Resume Revision Equals Success
Check Resume's Grammar, Professionalism, Presentation & Coherence
Revising a resume is a must! No one’s first draft of anything is ever perfect, and careless mistakes can happen to anyone. Take extra care when revising a resume because it (along with a cover letter) is sent to potential employers, who have never met you. And, it is the potential employer’s job to use these documents to judge you. Now see the importance of thorough revision?
A great revision tip is to read everything that you write a bare minimum of three times. You actually could not read over it too many times. There are four main areas that need the most attention when revising.
Check Grammar, Spelling & Typos
Grammar, spelling and typos go hand in hand. Many people have issues with grammar, so that’s why revision is so important. Spend lots of time checking and revising, refer to grammar and writing books and online sites, and ask someone else to look over the resume for mistakes in grammar and spelling.
Do not rely on your word processor’s grammar and spell check. It doesn’t pick up mistakes like “air loom” instead of “heirloom” or “pubic relations” instead of “public relations.” It cannot replace an effective read-through.
Be Professional
Most importantly, the resume should reflect the job and career field for which you are applying. Don’t include inappropriate information, like political leanings, deities worshipped, hobbies, proudest moments, pets, children, or anything offensive or inappropriate enough to prompt the hiring manager to throw the resume in the trash. Focus on clearly stating why you are qualified for the job and be persuasive.
Create an Eye-Catching Presentation
Make it look eye-catching, but don’t overdo it, and keep white space to a minimum. Be sure to use formal business style when writing the letter, meaning don’t double space it. Evenly space items in the resume and use bullets to make information easier to read.
Use a professional font, like Arial or Times New Roman, that others can easily read – stay away from cutesy fonts or ones that resemble handwriting. If using graphics, make sure they are appropriate and not covering up important information.
Stay Focused & Coherent
Revision will also help to make sure that the resume makes sense, flows and conveys the desired point. Use professional-sounding language and avoid slang, colloquialisms and any other language that could be incoherent to the average reader. Include lots of detail, but don’t be too wordy.
Revise your resume effectively so that potential employers notice your qualifications rather than grammatical or spelling errors, or its lack of professionalism or coherence. Pay particular attention to the areas of grammar, spelling and typos, professionalism, presentation and coherence when revising your resume. Your professional career may depend on it. Now is as good a time as any to start revising!
