A resume is probably one of the most important documents you’ll ever write. It’s no wonder that you’re feeling the pressure to get it perfect. There are a few tricks to getting it right, though. Here are ten tips to help you get the most out of your resume.
1. Look out for contextual spelling errors
Most spell check programs will catch the majority of spelling errors. However, they won’t catch it if you’ve used the wrong word in a sentence. For example, if you spell ‘manager’ ‘manger’ by mistake, your spell check won’t see it.
2. Watch your tenses
Be careful to use the same tense throughout the whole resume, to keep it consistent. For example, keep all past job descriptions in the past tense.
3. Avoid the passive voice
The use of passive voice ‘the files were organized’ can make it sound as though you weren’t as involved in your current job as you should have been.
4. Use capitalization correctly
Remember, names and places need capital letters as they’re proper nouns, common nouns do not.
5. Keep your formatting consistent
Use the same fonts and sizes throughout your resume, to keep it easy to follow and easy on the eye.
6. Keep your resume to a single page, if possible
Keep your resume to a page to keep yourself from rambling, or including unnecessary detail. Readers will find it much easier to decide on you if you keep it short and to the point.
7. Have someone else read your resume for you
Having a fresh set of eyes read your resume is always a good idea, as they’ll spot errors that you didn’t.
8. Use templates if possible
There are lots of resume templates available online, so use them if you can. It will make formatting a lot easier.
9. Read it backwards
It sounds odd, but reading your resume backwards you’ll focus more on the technical issues in your document, rather than the content.
10. Use online tools to help you
There are plenty of proofreading tools out there that can help you get the job done. Here’s some of the best ones to try out:
Proofread Bot: This is a quick and handy tool to check your resume. Paste it into the text box, and it will underline any errors it finds.
Boom Essays: The expert writers at this service can proofread your resume for you, if you’re not feeling confident about doing it yourself. They’ll check it over and give you the list of possible fixes to make before you submit it.
Australian Help: If grammar is your weak point, check out this guide before you start writing. It’s fairly in depth, but there’s lots of quick guides and more nuanced sets of rules, so you can find what you need.
UK Writings: A good resume has to be edited correctly, to only show the most relevant information. This writing service knows what makes a good resume, and so can get it edited perfectly for you.
Free Online Spell Check: This is the best way to give your spelling a last minute check. Just paste your resume in, and it will let you know if there are any errors to be found.
EssayRoo: This writing service is staffed by expert proofreaders. They’ll be able to spot the errors you couldn’t see, and get them removed for you without the hassle.
Keep these ten tips in mind as you proofread, and you’ll find that your resume will be looking much better than it was before. You’ll soon have interview offers rolling in!