Effective Resume Presentation Tips

A Spotless Appearance Is The Best Chance To Get The Job You Want

Apr 7, 2008 Jon Thompson

If a resume doesn't make a good first impression it won't have a chance to convince an employer to ask the candidate in for an interview. Some tips to make it work best.

You want a good job. The unemployment rate is high. Jobs are scarce. Good jobs are rarer. Your résumé may be the only part of you an employer sees. If it shines you stand a much better chance of being invited for an interview. What goes into the résumé is important. How it looks is critical.

The Resume is the Only "You" an Employer May See

Advertising professionals like David Ogilvy, author of Confessions of an Advertising Man [Atheneum, 1988], estimate 80% of the impact of an advertisement is in the heading. When applying for a position, candidates are advertising themselves and the résumé’s appearance acts much like the heading in an ad. It’s the first thing an employer notices.

How a Resume Looks is The First Impression

An accepted maxim in the staffing industry is that “The best indicator of future performance is past performance” according to Thomas Fuller of Epsen Fuller. The résumé’s appearance is a visible example of the applicant’s performance ability. Employers will assume it is the best example. It needs to be clean and clear, dressed for an interview.

The Rockport Institute estimates a résumé typically has ten to 20 seconds to impress an employer before he moves on to another. The successful résumé needs to entice an employer to consider the candidate. It may be worthwhile to have yours produced or copied professionally. Here are five important tips to remember when sending out a résumé:

• No matter what a résumé may say about a candidate, its appearance speaks volumes.
• Use good quality paper, but not novelty high-end stock.
• Proofread and eliminate spelling and grammatical errors.
• Use a standard easy-to-read font, not an artsy one.
• Send only clean copies; no food stains, stray marks, wrinkles, or ink blotches.

Tell Them Why You Want the Position

An employer potentially wades through a stack of résumé’s to find the best candidate. Find out what the position is, and what the employer expects from the person who will fill the position, before submitting a résumé. Let the employer know why you want this particular position in your statement of objective at the beginning of the résumé. Explain why you should be selected in terms of benefit to the employer.

• Poor - I am applying for a sales position.
• Better - I am seeking a furniture salesperson position with the Bennett Company. I believe my willingness to meet sales goals and build customer satisfaction can be of mutual benefit.

Don’t Make an Employer Guess

What position are you applying for? Résumé’s are often general and not focused on the position available. It may be easier to send out a generally worded résumé to a wide number of employers, but résumé’s with a specific objective mentioned at the beginning tend to make an employer take note, and usually are more likely to lead to an interview.

When sending a general résumé, make the objective statement specific to the job. Acknowledging the requirements of the position shows that you are aware of what is expected in performing the work. Some standards are consistent for all positions within job classes.

• I am seeking a position as a salesperson in a company where customer satisfaction and meeting sales goals is important.

Especially when the job market is tight and there are more applicants for each position, seemingly small things matter. Preparing a clean résumé may seem like a small thing, but it can be the difference between having your résumé thrown away after ten seconds and being invited for an interview.

The copyright of the article Effective Resume Presentation Tips in Career Advice is owned by Jon Thompson. Permission to republish Effective Resume Presentation Tips in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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