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PROOFING TIPS
1. Use the Spell Check
feature! Remember Spell Check only finds words that are
misspelled, not misused. For example, if the document
says “Word History” instead of “Work History” it
will not catch that mistake because “Word” is
correctly spelled. Check for typos like these.
2. Look for spacing
problems between words, between lines and areas with
bullets. Make sure the tabs line up.
3. Check the over all
résumé layout. Is it too open or too cluttered?
4. Check for appropriate
fonts and use of bold, italic and underline. Is the résumé
too busy or confusing? Preferred fonts are: Times New
Roman, Bookman, Book Antiqua, Helvetica and Ariel. These are
résumés, not engraved invitations. 12 point should be the
standard font size. Anything smaller is hard to read,
especially if it is faxed or copied.
5. Make sure that the verb
tenses agree. Verbs on résumés tend to be used in the past
tense (“ed”). It is best to use the same verb tense
throughout the entire résumé.
6. Check for
consistency. If in work history a state is abbreviated,
then make sure it is done the same way for each job listed in
the work history section. Make sure dates are formatted the
same way in the entire document.
7. The “name” section
should be the most spelled out and complete. This means
full address with apartment or building numbers, Street,
Avenue, Road, Way, Court, Place, etc. Make sure the Zip
Code is included and at least one phone number even if it is a
message number or beeper number. Email addresses are
also acceptable in this area.
8. Make sure the résumé
has enough meat on the bones or that the fat has been
trimmed. In other words, that the résumé is
informative but not too full of unnecessary information or
so vague that it says nothing. If no description of
skills (tasks you did on other jobs) are noted, how will
an employer know what you have to offer them? On the
other hand, if there are too many details or too much
repetitiveness your skills may be lost. Remember a potential
employer will look at a résumé 10 to 60 seconds; make them
count.
9. If you are the one who
has been working on the résumé, have a friend or fellow
job seeker take a look at it for you. Sometimes you do not see
mistakes that someone else does. Errors on a résumé could
cause you to be overlooked for an interview.
10. Don’t forget about a
cover letter, and reference page.
Click
here to create a cover letter
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