Creating A Winning and Cybersmart Resume

The new rules for better resumes start with the fact that there are fewer rules. There's an opportunity for creativity, but not for gimmicks. What works today is a relatively conservative style and a focus on key achievements - especially those that are of particular interest to the company that is hiring. For example, what interests an employer for a staff accountant position may not interest the manager hiring a cost accountant. In other words, one size does not fit all when it comes to preparing a resume that sells your strengths.

There are three basic resume formats: functional, chronological and mixed.

A functional resume, comprised of sections summarizing various skill sets - is sometimes a good option for students and recent graduates as well. You can also choose a combination resume which lists skill summaries first, followed by a short work history. Keep resumes brief, professional (no humor), one page, and always start with your name, address and telephone number. Use black type and a standard, easy-to-read font on letter-sized white or ivory paper. Limit the use of italics, excessive bolding and underlining, which may not be translated by today's resume scanning software.

Include a career objective at the top if you are seeking an entry-level accounting position, or if you are preparing your resume for an electronic scanner, simply state the title of the job for which you are applying. An objective on a resume is only helpful if it is specific, brief and directly related to the job you are seeking. Use it only if you want a particular position with a company, because it may limit your options.

As for dates on the resume, use only a month and year. Other things to omit include: reasons for leaving previous jobs; high school diploma if you have a college degree; superfluous credentials and awards unrelated to your field; photos; and references - most readers assume you will supply this information when requested.

Make your resume results-oriented - quantify and describe your accomplishments concisely. Explain the position in two or three lines, then highlight your achievements using bullet points, especially those that illustrate leadership abilities or team player skills.

If you're considering embellishment - don't. Lying or stretching the truth could be costly to both you and your employer. If a prospective employer discovers during the reference-checking process that you misrepresented yourself, you'll lose out on the job offer.

We've all become so used to the advanced features of our word- processing and desktop publishing applications that creating an ASCII file may seem routine. However, it doesn't hurt to go over some of the finer points if you plan to e-mail your resume.

Here are some guidelines:

• Line Length - The most common mistake people make is assuming that the recipient of the resume has the same line length set in his or her text editor. Line lengths in excess of 80 characters have a very good chance of wrapping the line prematurely, creating an annoying double-spaced window.
• Tip - If you're using Word for Windows, use 10-point Courier and set the page width at 4-3/4". Be sure to save the file as "Text with Line Breaks" to put a hard return at the end of each line. This will make your line length bullet-proof.
• Vertical Alignment - The second most common mistake is to assume that your resume will appear with the same vertical alignment it has on your home system. Vertical alignment is achieved by using an equal number of spaces from the left-hand margin.
• Tip - Be sure to convert all the text in your resume to 10-point Courier or another suitable fixed-width font. Proportional fonts like Helvetica or Arial have different widths for different characters (you'll never get things lined up with these fonts). Using spaces with the correct line length (see above) will make columns line up properly.
• Other Issues - If your resume design depends on columns, bullets or bitmapped graphics, you may want to consider a simpler layout for sending via the Internet. Look at it as a creative challenge and take advantage of ASCII characters like dashes (-), asterisks (*) and arrows (>).

Article courtesy of Accountemps, which has more than 240 offices in North America, Europe and Australia, and offers online job search services.