Here at Lucent Education, we must take it for granted that there are some pretty straightforward principles around resume formatting.  It's a fairly easy and fun design task for us to work off of your current formatting (usually) and keep your stylistic flavor while modernizing - there are rare cases when we totally revamp the resume formatting.  Here are some tips that go a bit beyond the general template of a resume:

• Margins - don't make them too narrow since sometimes the resume is still printed out, so at least half an inch on each side
• Still need to be able to read it - so 10 pt font is the absolute smallest!
• Check alignment of the dates - easy to check for, but typically missed; important because it's easy to spot and looks sloppy if misaligned
• Need more space?  Try changing a line to 5 pt font instead of a full space when you're between sections
• If you have 2 pages, be sure to number them on a footer (and to put your name there, too, in case the pages get separated)
• Many people are still using Times New Roman - time to update that to a more modern font like the standard Calibri or Calibri Light
• Generally, up to about 10 years, you can fit your resume onto one page - unless you've had some amazing experience that merits 1.5 pages

Don't forget, read your resume as if you're a recruiter.  It only needs the information on there to get you that interview (and sometimes for a hiring manager to see your experience further back).  So, it sometimes hurts to cut out pieces of your work history because you lived it (and it was important!), but the resume isn't where you dictate your entire life's work; it's a personal marketing tool to help you get an interview.

Good luck!

With the new year, many are thinking about what they'd like to accomplish for the year.  Eating and living healthier.  Strengthening relationships with friends.  Spending more time with family.  And of course, what to do about a job that you're ready to move on from.

So, here are a few resume refreshing tips to get you started...

• Formatting - this still matters as we bring resumes to interviews and pdf the document to send to companies.  Try updating the font as a start.  Many of our clients are still stuck in Times New Roman.  Calibri gives a resume a quick and easy modernization.  Another check on formatting is to be sure each section and sub section is consistent including: dates are aligned with each other, titles are formatted in the same way, and bullet points are in alignment.
• Content - focus on accomplishments.  Most people have all the tasks that they're responsible for already on their resume.  What are the top 3 accomplishments you're most proud of in that position?  Articulate it and include numbers to help quantify the scope.
• Copy edits - typos are a big no no.  Your resume represents you as a professional.  Typos and grammar mistakes will signal to a recruiter that you are not serious about the position or as a professional.  A good way to check for typos and other grammatical mistakes is to read each line of your resume start with the last line - helps to mix up that revision fatigue.

For the majority of professionals, writing something longer than an email or a PowerPoint slide/deck is not a routine practice. So, here are a few tips on how to start putting together your cover letter.  Each person's unique experiences in combination with each position should also be taken into consideration when putting together the cover letter.  This is just a generic format for getting your first draft started:

Intro:

• First sentence: state intention. Which position are you applying to and in what group/company?  
• Then a general sentence or two on how your past experience applies to the position.
• Then add a sentence referring back to why you'd be great for the position.

Middle paragraph(s):
 You can do this in two main ways...

1. By skill, where each paragraph talks about a skill in important areas of the work (for example, if you're in marketing, a few important skills that aren't obvious might include managing a budget or project management).
2. By sequence, where you would walk the reader through a sequence of your positions, listing a seminal experience in each of them (do not list them like your resume - the reader likely already has that!).

Last paragraph:
Summarize your education/certifications, any relevant coursework specific to the position.  Then close it off with one or two sentences about how your experience and/or coursework is relevant to the specific position.  This is also a good place (or the intro) to talk about how your personal passions align with the position if applicable.

Then add a  sentence before the closing that conveys confidence and eagerness to move forward such as: "Thank you so much for considering me for the ZZZZ position at YYYY, I look forward to speaking with you soon.

The look and feel of a resume is sometimes just as important as the content itself.  There are circumstances in which large companies will convert the content to a generic format.  In those cases, the formatting is totally void.  However, you're likely applying to multiple positions at different companies, in which case, formatting is the first thing someone would notice about the resume.  Here are few key pieces to look at when re-formatting your resume:

• Does it feel crowded?  If so, put some spacing between sections of the resume.
• Does it have a uniform look?  If not, be sure to have titles consistent, bullet points in alignment, section headers in the same font and font sizes, etc. 
• Are the margins consistent?  What about areas where you indent bullet points or titles?  
• Be sure to check on font size consistency for each section; also check for font consistency, especially if you copy-pasted any content from other sources.
• Also, check the resume at a glance without look at the content - does it look clean, modern, organized?  Or does it feel cluttered and/or messy?  Continue to work on margins and spacing if it still feels crowded.