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Since we know the essentials of resume writing, it’s time to get to minor details. Even they make a difference.

Medium

This seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? In what format, other than A4 (Europe) or Letter (U.S.), would you send in your resume anyway? It never hurts to stick to the conventional black & white combination of ink and paper. It is relatively cheap and tells your story briefly and concisely.

Another alternative is to point the prospective employer to your resume online. You can either create your profile on VisualCV.com or have your own personal web site with all the details. In case of the latter variant, have a professional designer make your online presentation. Chances are he will do a better job than you.

Don’t make the same mistake I did – I had decided to go on a creative spree and put together a resume made of PowerPoint slides, similar to this one. Images were not as good and the layout did not save it either. In the end, it cost me a possible internship with an FMCG company, and maybe a smoother start of my career.

Lesson learnt: for entry-level positions, it is better to stay away from slightly obscure forms of self-promotion, like video resume, visual resume (I like to call it the PowerPoint disaster) and audio / podcast resume. Black ink on white paper will do the trick.

Length

In case you are applying for a senior management position, feel free to have over 3 pages. In case you are applying for an entry-level position, keep everything to 1 page. You do not need more.

The length of the resume sends a message about your ability to express ideas and facts clearly, concisely and completely. Some would argue that one cannot contain all life and career experiences in the resume. That is not the point of the resume. This document is supposed to “sell” your knowledge, experience, skills, motivation and ability to do your job properly. Be brief and concise.

The next post on resumes will look at formatting and attention to detail.