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When formatting your resume

In today’s job market, having a well-formatted resume is almost as important as having a well-written resume, as most employers receive a stack of resumes from qualified candidates and scan them quickly before they decide whether or not they want to read further. In addition to key words, the thing that stands out most about any resume is its format, which is essentially the first thing people will notice, whether the resume is formatted on paper or in electronic form.

With that in mind there are a number of rules you should adhere to when formatting your own resume. First among them is to avoid using templates that are already available in Microsoft Word, as these templates are outdated and therefore will make your resume appear generic and unattractive; and while the generic templates may be well formatted in Microsoft Word, they will not translate well when emailed or uploaded to job search websites.

Of course you can always find resume samples on the Internet by running a simple search for resumes as they relate to your industry, and these samples might also make most sense for the job you are seeking. Then all you will need to do is work on a blank page to replicate the look and feel of a particular resume style which appeals to you.

Keep it neat, clean and simple

Ideally, your well-written resume should fit on one page; but if you have extensive experience simply limit your resume length to two pages, while listing only experiences and skills that are relevant to your career objective. Even if you are applying for a job in a creative field, avoid inserting images or pictures into your resume, since showing off your creativity – if that is your intention – can be done in a separate portfolio of your work.

The page on which you’re structuring your resume should have one inch margins all around: top, bottom, right and left; and as a rule you should use left justification; so do not center the content of your resume. The font and font size should be consistent, while your name and headlines (if any) should be displayed in the same manner. Typically, the headlines will be bold and in all caps; and avoid underlining any of the information in your resume.

In the world of Internet-driven job applications, underlining in a document implies a web link, making the use of any underlining for emphasis inappropriate. The font size for headlines should not exceed 14 points, while the remaining text in your resume should be no larger than 12 points; and when trying to align your resume, be aware of spacing and tabbing; and stay consistent in the way you are spacing out information on the page.

Review for accuracy and consistency

Use tabs rather than spaces, because you always have to anticipate that the person to whom you are sending your resume may have a different version of the software than you do, and therefore may not see exactly the same resume you are sending, since it is possible the margins will reset, paragraphs will shift, bullet points will change shape and so forth. This is why it’s important to keep the spacing consistent, while attempting to keep the font and bullet points as basic as possible.

As a last formatting check point, ask your friends or your family for help in reviewing the resume you’ve just put so much time into structuring and formatting. Send the resume file via email to a few of your friends ask them to review the resume and make sure nothing seems out of place. Print out the resume on paper and review it to make sure that margins are accurately set, and the content doesn’t appear crowded on the page. Keep in mind when it comes to your resume, sleek simple appearance combined with great writing will give you the best chance of securing the job you’re interested in.

Questions raised about self-employment

Being self-employed comes with many challenges, among which are, determining your niche, finding clients, having adequate insurance, hiring qualified help and many others which are too numerous to list here; and even if the self-employed individual has little or no requirement for a staff, thereby preferring to work as a freelancer, contractor, or other type of one-person operator, s/he must be determined, passionate and patient if s/he is to be successful.

Since some of the above mentioned characteristics are similar to those needed to successfully hunt for a new job, the question of why self-employment listed on a resume should be a concern for potential employers is an interesting one. Be that as it may however, listing self-employment on the resume when looking for full-time job often does raise questions for potential employers. Such questions can take the form of:

Were you self-employed because you were in between jobs, or because you wanted to start your own business rather than work for a corporation?
Are you still working on your own, as a freelancer or a consultant? If so, do you intend to continue this work in addition to your full time job?
Will your self-employment present a conflict of interest for any company you work for?
Are you working as a freelancer or a contractor on part-time basis, and never intend to have this replace full-time employment?
Does your long-term career goal include owning your own business?

From the new employer’s perspective

All of these questions are valid from your potential employer’s point of view, because companies do not want to hire any individual, train that person and provide him/her with benefits, only to have the individual quit after a year to start a new business. This is the main reason previous or current self-employment raises red flags for the hiring organizations; but there might be an acceptable (best?) way to address any self-employment on a resume. Utilizing this method would require an applicant to highlight the positives of working as a freelancer or managing self-owned business.

It is obviously important that an individual’s resume includes honest and forthright employment history that is relevant to his/her career goals. However, if you are the applicant and you pick up a freelance project infrequently which is not intended to be a full time career, you can omit such experience from your resume. The only time you would list occasional freelance work on your resume is if it allows you to fill any gaps in your professional experience; but if you have worked as an independent contractor for a period longer than three months, or if you have ever owned your own business, it is important that you indicate that on your resume.

When self-employment enhances the resume

Highlight those attributes of the job experience that qualify you as a perfect candidate for the particular job you are seeking; and make sure job responsibilities are listed in the same way as they are for any other full-time job being sought. Also the job applicant focus on those responsibilities which best meet career objectives, and achievements should be quantied when possible. For example, if you are the job applicant, it would help to exemplify your self-starter attitude under the Qualifications section of your resume; and make sure to list any inherently-employable skills you have acquired or strengthened while self employed.

As a final indication of your commitment to the job you are seeking is to ensure that your cover letter or email addresses any anticipated concerns of your potential employer. Make references to anything on your resume that may raise questions, and if you still own your own business, but are looking for full-time work, you should make sure to let your employer know what your long-term professional goals are, and how you intend to balance your roles at both businesses.

There’s really no need to apologize for being self-employed; but your resume and cover letter should present you as a credible and passionate professional. Just focus on the positive experiences and skills you have acquired as a self employed person, whether you were a sole proprietor, independent contractor or any of the various types of freelancer, just make sure to let potential employers know how these skills and attributes will benefit the company if you are their chosen candidate.