Word-processing & printing your resume

Your resume should be produced using a modern word-processing package, such as Microsoft Word and printed on a high quality laser printer.

It is not really good enough these days to produce your resume on a typewriter and it will make you look very unprofessional, out of date and out of touch with the modern world.

If you do not have access to this technology, or using a computer is one of your worst nightmares, then you will have to pay someone to do this for you. If you get someone else to prepare your resume make sure they print it out on a laser printer. Dot matrix or inkjet printers are not really good enough and the ink from an inkjet tends to smudge fairly easily. Always ask for a proof copy of your resume so that you can check that it meets your needs.

When you are creating your resume you should ensure that you have all margins set to one inch. Name, address and telephone number should be included in the first page header. Section headings should be in BOLD UPPER CASE. In a performance resume you should pick out employers and job titles in bold text, but you may not want to pick them out in bold in a functional or targeted resume. Please ensure that you use enough 'white space' (empty space) on each page - do not squeeze things in and make your resume looked cramped.

You should check your draft resume thoroughly for spelling and grammatical errors. When you are happy with it you should get at least one other person to check it over and give you some feedback. You should then redraft it and show it to them again. You may need to do this several times before you are completely satisfied with the final version.

When it comes to printing your resume out you should use good quality paper, preferably 100 gram weight and you should also use this paper for writing any letters on. You can use brilliant white paper or if you want to be distinctive and different you might try cream or vellum paper. You should never fold your resume if you are posting it - always use a large envelope.