How long should my resume be?
How should my resume look?
What is the best format for my resume?
How do I describe my experience in my resume?
How long should my resume be?
Hiring Managers and HR staff are busy people, so don't make the mistake of asking them to read through an unnecessarily long resume. Resumes should be long enough to describe relevant work experience and specific accomplishments in each position, but not so long as to be cumbersome.
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How should my resume look?
Your resume is the first impression you'll make on a potential employer and the resume is more than what you say; appearance counts as well. In order to make your resume easy on the eyes:
- Don't cram your text onto the page.
- Separate employers and jobs clearly.
- Use simple, easy to read fonts like Times, Arial, Tahoma, or other true type fonts. (Unusual or exotic font styles don’t always display or print properly and can look unprofessional.)
- Use standard, non-textured, fine-grained paper in white or ivory. Textured and dark colored paper does not copy well and the employer will make copies for other participants in the hiring process.
- Double and triple check your spelling and grammar! We cannot stress this enough!
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What is the best format for my resume?
In almost all cases, a chronological resume format is best; it requires less deciphering and outlines your career progression. An objective that highlights your accomplishments and summarizes how you can benefit a potential employer is a good opening if it applies directly to the position for which you are applying. Following the objective, your experience, education and professional certifications should be discussed.
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How do I describe my experience in my resume?
When describing your experience, remember that employers need to know what you have accomplished in each position to have an idea of what you can do for them. Describe your accomplishments and provide the results as well. Telling someone that you "reduced overtime of clinical staff" doesn't say much; telling them that you "reduced overtime among RN's by 20%" does.
Short, bulleted statements, are best. Avoid long, complex paragraphs. Begin each bullet point with action verbs such as "developed," "managed," or "designed". Avoid using “I” statements, as they may give the impression you aren’t a team player.
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