SMARTLY

HOW TO WRITE A RESUME

RESUME FORMATTING & CONTENT

Formatting Guidelines

Make your resume easy on the eyes. Keep it simple and clean to
Formatting suggestions
help recruiters find the information they need. Aim for:
Font: Times New Roman, Ariel
• Readability: Keep your font simple, your margins Size: 11 or 12 point
reasonable, and the font size no smaller than 10 pt. Margins: 0.5”-1”
• Consistency: Use spacing, bolding, bullets, and italics File type: PDF
consistently throughout the document. Share the document Company/University: Bold
as a PDF to avoid formatting variations. Job title: Italics
Date: MMM YYYY
• Brevity: Limit your resume to one page for every 10 years of Length: 1 page per 10 years
work experience.
• Correctness: Proofread, proofread, proofread. A single typo
can disqualify you, especially if the position requires written Pro tips: Don’t include photos,
communication. objectives, personal statements,
or the phrase “references
• Professionalism: Keep your tone clean and professional. available upon request”.
Avoid personal pronouns, jargon, and oversharing.

Content Guidelines

Your resume should tell a clear story and showcase your strengths.
Here are some tips to do so:

• Reverse order: Your achievements should be listed in

reverse chronological order, with your most recent job Consider using the following
listed first. framework: Action verb +
Project (what you did) + Result
• List achievements, not job descriptions: Focus on (what you accomplished).
problems you solved, actions you took, and results that
followed. Do not describe overall duties.
Include language abilities,
• Highlight growth: List multiple positions for the same
citizenship, service activities,
employer as individual entries to highlight progression.
society memberships, or current
Make your resume stand out by including a small Personal or hobbies. And be as specific as
Additional Information section at the end. possible!

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