How does your resume look on the page?

The best resumes look great on just one page and are balanced, meaning they sections look roughly equal on the page. An attractive resume will fill the page well, include correctly aligned text, have clear margins, and include sections that are clearly defined.

Is your resume easy to scan?

Resumes should be easy to scan. This means that someone can pick up your resume and get a good idea of your skills and experiences in just a quick glance. Using bold, italics, fonts, font size, spacing and margins effectively help make your resume easy to scan.

Does your resume reflect you?

It is key to make your resume stand out and to reflect that you are an individual with unique skills and experiences. Creative, strong word choice and vivid language can help ensure that your resume reflects who you are. The bonus section you select can also help you make your resume distinct.

Is your resume tailored to the specific job?

Using keywords from the job posting and those relevant to your industry will demonstrate that you can meet the employer’s needs.

Is your resume error-free?

All employers look for attention to detail, and one way to quickly see that a candidate is not conscientious and does not pay attention to detail is through errors on their resume. Be sure to proofread your resume for errors, and have as many people as you can look over your resume for errors before submitting it.

Is your resume consistent?

Resumes that lack consistency look disorganized. Be sure to follow the same format throughout, paying special attention to font selection, font size, typographical emphasis, and the structure of your bullet points.

When is your resume done?

My philosophy is that a resume is never “done.” It is always a work in progress that can be added to and edited. Everyone should have multiple versions of their resume saved, as each should be tailored to each specific job opening.

While I included a lot of example resumes in this book, these reflect students’ best efforts at the time. Each example has room for improvement and each resume is a snapshot in time. Students will continue working on and modifying these resumes as they gain additional experiences. These resumes, like all resumes, are not “done.”

Getting Feedback on Your Resume

Now that you have a strong draft version of your resume and you have reviewed it using the checklist, it is best to continue getting feedback from a variety of sources on your resume. University career services provide resume feedback and individual assistance that I highly recommend you take advantage of repeatedly while you are a student. Further, they also provide services after graduation, which you should utilize as needed throughout your career.

The more people that give you feedback on your resume, the more you may find that people disagree on certain aspects. While I do I have a lot of education and experience in this area, you will encounter other experts that disagree with some of my suggestions.  While there are standard expectations for a resume, there is still wiggle room and opportunities to approach things differently. Ultimately, the final version of your resume should be your own. This will require you to think critically about the advice you receive and to make decisions regarding how best to showcase your skills, abilities, and experiences in your resume.