Resume Style

What sort of writing style should I use in my resume?

It is important to create immediacy and impact in your resume. Here are some tips for ensuring your resume has impact and a consistent style:

• Use a direct, active writing style. Make your statements short sentences.
• Use present tense to describe your current or most recent job. However, if describing something already implemented or achieved, use the past tense.
• All previous positions should be described in the past tense.
• Write numerals in words e.g. write 'two' instead of '2'
• Use short phrases rather than complete sentences. If you can say something in three words, do not use 10. Keep paragraphs under six lines.
• Use words and phrases appropriate to your future employer/industry, not your current or previous employer/industry. Be careful not to use jargon unless you’re sure that all of your readers will understand it.
• Use capital letters, dashes, underlining or bullets to emphasise certain items and make them stand out. Use these symbols sparingly or only when you need to as they lose their effect.