5 Tips To Get More Mileage From Your Resume

With the current job market, it gets harder and harder to be sure that your resume is being read, let alone leaving an impact. Recent reports have shown that employers are receiving hundreds of resumes for just one job opening. It seems like a challenge, but rest assured, people ARE being hired for jobs, and the key is to make sure that one of those people is you. One of the best ways to give yourself an advantage is to make the most of your resume. Here are 5 great tips for getting the most mileage out of your resume.

• Use a good font- Many employers are using scanners to scan resumes to look for keywords. The resumes that match the keywords the employers are looking for are then reviewed by hand. Some of these scanners have trouble reading text in unusual fonts. The most user friendly fonts are Helvetica, Courier, Futura, Optima, Palatino, New Century Schoolbook, and Times. Try to keep your typeface in the 10-14 point range. If the scanner can't read your resume, it may get thrown out.
• Be fax friendly- When an employer ask you to fax your resume be sure to set your fax machine to “fine”, that way you can be sure that the copy they receive is as clear as possible. You wouldn't want poor quality to make your resume difficult to read. Also, if they are planning to run it through a scanner, this will help ensure that your text can be read.
• Don't send your resume as an attachment- Not everyone that replies to a job ad are really job seekers. Employers have become hesitant to download attachments, not only for fear of Trojans, spyware or viruses but also because they don't want to fill their hard drives with files that may not even be compatible with their software. So, copy and paste your resume into the text of the email. You can include another copy as an attachment if you feel like it will help or they requested it sent that way. Always save your documents in .doc format to keep compatibility issues to a minimum.
• Always include a subject line- If the job has a reference number, be sure to put it in the subject line. Otherwise, think of the subject line as your advertisement. List your skills and your name. For example “Jane Doe, experienced sales manager” or something similar to highlight your name and specific experience.
• Ask a Wizard- Almost any word processing software you use comes with built in wizard that can help guide you step by step through the process of creating any sort of document you want. There are many resume wizards available, and you should take advantage of them. They can be an invaluable tool. If you still find that you need help, consult with the real wizards of resume writing at Beyond.com's resume writing lab.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a freelance writer and regular contributor to several websites and other publications, a volunteer, a full time mom and an active job seeker.