Making the most of your resume

The aim of your resume is to demonstrate that you have the experience and qualities necessary to perform well in the job. It should always be accompanied with a covering letter, which can be used to draw attention to your particular strengths.

Be concise

Recruiters can often be faced with mountains of resumes, so they don't want to trawl through a rambling, overly long document. Your resume should ideally be no longer than two sides of A4 paper.

Target your resume

Look at the job specification carefully. Be sure to demonstrate that you possess each skill or quality required for the job.

For example, if the recruiters are looking for someone creative, you will need to prove that you possess this quality. This will really improve your chances of getting an interview.

Presentation

First impressions are extremely important. Use formatting to your advantage; highlight your strengths using bold or italics, but don't go over the top - the use of colours and flashing lights can be a distraction.

At the top of your resume, put your name, rather than the words 'Resume' or 'Curriculum vitae'. Under this should be your contact details (including an email address and telephone number).

Don't leave gaps

By leaving gaps in your resume, you are inviting the recruiter to guess what you might have been up to for those periods of time. Think about what you were doing during that time and pick out aspects that might be used to highlight your suitability.

Ask a friend for feedback

Errors in your resume give an extremely bad impression to recruiters. Don't rely on a computer spellchecker; ask your friend to take a look over the resume with a critical eye. This can be painful, but it really helps. Pay particular attention to spelling mistakes, weak grammar, and errors in dates.