Resume Basics: Content and Design

Content
Design

This outline provides important information about both the content and design of an effective résumé.

Content

• Name, address, telephone, e-mail address, web site address (All your contact information should go at the top of your résumé like a letterhead)
  • Avoid nicknames
  • Use a permanent address
  • Use a permanent telephone number and include the area code. Record a neutral greeting on your answering machine
  • Include an e-mail address. Many employers will find it useful. (Note: Choose an e-mail address that sounds professional. Avoid things like cutesy@hotmail.com)
  • Include your web site address only if the web page reflects your professional ambitions
  • Put your name, phone number and e-mail address on the top-right hand corner of your second page in case the pages are separated

• Work Experience
  • Briefly give the employer an overview of your work experience.. Use action words to describe your job duties.
  • Include your work experience in reverse chronological order – that is, put your last job first and work backward to your first job.
  • 10 years is probably sufficient unless there is a job in your distant past that is relevant to your current career goals
    Include:
  • Title of position
  • Name of organization
  • Location of work (city, country)
  • Dates of employment (just the years, not the months)
  • Describe your work responsibilities with emphasis on specific skills and achievements

• Education
  • New graduates without a lot of work experience should list their educational information before work experience.
  • Your most recent educational information is listed first
  • Include your degree (B.Sc., B.A., PhD. etc.), major (if relevant), institution attended
  • Mention academic honors

• Other information
  • You may want to add:
  • Volunteer experience
  • Hobbies (these are rarely relevant but may be useful if they show team work)
  • Sports (use only if you are a mature worker, that will show that you are active and fit)

• References
  • Do not list your references on your resume. You may note at the bottom of your resume “References furnished on request” but this is not necessary.
  • Ask people if they are willing to serve as references before you give their names to a potential employer.
  • Your reference list should be written down on a separate page to minimize errors.
  • Put your contact information on the top of the reference list so it is not misfiled.
  • Make sure that the names are spelt correctly and that the phone numbers, addresses and e-mail addresses are correct and current.

Design

These tips will make your resume easier to read and/or scan into an employer’s data base.

• Use white or off-white paper (colours, including pale grey and pale blue, distort when FAXed)
• Use 8-1/2- x 11-inch paper
• Print on one side of the paper only
• Use a font size of 10 to 14 points
• Use basic fonts (Times New Roman, Courier, etc.)
• Choose one font and stick to it
• Avoid italics, script, and underlined words
• Do not use horizontal or vertical lines, graphics, or shading
• Do not fold or staple your resume
• If you must mail your resume, put it in a large envelope