Page 58 - Complete Idiot's Guide to The Perfect Resume

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Part 1 ➤ Plan to Succeed

If your resume is just a little more than a page, do your best to get it down to one page by
using your editing and computer graphics skills. Then ask yourself, “Does it look easy to
read?” If the print is too small or dense, you’re better off with a two-page resume that’s easy
to read.

Thou Shalt Not Write in Paragraphs

Many resumes have long paragraphs filled with juicy information. The
problem is that a busy manager is unlikely to read a resume made up
of long paragraphs. A paragraph demands too much time to read.
Do the reader (and yourself) a favor by using bullet points to break your
Career Casualty material into bite-sized pieces. A bullet at the beginning of a statement
effectively says, “Here’s an independent thought that’s quick and easy
On your paper resume, don’t to read,” whereas a paragraph implies that one has to read the whole
substitute an asterisk (*) for a thing to get the full meaning.
bullet point (➤). An asterisk tells
the reader to look below for a For the best effect, start each achievement statement on a new line so
footnote. That’s not what you that all the bullet points line up on the left, like the following:
mean! In Part 5, “The Electronic
➤ Made classroom presentations to students K–8, demonstrating
Job Search,” I’ll talk about how
the importance of art to man’s physical and mental survival.
to use asterisks in an electronic
resume. ➤ Tutored high school students of Project Read, integrating reading
and writing to offer new perspectives and respect for their own
life stories.
➤ Conducted cultural field trips to sites including businesses, per-
forming arts centers, and museums.

In case you’re not convinced that bullet statements are a good idea,
take a look at the following two versions of Marty Ramirez’s resume.
You’ll see the same resume in two graphic layouts: the first uses para-
Terms of Employment graphs; the second uses bullet points to break up the blocks of print.
Which do you think looks quicker to read?
A bullet point is a graphic sym-
bol (➤) used to highlight a
statement. Thou Shalt Not Lie

I’m starting to sound like your mother, aren’t I? I have to say it any-
way: Never tell a lie on your resume.
If you’re wondering what kinds of lies I’m talking about, here are some
that frequently appear on resumes and are apt to catch an employer’s
attention:

➤ Stating experience at a particular place of employment where
you never worked
Terms of Employment
➤ Misrepresenting the level of responsibility you held (for example,
Nondisclosure (not mentioning listing “Art Director” when you were really a graphic designer)
something) is not the same as ➤ Listing a school that you didn’t attend
lying (telling something that isn’t
➤ Claiming to have a degree that you didn’t obtain
true). Nondisclosure is acceptable
on a resume. Lying is not! ➤ Taking credit for someone else’s achievement
➤ Overstating skill levels in a technical field

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