A resume is meant to generate interest in you, the candidate.  The goal is an invitation to an interview.  A professional, easy-to-read resume creates a positive first impression.   Select the format that best highlights your skills and accomplishments.  The overall look and feel is as important as the content. 

Your resume should be symmetrical and balanced.  Maintain as much white space between sections of writing as possible. A good rule is to have no more than six lines of writing in any one "block" or paragraph (summary, experience, education, etc.).  If any more than this is necessary, start a new section or a new paragraph.

Check for consistency in formatting.  Be uniform and consistent in your use of italics, boldface, capitalization, punctuation, bullets, and underlining.  If you use a period at the end of one bulleted statement, a period should be at the end of all bullets.  If one degree is in boldface, all degrees should be in boldface.

There is no room for spelling errors on a resume. In a recent survey by OfficeTeam, 84% of executives indicated that just one or 2 typographical errors in a resume would remove a candidate from consideration for an opening.  This is the first work product a potential employer will see.  The quality of your future work will be judged by this piece.  Proofread carefully and have someone else review it.

Grammatical errors also get noticed and send the message that you may not have the level of communication skills necessary to interact with clients/customers.  Use proper English in all application materials.  Avoid slang, cliches, and poor phrasing.  

A poorly formatted resume, one that is difficult to read, contains errors and lacks flow, is not likely to generate the right kind of interest.  You only get one chance to make a good first impression.  The Career Exploration Office staff is available to help you create a targeted resume that gets results!  Visit our website (www.careers.ohiostatealumni.org) for information on the Gray Resume Assistance package.

Retirement is a process; it involves a transition in your identity, your daily routine, your relationships and your income.  If you are considering retirement but aren’t sure if you are financially prepared, The OSU Office of Continuing Education is offering Financial Preparation for Retirement.  This non-credit course will help you calculate retirement expenses, income, and assets to make sure that you won’t outlive your money. For more information on this and other business courses, visit the On-Campus Non-Credit Courses link on the Continuing Ed website (www.ced.osu.edu).

The Buckeye Job Board is a job posting site offered through the Career Exploration Office. Ohio State alumni, continuing education students and other clients of the CEO are invited to view full-time career opportunities with employers seeking experienced candidates for open positions. Employers/recruiters are invited to post open positions for 30 days. There is no fee to use this service.  For more information, visit www.careers.ohiostatealumni.org or call 614-292-3503 or 292-8493. 

You have received this email in response to an inquiry made to the Career Exploration Office. If you do not wish to receive the CEO Career Tune-Up, please send your request to be removed from the mailing list to careerexploration@osu.edu.

Career Exploration Office, 152 Mount Hall, 1050 Carmack Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210-1002
(614) 292-8493 or (614) 292-3503, www.careers.ohiostatealumni.org, e-mail: careerexploration@osu.edu.