From Karen Schweitzer,
Your Guide to Business School.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

Resume writing takes a special touch. Most people find the whole task a bit intimidating. Fortunately, resume writing isn’t quite as difficult as it seems. With practice and focus, you can devise an eye-catching resume that will make employers sit up and take notice. The resume writing tips shown below can help get you started:

Resume Writing Tips #1 – Pay Attention to Layout

Creating a professional layout is an essential aspect of resume writing. Readability is the key. Margins and line breaks should provide plenty of white space between and around resume text. If possible, keep margins at one inch on all four sides of the page.

Resume Writing Tip #2 – Use the Right Font

Fancy and decorative fonts are great, but they have no place in resume writing. Choose a font that is easy to read and appropriately sized. Professional looking fonts include:

• Arial
• Bookman
• Helvetica
• Palatino
• Times

Resume Writing Tip #3 – Format Properly

There are many different ways to format your resume. However, there are certain resume rules that should be followed regardless of the format you choose:

• Be consistent.
• Use capital letters sparingly.
• Avoid using cutesy graphics.
• Use Bold Text or ruled lines for category headings or other items that may need extra emphasis.
• Place education and/or work experience dates in logical order.

Resume Writing Tip #4 – Check Your Work

Resume writing can be time consuming. By the time you finish, you may be tempted to send your resume off without checking it over. Resist the temptation! Spell checkers don’t catch everything. Proofread everything yourself, and if possible, ask a trusted friend, family member, or a professional resume writer to look over your work.


For more information on resume writing, read the following articles:

How to Write an Effective a Resume
Resume Action Words
Resume Mistakes to Avoid