Crafting a Good Resume Heading

Five Important Tips for Job Applications

Aug 16, 2009 Timothy Slovik

The resume heading provides key information to an employer, but if thrown together sloppily or without care, it may seriously detract from an application.

A resume heading must contain the applicant's name, address, telephone number, and email. Here are five pieces of advice on how to write the perfect resume heading.

Display No Typos or Errors

The entire document must be error free because an employer is looking to see that the applicant has taken time and dedication in presenting him or herself. Since the resume heading contains contact information, it is obviously well-known to the applicant. Therefore, the misspelling of a name or address shows carelessness. This is the sort of mistake an employer can use to quickly eliminate a resume from consideration.

Use Up-to-date Information

Contact information changes regularly. New phone numbers or addresses are common. It is vital that your resume include the most up-to-date information. If an employer is unable to reach you, he will ignore your application. Out-of-date information on a resume tells the employer that the applicant has not taken care to craft the document correctly.

Occasionally, your contact information may change quickly, and you may want to update a potential employer with the new details. In this instance, it is acceptable to send an updated resume with a short note indicating that you have updated your contact information. Do not send the new information alone, since an employer is unlikely to match it to the existing application. A fully updated resume, however, can be added to the original application at the employer's convenience, providing a single complete document.

Use a Professional Email Address

Never use an inappropriate email address when submitting your resume or job application. An employer is not interested in hiring "hotguy83" or "sexygirl4u." Even innocent names, such as "patriotsfan09" or "houstontexan" simply do not meet most employers' expectation for professional communication. The most appropriate email addresses consist of your real name or initials. With so many free and accessible email services existing today, it is simple to create a new address.

In addition, the new address can help to keep job leads, application materials, and communication with potential employers more organized. An email account dedicated only to your career prevents important messages from getting lost amidst daily personal email. Most email services offer large enough storage capacity to archive all communication with potential employers, especially those with attached resumes, cover letters, applications, and other documents.

Consider Name Pronunciation

If your first name is difficult to pronounce, you might consider substituting a shortened version or nickname. Employers sometimes discriminate on the basis of a name, and not necessarily with malicious intent. Instead, many employers find themselves embarrassed to be unable to pronounce a name. The unfortunate truth is that some employers will ignore a resume when they are unable to immediately recognize a familiar name.

A name is part of identity, and should not be ignored or hidden from an employer. If you find insulting to change your name in this instance, then by all means use your real name with confidence. In the instance of a resume or cover letter though, using an informal name is an acceptable means to insure smooth communication. Remember, nicknames should never be used when submitting to a background check, contracts, or any other official documents. Once sitting face to face for a job interview, introduce yourself with your full name. After an employer has heard the correct pronunciation, he will feel more comfortable in using it thereafter.

Clean Formatting and no Images

The most common resume format sees the heading centered at the top of the page. Variations are acceptable, but only when easy to read. Use a bold font to make your name stand out, and feel free to use a dividing line beneath your name or the entire heading. Boxes or borders around the entire heading are also acceptable, assuming they use clean lines. Never use an image, logo, or picture of any type in the resume heading. Use your judgment to determine what looks best, keeping in mind that readability is the most important aspect.

Email addresses present additional problems. Consider using ALL CAPS or small capitals to make the address easy to read. This is especially helpful when the address contains periods, dashes, or underscores. Also, remove any underlining which may have been automatically added by your word processing program.

Importance of a Well-crafted Resume Heading

While the information contained in the resume heading may be overlooked as rather simple, by taking the time to verify complete accuracy and clean formatting, you indicate the level of care you are willing to put forth in a job. Demonstrating such care is critical to advancing closer to getting the desired position.

These five pieces of advice will help create a good resume heading, and may generally be applied throughout most job application materials. Using professionalism in even the tiniest details will only help you throughout the process.

The copyright of the article Crafting a Good Resume Heading in Career Advice is owned by Timothy Slovik. Permission to republish Crafting a Good Resume Heading in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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