Resume Help
 

I did a search for this and found a few threads but I had more questions than were answered. So here I go with my questions!

• What font should I use?
• I've heard that putting references or "References by request" really is not needed - True?

If anyone has an tips on format that would be great as well.

Thanks in advance :icare:

microsoft word has a few templates you can use, my resume is based off of the "contemporary resume" template. check those out amd see if any of them might fit your needs.

fonts in general, you want something that's gonna stand out on the page, but isn't too showy or fancy. mine is done in arial and arial black (for highlights). simple, but professional.

as to references, i wouldn't fuss about putting them on there, but if you need a little bit more information to make the page look full, you might consider adding them. unless specificially asked for, they're not entirely required.

i was bored, so i made a visual example:

[img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0UwDGArIbmsUG0nl4GfQyMgvQ1R!cAUTvRue*u3Q1Kvd7LteqAAghi46tWS0heGmzNoo00Gr4cDMVeDfCw8f5iPkirNrgEIKiNlyeosOaOyaxxMVhVkTdGiHStDP8XzAq/phredresume.jpg?dc=4675443886771742737[/img]

*name has been changed and some information obscured*

no resume should be over 2 pages
just the facts
one thing that stands out is desire - not so much need - but what you can do for the common good

write it as an "outline"

1: Schooling
a: Majors
b: Minors
c: Others

2: Job History
a: Last 5 years
b: Previous 5 years
c: Related occupations

3: Achievements / Tasks Performed
a: Pertinent
b: Associated
c: Relevent

4: Personal Interests
a: Pertinent
b: Associated
c: Relevent

5: Pay Scale
a: Last 5 Years
b:Previous 5 Years
c: Desired

Summary - (why i want to work for you - what do i have to offer you as an associate - what do you have to want me to work for you - what is it that i can do to help you grow as a company - immediate needs / and in the long term / both the company's and yours)

one more thing...
as i thought about it this is the best i can say...

because whether you want to face it or not, this is a contest. You might be the best candidate. you might be the most qualified. but if you don't make your resume stand out from the rest—if you don't make the right first impression—you'll never land that interview.
and if you never land that interview, then that job of your dreams is just that... a dream.

your resume is one of the most important documents of your life. the resume is your calling card, your best chance to make a first impression. without an exceptional resume, you won't stand a chance of standing out from the crowd.

just my two cents... you're the pimp and the whore is yourself... make it work to your advantage - know your shit and the paper will will follow - by keeping it simple and them in the dark they will follow with questions that only you know how to answer...

good luck!!! :D

Nothing over 1 page.
If you're an academic, then let your CV be as long as you can make it, but for the rest of us, or unless you're very very experienced, nothing more than 1 page...

my aunt is an employer and she gave me this great tip:
put your skills and strengths at the TOP of the resume.

i was taught pretty much exactly what Hanxter said.
never more than 2 pages.
strengths at the top.
use a plain, straighforward font like Arial or maybe Garamond if your in a fancy mood.
in open office, i go for Nimbus Sans.

i´ve also found that a kick-ass cover letter is just as important as the resume (well, maybe not as important, but definitely up there).

my last job offer came about entirely because i wrote a great cover letter. the magazine in question had filled the position already, but when they read the cover letter, they called and we had a phone interview straight away... they even created a position for me... but a week later they got sued (but hey, thats another story).

as for references, i just put contact details of those people who have agreed to act as referees... so the employer can contact them if they need to.

but, for journalism jobs, i´ve actually put written references with my resume and letter (as well as examples of published work).

There's a good thread on this in Discussion
http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthr...ghlight=resume

There are some significant tips on there.
Just put your skillset first, and your experience last.
The list of skills are a highlight on what you know
The people in HR need to scan that quickly as they go through hundreds of resumes.

Your experience, make sure you describe not only what you did,
but what you did it on, and maybe how you did it.
This gives the mgr. an idea you know what you're talking about.
Fill in the details.

BTW, it is not necessary to keep it to one page,
even three is fine with enough experience.

Good luck

Thanks for the help :)

Also, never ever put salary down on paper. It puts forth the wrong message. I also agree with putting skills/strengths first. It gives them a read on you immediately rather than making them dig it out of your employment history.

The other issue with putting salary down on paper is that it might get handed off to the wrong person. Say the company wants to have another employee interview you, one that's at a similar level or has more specific technical questions, you may not want a future coworker to have an idea what you're making. This is especially true if they are getting paid substantially less for similar work.

I'm tempted to say forget about fonts and, instead, write your resume out in plain text. This is what I did but, then again, you're probably printing your resume onto paper, aren't you? Well, perhaps my advice won't apply to you...

I definitely keep my resume short and to the point. Always accompany your resume with a cover letter if you actually want to get the job (I've handed resumes to jobs I didn't exactly care for). It shows keen interest...

I once went to a career placement service, and part of the program was resume advice. For the most part, rogue49 is right on; First, a few succinct bullet points on your skills and abilities; Then list previous employers, concentrating on accomplishments rather than job duties. Finally, support this with education info. No salary info, and no references - these will be addressed if you make it to the next step. The purpose of your resume is to get attention; the trick is to bypass the H.R. screeners, and get it to the person actually looking to fill the position you're going after.


A cover letter is important, and it should be addressed to a specific person. Do some research and make some phone calls to find out who that is. All this should be printed on some nice, textured "resume" paper (with matching envelope) using an easy to read, plain yet dignified font.