Resume

Resumes

On this site you'll find all you need to know about writing and distributing resumes and cover letters that will knock the socks off the recruiters, HR people and computers (yes, computers!) that read your resume. We'll tell you something about job searches and job interviews, a lot about tools and resources for resume-writing, and we'll give you criteria for selecting someone to help you write a great resume.

You'll read about free sample resumes and professional resume examples, resume cover letters, templates and formats; resume posting and resume blasting -- all the resume help and tips you will need to design, write, post and distribute professional or professional-quality resumes and cover letters. All of this is designed for one purpose -- to help you develop a resume that will make you stand out from that crowd of other job seekers.

What's This About eResumes?So why are we called eResumes.com? ("e," by the way, stands for "electronic" in Internet lingo). Because (almost) all resumes are now e-resumes. Employers expect to get your resume via email, or from an electronic bulletin board, or through use of an electronic form (where you paste your resume after answering endless questions and hope that the resume's formatting will still be there). Or they might even go to your web page to see your e-portfolio that contains video clips and photos of your most recent work-related project.

Appearance

Along with effective organization, appearance can make or break your resume. When creating a super resume, keep these points in mind:

Fonts. Whether you e-mail, fax, or mail your resume to prospective employers, you should try to keep your font plain and easy to read. And select a reasonable size--anywhere between 9 and 12 points should be acceptable. We suggest using a sans serif font like Arial or Verdana, not Times New Roman. These will come out much clearer in faxes.

Formatting. Just because you have Microsoft Word and all of its formatting capabilities, your resume doesn't have to look like a Caribbean vacation brochure. Myriad fonts, colors, and graphic embellishments don't really help, so use minimal and purposeful formatting. Simple bullets will best separate your duties and skills; use bolding and italics sparingly. Formatting should highlight your accomplishments, not draw attention away from them. Less, in this case, is definitely more.

Paper. Even if you don't snail-mail your resume to employers, you should have hard copies on hand to bring to interviews. These copies should be on tasteful resume-quality paper. White, off-white, cream, and gray are the easiest to read. Just like your socks, your cover letters, mailing envelopes, and resumes should all match.

Content

Now that you know how to organize your resume and what it should look like, you need to know what to put in it. Click on action verbs to see a list.

Action words. When describing your prior job experience and duties, use active language. Instead of starting your sentence with a noun, start with an active, descriptive, impressive verb. For example: "Customer Service Representative. Assisted customers with product selection, trained and supervised 15 new employees, organized special promotional events." Don't think of this as a term paper--action verbs and flowery language required.

Numbers. That's right, we said numbers. Always include numbers, percentages, and dollar amounts in your job descriptions to back up your achievements. How many people did you supervise? How much money did you raise? How many wild bears did you feed during your stint at the zoo? How much did party favor sales increase under your direction? This approach immediately highlights the kind of impact you've made Length. Keep it to one page. No one wants to scan through two or more pages of your long-winded accomplishments and experience. If it doesn't all fit--which it won't, unless you're a recent college grad with no experience--cut it down to the most relevant and impressive items. You should tailor your resume to match the job description, so be sure to cut and paste accordingly.