Resume Format

A presentable and professional looking resume format is just as important as the resume content. It is very likely that for every advertised position, a number of applicants will be vying for the particular role. Imagine then the number of resumes that an employer receives. As such, he will most certainly give the applications a quick glance before deciding to read more. Apart from key competencies and experiences that are usually bolded and highlighted, what normally catches his first attention will be the resume format.

Let's face it. We are by nature visual beings. We tend to be attracted more by what we see. A properly presented resume format will then stand out from all the crappy ones that most job seekers do not bother to correct. Whether you agree or not, your resume format is most likely the first item that the recruiter will notice no matter how you send your application.

But how should a good resume format look like? For starters, there are plenty of decent and professional resume formats that are readily accessible from the internet. All you'll ever need is the time and effort to look for the best resume format that will suit the position that you are applying for. The technique is not to use the resume format per se, but to use it as your guide in making your own resume format that will make it uniquely your own and impress your prospective employer.

How a Good Resume Format Should Be

Limit your resume format to one or two pages the most. A good resume format is one that is not too lengthy. Unless you have very impressive credentials, it will bore the employer out. When planning your resume format, consider that the employer is a very busy person so don't take too much of his time reading your application. You would not like that too if you were in his place. Stick only to credentials and experiences that are relevant to the role being offered.

While you may think that putting pictures and images as part of you resume format could impress the employer with your creativity, avoid it. Not only is it distracting, but it is unnecessary and can cost you the job. A good resume format should be simple.

An attractive resume format must have the proper margins. Ideally, one-inch margins for the top, bottom, left, and right should do and make your resume format presentable and pleasing to the eyes. Your resume content must be flushed to the left of the page, not centered. Your resume format must also have consistency when it comes to the font type and font sizes that you are using. Don't just change the font types from one paragraph to the next or your resume format will look very crappy. Headlines and key words are usually bolded but must follow the same format all through out. As a general guideline for a good resume format, headlines must be kept at a 14 pt. maximum font size while text size is better at a 12 pt. maximum.

In arranging your resume format, make proper use of spaces and tabs. Like the font sizes and style, consistency is important to make it appealing. Preferably, it would be better to use the tab key instead of the usual space bar. You have to keep in mind that not all of the employers you are sending your application to is using the same word processing program as you. As such, there is a possibility that your resume format might become a mess when they try to open it using their software. Therefore it is important to keep your resume format simple using the basic fonts, bullet points, and spacing.

When you are done writing your details and tweaking with your resume format, print it out using a clean white paper. There have been instances when the resume format you see in your computer monitor will appear differently when you print it out. Make sure the margins are right and that the white spaces are evenly distributed. A resume format with clustered contents on the one end and plenty of white available spaces on the other does not look too attractive. Remember, you want your resume format to stand out.

Finally, to make sure that your resume format is indeed what you intend it to be, try sending it to a few of your family or friends and let them have a look at it. Get their opinion on whether the resume format you employed looks professional and interesting. If you have friends who work in recruiting firms, so much the better. They are experts on which resume format employers will positively respond to.