How to Make Your Resume Easily Readable

 In Job Search Tips, Resume Advice

We know from research that hiring managers and recruiters skim resumes in about 6-10 seconds. To ensure that your resume is highly readable, consider the following suggestions:

Fonts & Organization:

  • Use a common sans serif font like Arial or Calibri.
  • Do not use more than 2 fonts. Prefer one color (black), using dark grey or another color for testimonials or company descriptions.
  • Use boldfacing or underlining sparingly.
  • Add white space throughout the document (line and paragraph spacing).
  • Avoid half-pages. Your resume should have 1-3 full pages, depending on your career length.
  • Use consistent formatting for headers and intervals between sections.
  • Align the resume style with the style of your cover letter.

Bullet Points:

  • Do not use more than 2 types of bullet points.
  • Avoid bullet points that are longer than 2 lines.
  • If describing a longer project in one bullet, break it up into sub-points and use a different visual market for the bullet point.
  • If you have more than 4-5 bullets per role, break them down into sub-sections like “Team Leadership”, “Process Improvement”, or “Budgeting.”

Content:

  • Trim general role descriptions and focus on measurable results, highlighting improvements in quality or quantity.
  • Condense outdated roles (older than 10 years) and remove certifications and memberships that are not current or relevant.
  • Draft the top part of the resume (career summary and areas of expertise) with the target role in mind.

 

About the author:

Tanya Mykhaylychenko is a professional resume writer with a background in content writing, university teaching, and IT staffing. She is a member of Editors Canada and Career Professionals of Canada. For more information, please visit https://tm-editorial.com/about/ and contact her to schedule a free introductory consultation.

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