Resume Evaluation: Format

This is one of series of articles being written by Alpha Dog Resumes.com explaining how the online resume writing service evaluates the thousands of resumes that are sent to it each year.

One of the ten criteria that is reviewed is Format.  The resume is given a score of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest score.

A score of 3 or lower indicates that you should consider changing the format of your resume.  Format includes the way your resume is laid out, what it emphasizes first, and whether it is reverse chronological, functional, or a combination of both.  Format of a resume can have a huge impact on your job chances, particularly if you have unusual career situations.

By way of example, should you include a 2 year traveling sabbatical on your resume?  Answer:  it depends on a number of factors, including your target job.

The key is to put your most impressive and relevant qualifications front and center.  They should be the first thing that catches the reader’s (or the computer’s) eye.  Gaps and unusual situations must be addressed somehow…and without creating difficulties later in the hiring process.  Clever format choice can help

Resume Evaluation: Appearance and Presentation

This is one of series of articles being written by Alpha Dog Resumes.com explaining how the online resume writing service evaluates the thousands of resumes that are sent to it each year.

One of the ten criteria that is reviewed is Appearance and Presentation.  The resume is given a score of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest score.

A score of 3 or lower indicates that your resume needs an appearance change.  Overall appearance and presentation are crucial in a resume that is fortunate enough to actually get reviewed by a real person.  The design must be clean and simple, with visual clues directing the reader to key elements of your skills and background.  Margins, fonts, headings, and a myriad of other design elements should work together to do one thing:  Sell You!

For example, is it useful to have a section entitled “Skills” at the top of resume for a CEO candidate?  Or should that heading be “Qualifications”?  Or should there be such a section but with no heading?  Or should there be no such section at all?  It makes a real difference depending on your target job and industry.

Also, did you know that many employers now use resume management software that will not detect key information included in certain portions of your resume?  If the computer cannot read it, that information might as well be invisible.