the better prepared you will be for the interview itself. Questions you could ask include:

Could you tell me a little more about the position?

You indicated that the person would do (a duty), could you elaborate a little on that?

Who does the position report to?

Sometimes the headhunter will be calling you without having seen your resume. Perhaps you were referred by someone who knows you or the headhunter found your name in a local newspaper article. If you show interest in the position, the headhunter will ask you to send a resume. By having extensive information about the job, you can then tailor your resume and cover letter to fit the exact requirements of the position.

Maintain a File For All Ads You Respond To

When an employer calls you in response to an ad, you should be able to quickly locate it so you can scan it as you speak. If the person says his or her name so quickly that you don’t catch it, or you don’t catch the name of the organization, ask the person to repeat it. It is as simple as stating, “I’m sorry, there was some noise in the background and I didn’t catch your name or the name of your organization, could you repeat it?” No one will ever be offended by a question like this.

With the name in hand you should quietly flip through your pages with the attached ads, as you try to find the appropriate one. Having that information will help you ask further questions about the position and will put everything into context.

If You Don’t Have Your Own Computer or Have Internet Access

Some people do not own a computer, and many who do don’t have Internet access. If you have a computer, I would strongly suggest you obtain Internet access so you can visit company web sites and utilize many other job hunting tools that the Internet now offers. Having Internet access will also enable you to start using e-mail. This can be a real help. Just as job seekers often consider an interviewing suit a necessary investment, the same could be said for owning a personal computer.

If you don’t have a computer, consider investing in one. It doesn’t have to be the latest and greatest. An adequate computer can be obtained for about $600. The only additional software you really need is Microsoft Word for word processing. I recommend Word because it has become the de facto standard. You may find occasions when you will want to send an e-mail with an attached resume, and since most computers are either using Word or can read Word documents, it is the safest word processing software to use.

You will also need a printer. A decent ink jet printer will cost around $200. If you can afford to spend $400 on a printer, I would suggest getting a low-end laser printer. They are quieter and faster than ink jets and the print quality is sharper. Laser printers also cost considerably less to operate because their cartridges print far more pages.

If you simply cannot purchase a computer, virtually all libraries offer computers and Internet access. They may limit the time you can use the computer, but one will be available. Figure out the best times to use the library’s computer to minimize your wait when others have gotten there ahead of you. You can also use these computers to get your e-mail if you have an e-mail account with one of the free e-mail services.

In addition to libraries, your state Job Service or One Stop Center will have computers available. Generally you must be unemployed to use the services, but that may not be the case with some government services. Certain nonprofit agencies, particularly those designed to help low-income or unemployed folks, will have computers available. If you don’t know how to use a keyboard, or how to use the word processing program, the library or agency may have software available to help you learn on your own.

Using a friend’s computer may be the answer for you. Friends are often willing to help out by sharing their computer with you and may even be willing to show you how to use their word processing software. Just remember to be aware of their needs for the computer and let them know you really appreciate their help.

Free E-Mail Services

See page 78 for a partial list of free e-mail services.

Don’t Expect Responses To Your Resume

It’s nice to get a card from an employer acknowledging that your resume has been received. It alleviates that little fear we all feel, “What if they didn’t get it?” Yes, an acknowledgment is nice, but not necessary. You also won’t get many. Most organizations simply do not feel that it is their responsibility to confirm receipt of your resume. It is both expensive and time consuming of company resources—that is, HR staffers. My advice, don’t waste two seconds complaining about or even thinking about that resume you sent last week. Over 99.98% of all letters reach their correct destination within a reasonable time. We may like to criticize our Postal Service, but it really does a pretty good job delivering the mail. So, simply assume it got to the right people and that they will call you if you appear to be a top candidate. Actually, you should be so busy with your job search and have so many irons in the fire that you don’t have time to worry about the resumes you’ve sent out.

Before You Fax Or E-mail That Resume

Most faxes and e-mails go through just fine to the appropriate destination. Some have problems, however. Perhaps your fax comes out the other end looking really crummy. Or, maybe your e-mailed resume has turned to gibberish. As a smart precaution at the beginning of your job search, send a faxed resume to a couple of people and e-mail your resume to at least two others. Then ask them to mail back to you what came out on their end. If they look good, you can be pretty sure that everything will work for you. You can also e-mail a resume directly to yourself and accomplish virtually the same thing.

Matching Envelopes Are Fine But Not Necessary

When you buy a nice quality paper for your resume, you can also buy matching envelopes. My own bias is that matching envelopes are fine, but not necessary. I would personally just use white, number ten envelopes, which is the standard business-size envelope.

Avoid Common Faux Pas

It is not recommended to photocopy your resume at work. It is improper to use company resources for personal benefit, especially when making a job switch. Also, people have been known to remove their copies and leave their original in the copier. You shouldn’t work on your resume at work. Bosses have walked by the desks of subordinates only to discover the employee’s resume on the screen.

Usually you would not include a fax number on your resume because most people will not seek to communicate with you by fax, particularly if you have voice mail. Also, if you use a fax machine that is shared by several people at work, you wouldn’t want someone seeing a message faxed to you regarding your job search.

You Can’t Please Everyone

No matter how hard you try, you can’t please everyone. For every hundred people you talk to about resumes, you’ll find a hundred different opinions on what makes an effective resume. Everyone disagrees. Since it’s impossible to please everyone, why worry about it? Okay, you say, I won’t worry about it, but what should I do? My suggestion is to determine what you’re trying to accomplish.

Generally it’s best to create a resume that is well-written, sells your strengths, and will be disliked by very few. The things I’ve suggested throughout Writing A Powerful Resume will accomplish that. We also know the formats (layouts) that people generally find pleasing. All of the sample resumes in Writing A Powerful Resume fall into that category. Yet, you can follow all of the suggestions and you’ll still find some people who won’t like something about your resume. Of course you hope it isn’t so serious that it prevents them from seeing how capable you are. Fortunately, if you follow the advice throughout this manual, that will rarely happen.

So, the first point is that usually you should create a resume that nearly everyone likes. The second point is that there are exceptions. Sometimes your background is unusual enough that only a few people would be able to use the strengths that you want to emphasize. If that is the case it may be appropriate to try some unusual things. After all, you only need to grab the attention of a few people. If you try something unique in your resume, you may turn off a few people, but perhaps those were the ones who weren’t going to call you anyway. Those open-minded, more daring people, however, might really like your creativity and gumption. Those may be the only ones who were going to be interested in you anyway. And remember, it takes only one good offer. I’m not suggesting that you intentionally turn off 99 people on the off chance that the hundredth will really like it. But sometimes it makes sense to take some risks.

To show you how irrational some people are, I’m going to tell you about an anonymous hiring manager out there who uses an irrational approach to resumes. When narrowing the list from 30 applicants to only six to invite for interviews, this person frequently discovers that two or three people are tied for that sixth spot. In order to select that sixth person, she will measure the borders of the resumes of the people who are tied, and will select the one that has exactly one inch margins top and bottom and on the sides. It doesn’t make sense, but she does it anyway.

Take Chances

One of the most unusual books on job finding is 303 Off-The-Wall Ways To Get A Job by Brandon Torpov. It is filled with unusual, and often risky, ways that people have gotten jobs. He does not recommend all of these methods for everyone, he merely states that they have worked remarkably well for some people, and might work well for you too. With each technique he describes at least one person for whom it worked. He also points out the potential downside to the technique.

Career counselors tend to be conservative in our approaches. We feel badly when someone tries something nontraditional and it flops. So, it almost seems as if we’d rather have a person stick with the tried and true, and perhaps not find the right job, than to try something risky. Torpov does his best to get you to consider alternatives.

Most of the ideas do not concern resumes, but several do. Without providing any of the details of how it works, I’m going to simply mention some. If you think you’re a candidate for some, by all means get the book. It’s well-written and fun to read.

• Send a personal, long-range marketing plan for your “product” (you) (idea #31).

• Insert your resume in a pizza box and send it piping hot to an organization that you know works late (idea #43).

• Construct an oversized matchbook trumpeting your achievements (idea #46).

• Send a T-shirt in a nice company box like Nordstrom or Macy’s with your resume printed on it (idea #48).

• On the left margin of the resume, include the logos of those companies you’ve worked for or have done projects for (idea #130).

• Print your resume in the form of a pyramid. At the top of the pyramid the first few words are used to really grab the attention of employers (idea #132).

• Create a flyer with endorsements and recommendations from employers, colleagues, and customers. It can be made to look like a movie flyer. The headline might be: A Real Blockbuster (idea #134).

• Turn your resume into a six-piece jigsaw puzzle, with the resume mounted on stiff paper or printed on heavy paper (idea #137).

• Try sending a mini resume on the back of a business card (idea #189).

• Send a cassette selling yourself (idea #196).

• Attach your resume to a holiday greeting card (idea #199).

• Place your resume inside a gift-wrapped box and deliver it personally to the person with power to hire (idea #218).

• Print an abbreviated version of your resume on a T-shirt and wear it if unemployed (idea #238).