If you are
planning to have a resume that
looks attractive, you will want to choose an appropriate
resume
layout.
Even though there is not a certain layout that is applicable to every
resume, there are a few guidelines that you should follow to make your
resume look professional and neat.
It is often
said that what a resume looks like is almost as essential as what it
contains. You should ensure that your resume looks as professional as
possible by making it easy to follow and appealing to the eye.
It all starts
out with the heading. This is where you present your name, address, and
other contact information. This is basically the only place where you
can express your creativity.
Design a heading that helps your name stand
out. You can also use this same heading for cover letters and thank you
notes.
In addition to the tips on heading above,
consider these guidelines when creating your resume layout:
1. Keep the margins one to one and
½ inches all around the page.
2. Between sections use 2-3 line spaces.
3. Keep you
headings in all sections consistent. If you capitalize your Profile
Section, don't underline and italicize your Employment History section.
4. Only use
one font in your resume layout. Make sure that it is a font that is
easy to read. Remember, employers only take a quick glance at resumes.
You want something that is easy to follow
and not
distracting. To be safe, stick to fonts like Times New Roman or
Palatino. These two fonts are the ones most often used in business
writing.
5. Keep your
resume to one page. If you are finding that your resume is longer than
this, you are probably saying too much. You can shorten your resume to
one page by editing out repeated or unneeded information, and shorten
previous job descriptions. Perhaps you have also included too many
optional sections.
With the
advent of the computer, there is no reason to have a resume layout that
looks sloppy. Be sure to experiment with your resume layout until you
are happy with the outcome.
