How to Write a Killer Resume

Writing a resume might seem a daunting task, but if you follow these guidelines it won't be that bad.

Formatting

Before an employer reads the first word of your resume, he or she will notice the overall layout of the page. Thus, the best thing you can do is make sure your resume looks good! Forming a sharp, attractive resume is half the battle, and if you get it done right you'll make a positive impression right away.

Formatting Basics:

Use a standard font, such as Times New Roman, because it's easy to read. Make sure your font size is no less than 10 pt (12 pt is preferable). This way, the employer will be able to read your resume without squinting or having to go buy a new pair of glasses.

Break it up! If your resume looks like one solid block of text, the first thing the employer will do is sigh, and maybe even toss your resume in the trash. By adding white space between the important blocks if information, you'll make your resume look shorter. This is extremely important, because the person who will read your resume has probably been reading them all day, and will appreciate something that looks brief.

Use formatting devices like bold and bullets to make important things stand out. For example, if your resume has sections on job experience, relevant education, and computer skills, put the heading of each section in bold. If you are presenting a list of classes that you took at a university, set them up as a double-column bulleted list, so that they look neat and utilize the full width of the page. Stay away from italics. Italicized words don't stand out nearly as much as bold or underlined words, and they can be hard to read.

Above all, try and condense your resume down to one page. Having multiple pages forces the employer to flip back and forth, as well as gives the impression of length. People who read resumes are generally intimidated by staples, as they imply length, and length implies effort.

Content

If your resume is correctly formatted, now all you have to do is sway the employer the rest of the way with the content. In general, your resume should have the following two parts:

Heading