I have been asked many times by clients, “can the look of my resume really make a difference in whether I get an interview?” The answer is always, “yes”. Again, I say “yes”! Why do looks matter so much when it is the content that should sail you through to an interview? In theory, only the content based on your experience, achievements and education should matter. The truth is however, that when a hiring manager or recruiter is looking through a stack of sometimes hundreds of resumes that all say very similar things, if your achievements and skills don’t stand out and get noticed; either will you.
 

Most hiring managers agree they give each resume a once over which lasts about ten seconds. If the points which they are looking for are not revealed in that short time the resume is put at the bottom of the pile or even worse, the circular file. The format of your resume is crucial for this reason. A strong format that showcases your competencies and achievements quickly and easily will get you noticed. After enough potential candidate resumes are pulled from the stack they are reviewed in-depth in order to determine if they really do have what is being sought in the job description.  

What makes a document readable? It is a combination of things. There should be enough white space for the eyes to be able to read it easily. Variety is good too, all bullets, although very common, can be blinding if you look at them long enough. They make you have to strain to read each one. Using a combination of short paragraphs and bullets helps the brain to more easily take in the information. Highlighted and bold word areas also draw attention on a resume. Make sure you highlight the words you want read most. 

Font and letter size are also important. The font should be easy and simple without too many curly or wavy letters to distract or strain the eyes. The font should be large enough to be read comfortably. If you use an 8 or 9 font because you want all the information to fit on one page it will look crammed and be hard to read. 

This brings up another important point, the length of the resume. It does not have to be one page. In fact I recommend two pages for professionals with relevant experience. Resumes for candidates that have had several jobs will look neater if there is white space adequately separating the jobs. The importance is the content not the length of the resume. That being said, with a two page resume it is even more critical to have an attention-grabbing focused first page. Your resume needs to display what the hiring manager wants to see, where they can see it! 

Simple is better than unique for resume style. Sometimes unique can present concerns; is the high level of creative or frilly extras an indication that reflects the candidates personality? For many industries especially finance or accounting, it could be too busy and turn managers away from the resume. Most are looking for clean, clear and relevant resumes. Your creativity, if it needs to be demonstrated, should be showcased in your portfolio where sample work, addendums, and reference letters are provided. 

Many companies actually prefer reading resumes in a text version with all the formatting removed. It levels the playing field, removes any distractions and helps application databases scan documents without getting caught or tossed out for incompatibility. However, when hand delivering, mailing or even attaching a document in an email it should be in presentation form. 

Writing a resume for a specific job description or vacancy announcement is the best way to be sure you include exactly what the company is looking for. Keeping your resume straight forward and easy to read will help it stay at the top of the pile and get you an interview.