Whether you’re looking for a job or not, you may want to dust off your resume and update it. You never know when you might want to put it back into circulation.
If you’ve never had a resume, or if you want to do an overhaul of your current one, the first step would be to decide on the style of resume that best suits your career path. While there are many variations of formats, there are two basic styles of resumes.
CHRONOLOGICAL
This style is also referred to as the “standard format,” listing your jobs beginning with the most current and including bulleted descriptions of your responsibilities. This is the best resume type for those who have had jobs in multiple fields, or if your duties and responsibilities have varied from one position to another.
FUNCTIONAL
This type of resume is best suited for those who have been in the same career for some time. You may have had several positions, but if the duties have been the same or similar, using the functional style of resume will make your resume easier to be read by your prospective employer. Also consider a functional resume if you have large gaps in your work history when, for whatever reason, you’ve been unemployed. (You don’t need to call out those gaps in your resume, but don’t lie to cover them!)
When you have determined which type of resume suits your needs, consider a few other tips:
FORMAT
"Keep it simple” is a good rule of thumb to follow. You should never have more than two fonts in your resume. Today, a lot of employers use specialized software that scans the resumes and picks out keywords and phrases to make the review process more efficient. These programs can’t always read some of the newer, more elaborate fonts we have available. Stick to the basics, such as Times New Roman, Arial, Verdana and Tahoma. Also avoid using symbols, other than the standard bullets, etc. Some symbols have a tendency to become jumbled, making your resume very hard to read.
PAPER
If you select a colored paper stock, stick with off-white or gray. However, a nice grade of white paper is usually preferred.
SPELL CHECK
Make sure you run the spell check on your completed document before printing and sending your resume. Also, have someone else proofread your resume, checking for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. Depending on the type of job you’re applying for, these things could be the deciding factor on whether or not you’re called for an interview.
VERB TENSE
Be consistent in your job descriptions. If you are currently employed, the job duties you have now should be listed in present tense: i.e., “Manage order processing,” “Handle incoming service calls” etc.. All other jobs and descriptions should be listed as past tense: “managed order processing”, “handled incoming service calls.”
Remember that your resume is an extension of you! It’s the first part of you that prospective employers see. Don’t be afraid to sell yourself!