Formatting a resume properly is an easy way for independent contractors to stand out. A well formatted resume is easy for recruiters to read, responds well in applicant tracking systems, fits well into proposals, and helps you look that much more professional.
We have provided many resume formatting tips in the past. How to Format Your Resume When You're an Independent Contractor is self-explanatory and gives tips directly from recruiters. We also summarized recruiters' resume tips to create this graphic of the perfect contractor resume and created an entire video series with tips for formatting your resume in Microsoft Word.
Given it's been a year since our last post about formatting resumes, we reached out to recruiters for some more thoughts on formatting. Here are the top 5 comments, word-for-word, that stood out:
- People need to stop BOLDING and HIGHLIGHTING keywords in their resume - it looks really bad and makes me think they are fake.
- Resumes should be clear and clean, no colour, borders, large fonts, etc.
- I try to avoid resumes that are written like a novel - paragraph style. Resumes need to be readable with bullet points that are straight to the point.
- Every resume should have a profile summary - a snap shot of the candidate's skills/experience.
- Time is limited, make your resume easily readable from a recruiter point of view.
