8 Must Follow Resume Rules

Do you also have a love/ hate relationship with resumes? While they give employers a great overview of you, they’re definitely a source of confusion and stress for SO many job hunters. Luckily, there are a few resume rules to guide you.
These 8 resume rules will help you keep track of everything your resume needs. They’ll show you how to transform your resume into a professional, modern showcase of how amazing YOU are.
Let’s dive into the 8 must follow resume rules!

Resume Rule #1: Start with what’s Relevant

Did you know most employers only focus on the top of your resume?
A huge part of creating a noticeable resume is customizing it to the position you’re applying for. There are a few ways to do this, but one of the most important is to put your related experiences first.
By listing your most relevant experiences at the top of your resume, you’ll show them that your experiences are directly linked to what they want. In order to do this and keep your resume in reverse chronological order, a great hack is to divide your resume into “Related Experience” and “Additional Experience.”
Learn more about how to organize your resume and how to customize your resume!

Resume Rule #2: Format your Name Correctly

Your resume, above all, is a way to show who YOU are. So, you have to make sure they know who you are- as in, they need to remember your name.
If your name doesn’t stand out on your resume, it’s harder for you to stand out in a large pool of applicants (psst: the average number of applicants for any given job is 118). Make sure whoever is reading your application knows exactly whose it is by making your name the largest text on your resume.
While we’re at it, make sure you also use your full name on your resume- leave any nicknames for after you land the job.

Resume Rule #3: Delete Pronouns

This might seem like a weird, annoying rule, but it’s easy to follow once you commit it to memory.
You don’t want any pronouns on your resume, since your resume doesn’t have complete sentences. Read through your bullet points, experiences, and education to double check you didn’t accidentally leave an “I” somewhere.
This simple fix will declutter your resume, open up some much needed space, and show that you know the most important resume rules.

Resume Rule #4: Use Bullet Points

I get it- it’s tempting to write paragraphs on your resume. They’re a writing format we’re all comfortable with and they’re way more straightforward than bullet points.
However, paragraphs are not the best way to showcase yourself to an employer. They turn your resume into an essay, which is way too overwhelming for an HR person with a stack of resumes to read through. Ultimately, those paragraphs you worked so hard to write probably won’t get read.
That’s why you have to use bullet points on your resume. If you’re already working with paragraphs, it’s easy enough to turn them into bullet points. Just give each sentence its own bullet, delete everything before the verb, and you’ve got a rough draft started!
Learn more about writing powerful, professional bullet points on your resume here

Resume Rule #5: Avoid templates

One of the biggest mistakes I saw from clients in Career Services was resume templates. After about a month on the job, I could quickly spot when someone used a premade template from MS Word.
If I could pick up on templates after a few short weeks, imagine how easily hiring managers and HR directors can. You should always avoid using a template to create your resume. As overwhelming as that might seem, it’s doable and much better than having your resume look like everyone else’s!

Resume Rule #6: Format your Email Correctly

While you’re at the top of your resume tweaking your name, make sure you also have your email address formatted well.
First off, I’ll give you the email advice everyone starts with: make sure your email address is appropriate. One of my favorite jokes from New Girl is when a character points out that Ernie’s (Coach) email address is “OwMeSoErnie” and he was still hired at a school. Yeah, that definitely won’t happen in the real world, so double check that your email address is professional.
It’s also important how you format your email on your resume. When you type an email address, it’s usually automatically changed to a hyperlink with underlined blue text. This is totally distracting for the person reading your resume, so delete the link and make the text the same as the rest of your resume.

Resume Rule #7: Be consistent

When it comes to a modern, professional resume, consistency is one of the most important factors.
Your font, sizing, spacing, and formatting should all be consistent. So, if you decide to bold your headers, you have to bold all of your headers. If you align your dates to the right edge, make sure they’re lined up exactly. I could go on for hours, but you get the point: be consistent on your resume!

Resume Rule #8: Focus on your audience

This is the KEY to getting your resume noticed. Employers don’t want to see another generic resume you could use to apply for any job.
No, they want to see that you read the job description and are using it to inform your resume. They want you to speak directly to them with your resume and tell them why you’d be great for their job specifically.
If you focus on your audience when crafting your resume, you will definitely stand out from the crowd. Show them that you understand what they’re looking for, and they’ll be way more likely to want to learn more about you.
Resumes can be completely overwhelming, but they don’t have to be. When you master the resume rules, you’ll be able to easily create a professional, modern resume. Always start your resume with your most related experiences, format your name and email address correctly, use bullet points without pronouns, avoid templates, and be consistent. Most importantly, focus on your audience when you create your resume. With these easy resume writing rules in mind, you’ll set yourself up to land your dream interview!
Ready to stop relying on resumes? Grab my guide on the 10 best strategies to network with confidence and transform your job hunt!