Resumes & Cover Letters Page 3
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Format—the Basics
Be Relevant
Include information that supports your job objective and enhances your qualifications in the
mind of the reader. Customize, customize, customize.
Be Brief
A reader may only glance at your resume as little as 8-20 seconds. Limit it to 1 (not more
than 2) page(s).
Be Consistent in layout and writing style
Stylistic techniques (e.g. underlining, bolding, bullets, columns, indenting, italics, and etc.)
can be used effectively. Consistency is key, if you bold one header, bold all your headers.
Likewise, if you italicize one job title, then, italicize all your job titles.
Highlighting Information
Be aware that information presented on the first page, at the beginning of a section, in the
left hand margin, or in a column gets extra attention.
(e.g. dates in the left hand margin are emphasized. If your job chronology is not something
you want to highlight, place the dates in a less conspicuous place. If you consider your
experience more important than your education, please it first on your resume.
Avoid Pronouns and certain phrases/use of verb tenses
Avoid first person pronouns (e.g. “I”, “me”, “my”)
Avoid phrases such as “duties included…” and “responsible for…”
Current position should be written in present tense; previous position in past tense.
Emphasize your Skills
Use action verb phrases (e.g. “advised customers on healthy living” or “organized a student
lead University group”.
Be Conscious of Image
Remember that your resume and cover letter are often your first contacts with a prospective
employer. It should be visually appealing with absolutely no typos or grammatical errors.
Generally, font sizes between 10-12 are appropriate, with traditional typeface font choices.
The print quality should be laser printed on bond paper, white or off-white on one side only
of quality paper free of streaks and blemishes. Avoid paper with background flecks or
marble patterns as it may not copy or fax clearly. Fill up the white space on the page,
however, be careful to not over-fill the page.
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Parent category: Education