Resume & Cover Letter Tips

The first article I read was entitled, "Pretty in Ink: Making a Resume Look as Appealing as the Content," written by Sarah Needleman. Sarah explains how to make a resume stand out from all the cookie-cutter, run of the mill resumes. Adding visuals, graphs, or tables can make a resume stand out and get noticed faster. Allan Zander is the vice president of SolaCom Technologies Inc. and reports only five percent of resumes having creative designs. Not only do aesthetic features show creativity, but it is also refreshing for the one handling resumes.

Sarah also warns of the downfalls. First, she says it is important not to get carried away. Too much design can cause confusion, or simply take too long to read. She also emphasizes the importance of revision. making sure your resume is mistake free is the most important thing. She ends with an effective quote, "A typo is still a typo."

The second article I read was written by Joann Lublin, called "There's No Quick-Fix Solution To Erasing Lies on a Resume." She talks about the struggle for those who have lied on a resume and got a job to come forward and admit to having a false resume. With all the background checks that go on today she says it is only a matter of time before they catch you because checks are not only going on for new employees but those also getting promotions and holding high positions. They say it is good to come clean before getting caught because they might be willing to let you quit with dignity or might even let you still have your job, like Michael Allison. Allison learned that the CEO had not graduated from college, but decided his falsified academic credentials "had no bearing on his entrepreneurial success.'' This could have been to cover-up media coverage. The bottom line is not to lie on your resume.