Reviewing Resume before Submitting
One of the first steps in job search is to put together a good resume. While a resume is in no way a guarantee for a job, the purpose of a resume is significant because it gets your foot in the door of an organization. Without a solid and professional looking resume, you won't even be considered for the interview.
To ensure your resume is one of the ones chosen for consideration for an interview it is important to review your written resume carefully before submission. Since your resume is the first glimpse a potential employer sees of you, you want to look your best.
Presenting yourself in the best light is a primary reason why review of a resume is critical before you mail, drop off or e-mail your resume to the organization you are applying for. Without a review you run the risk of submitting a resume that has mistakes, is poorly formatted or has wrong information.
Once you've got a full understanding of the resume basics, you can put together your document and get ready for a careful review. When you prepare your resume to ensure it is not only error free, it is important to remember to be inclusive, comprehensive, but not overly wordy; length is important too.
Here are a few other important facets of your resume you want to carefully review before sending your piece to potential employers:
• Attractive Format
Format is going to be one of the first things an employer sees, so it is of value to ensure everything looks just right. Double check to ensure the font is consistent and uniform, and be sure you used a standard typeface such as Times New Roman 12pt or Arial 10 pt.
Recheck your document to make sure there are no glitches or odd positioning as any of these kinds of errors will make your resume look unprofessional. Even if the content is good, a poorly formatted resume can get you sent to the exit before you've entered the building.
Be sure your resume looks good aesthetically.
• Watch your Length
Ideally your resume should be about a page long, although in some industries, resumes that are a little bit longer are considered acceptable. What's most important is all relevant and important information is included and your potential boss can get a good look at you without having to thumb through multiple pages to get the gist of what they're looking to find.
• Error Free
Careless typos and grammar errors are not going to present a positive impression, and chances are if your resume has mistakes, it will immediately be discarded.
Before you submit, it is critical to run a spell check and then proofread it at least twice you're your own eyes before submission; even better if you can get someone else to give it a good look over before you send it in.
• Accurate Information
It is a good idea to double check all of your information. You do not want to intentionally or unintentionally submit information that is not accurate.
It's best to assume your potential employer is going to call and check all references, so be sure and not 'pad' your resume too much to the point where information you've shared is untrue; this is inevitably going to come back to haunt you at some point. For instance, don't list experience you don't have unless you are sure you can do the task if asked.
• Contact Information
One of the most obvious, but sometimes forgotten pieces of information is contact information. Remember to include your address, phone numbers and e-mail address. Additionally, if you are revising an old resume, be sure all of this information is current and up to date.
A resume is an important step in the job hunting process, and the time taken to review a resume before submission is invaluable. Careful review ensures you are presenting yourself in the best light and you increase your chances of being called for thatcoveted interview.
