Home » Writing a Good Resume » Final Things and Delivery
Using the right type
Mastering Your Resume
After the content of your resume is written and laid out in either the chronological or functional format, you need to print and copy it. Print your master resume on a laser or inkjet printer. Don't use a dot-matrix printer, even if that's all you have hooked up to your computer; you'd be better off hiring a professional word processor to do the printout or renting time on a computer and printer at your local copy shop. Your master printouts should be on white paper of any weight.
Career Casualty
The print on a sheet of paper from an inkjet printer runs when it gets wet, so don't send an inkjet master copy to an employer. Instead, send a photo copy of the inkjet master to ensure that the print will survive rainstorm or coffee spill.
In the Mood to Reproduce
After you have printed your master, it's off to a copy center, unless you have access to a high-quality copier elsewhere. Don't order a whole slew of copies; start with the number you think you'll need for one or two weeks of your job search.
By copying your resume in short runs, you'll be a lot more inclined toadjust your marketing approach as you pursue your ideal job. That'simportant because you need to be prepared to change your Job Objective statement and tweak your resume, if necessary, as you getfeedback from employers along the way.
Looking Classy on Paper
Your next step is to select paper that's appropriate for the type of work you're after. It makes sense that someone going for a CEO position is going to have higher-end paper than someone seeking a clerical position.
Job-Hunt Hint
If you have your own printer or access to one you can use freely, consider printing your resume on an as-needed basis so that you can customize it for every position.
Personally, I don't like fancy textured or parchment sheets--to me they look pretentious. I like plain white that has just a little more weight than the standard 20-pound paper used for copying. That extra weight sends a subconscious message of quality to the reader without screaming out, "This is expensive paper!"
But don't go overboard on the weight. As one administrative assistant pointed out to me, "When the paper is too thick, it jams up the copier. That makes me mad, and I'm apt to throw the resume away." Oops! You better not get on the wrong side of an administrative assistant who, at that moment, wields the fate of your career. Solution: Choose something a little heavier than 20-pound but not as thick as card stock. I can just see you now--your chin lifted high and chest puffed out as you walk out of the copy center with your stack of fresh resumes. You're ready to conquer the world!
Job-Hunt Hint
Your resume needs to be ready to survive a long process of faxing and photocopying. That means you should use black printon white or very light paper.
The Top Ten Checklist
Now that you're finished writing, designing, and printing your resume, give yourself astanding version for your hard work. Then grab your pencil (or get out a box of gold stars)and take credit for each one of the items on the following list that you've completed. Noneed to get nervous--it's not a test. It's just a way to assure yourself that you've done thebest job possible with your resume.
- Your name appears in the top center or on the upper right-hand side (not in the upperleft-hand corner) of the page.
- Your resume starts with a brief and clear Job Objective statement or a strong indica-tion of what position you are seeking.
- Everything on your resume supports your Job Objective.
- Achievements, rather than job descriptions, are stressed.
- Achievement statements start with action verbs and do not contain vague terms suchas "responsible for."
- There are no paragraphs anywhere on the resume. Bulleted statements make achieve-ments quick and easy to read.
- Statements and sections are prioritized so the most impressive information comes first.
- Your resume fits on no more than two pages. The exception to this two-page limit applies to resumes (also called curriculum vitae) for the academic and scientific communities.
- If you have a two-page resume, "Continued" appears on the bottom of page one, and your name and "Page Two" are placed at the top of the second page.
- There are no misspellings, grammatical errors, or other mistakes.
If you've checked off everything on the list, you're in good shape. Now it's time to get your masterpiece onto the employer's desk.