- Catalyst Search Inc.

A typical resume review last about 45 seconds. Not long for a document you probably worked on for hours, but there are ways to make that 45 second review more impactful and increase the chances that an employer will want to interview you in person.

Ensure they can contact you. Feature your contact information at the top of the resume and include your name, address, phone numbers and email address.

Make it easy to read. White space is not the enemy. The people who will read your resume are busy so you will need to format it in a way that lets them pick out the information they want quickly. Bulleting is preferable to paragraphs as they are easier to scan. Choose a font that is reader friendly like Arial or Times New Roman. Some people choose quirky fonts to display an artistic nature or make their resume stand out from the crowd; unfortunately it often serves to reduce the reader's impression of your sincerity and business acumen.

Content matters. The reader wants to know where you were, what you did there and what skills you have that may solve their immediate problems. If applicable, include particular achievements. For example: Recovered $12 million in incorrectly billed costs through a property review project. Most employers I work with prefer a chronological resume as it allows them to easily pick out your most recent skills and determine your likely career track. Functional resumes do have their place for career changes or those with limited practical experience, but they are generally less favored by employers.

Make it easy to share. Resumes are often forwarded internally and copied. Providing a hardcopy on dark paper, in spreadsheet form, or with light fonts makes it difficult to easily review it for the multiple parties involved in the recruiting process. A well formatted Word document is generally preferred.

If you are going to use an objective make it specific and targeted to your audience. That you are looking for employment is obvious so there is no need to state that on the resume. If you are looking for particular terms like part-time or contract, it is appropriate to say so. Too broad a statement, for example expressing an interest in Sales, Administration, Accounting or Marketing roles confuses your audience as each objective is different from the last and it can convey a lack of seriousness about your path. 'But I am interested in all those areas' you say. I understand, I do, but it just makes you look unfocused. Preferable would be to make a resume for each area of interest and use the one most applicable to each application. Make it about the reader; listing the things you want them to give you (ie: experience, flexibility) is less positively received than outlining the ways in which you would like to contribute to their success.

Spell Check and Grammar Check. Errors in your primary self-marketing tool make a broad statement about you. It implies a lack of attention to detail and  lack of seriousness. Run the utilities, have a trusted friend review it and put it down for an hour, then look at it again.

Review your resume with an objective eye. If you were in Human Resources looking at a job description could you evaluate whether you are a fit quickly? Will the manager of your team see enough specifics to differentiate you from others? Does your resume look like an essay, or an easy to read introduction? Have you used generally understood terms and acronyms so your experience is conveyed to a generalist or computer scanner?

In the end, you want a document that clearly outlines what you've done, where you did it and is easy to read. If someone can't read it and understand what you do, it still needs work.