As a leading recruiting agency, Peoplelink knows your resume is your ticket into to the interviewing process. What it says matters, of course, but so does how it looks. After all, you only get one chance to make a great first impression and if your resume doesn’t look professional, hiring managers won’t consider it.
So how can you make your resume stand out, while still maintaining a polished look? Here are a few tips:
Choose the Right Font
The most common font on resumes is Times New Roman. However, you can also use other serif fonts (which are the ones with the small, projecting lines or tails on them), such as Garamond, Georgia, Century, and Bell MT, as well as sans serif fonts (without the tails), like Calibri, Arial, Tahoma and Lucida Sans.
One word of advice? Choose a font and stick with it. Don’t try to play graphic designer and use many fonts. You can certainly bold or italicize the font you choose to make certain key points stand out (keep the formatting to a minimum, though). But using many fonts throughout your resume will make it appear messy.
Also, whatever you do, avoid fonts like Comic Sans and Copperplate. Not only will these make you look amateurish, but if your resume is screened by an applicant tracking system, then it may get filtered out due to your font selection.
Size It Right
You have a lot of information to put on your resume. But that doesn’t mean you should select a font point size of 9 in order to get it to fit. The more you reduce your point size, the less legible your resume will be. And the last thing you want is to make the hiring manager feel like they need a magnifying glass to review your background. In addition, tracking systems also won’t be able to read the fine print of your resume.
Instead, be sure to use a font size closer to 11 or 12. You can even use 12 for headers and 11 for the body copy. Just make sure whatever you do choose, your resume is legible by both human eyes and screening technology.
Add a Splash of Color
A word of caution: adding color to your resume does not meaning submitting it on bright yellow letterhead. However, considering that most resumes are black and white, you can enhance yours and make it stand out with a carefully placed dose of color.
For instance, under your name and contact information, you can add a stripe of color. Or you can add an understated colored border around your resume. Just choose your colors wisely; think simple and sophisticated, not bold and flashy.
Resumes from so many candidates look and feel the same. You can use the tips above to ensure yours stands out in a good way – and gets noticed by the hiring manager.
If you need more help creating a resume that gets results, call Peoplelink. As a leading recruiting agency, Peoplelink will work with you to craft an effective resume and match you with potential job opportunities that are a great fit for you. Contact Peoplelink today to learn more or search our jobs now.
