According to Fast Company and CareerMag.com, the average time spent by an employer reviewing a resume is 8-15 seconds. In order for your resume to stand out, utilize the structure advice listed below.
Your resume should be one page in length…no more, no less. Managers and executives do not have time to read through lengthy resumes. Some of your qualifying experience or skills may be overlooked if your resume is too long. Conversely, resumes that are less than one page make the applicant seem inexperienced.
Many applicants who are unfamiliar with resumes use templates for layout guidance, which is a mistake! Templates always look like templates. It shows the reader that you are not creative and that need help building a resume. Templates can be used to gather formatting ideas, but you should create your own format. Resume reviewers will appreciate a simple, unique resume format after seeing dozens of template resumes. However, when you create your own format, make sure it is aesthetically pleasing by using reasonable margins and implementing some of the tips in the next resume help section- presentation.
In order to keep the reader’s attention and differentiate your resume, use simple layouts with ‘eye breaks.’ You can use an assortment of techniques to create eye breaks. Bulleted lists are reader friendly and they can save space, especially when used with multiple columns. Bulleting is most effective in the professional skills section. Additionally, lines are an excellent method of separating different sections within the resume. To help break up the text, section headings should be differentiated from the rest of the text. Some common methods of differentiation include: bolding, italicizing, underlining, and typeface changes. For text emphasis, use bold text or underlining. Overuse of these techniques will make the resume seem unprofessional, so keep it simple! Another important presentation factor is the text. Simple typefaces such as Arial, Times New Roman, and Georgia are standard professional typefaces because they are so easy to read. Use standard font sizes of 12 point or 10 point. The font color should always be black; however dark blue can be used for accent or emphasis.