Here are some mistakes to make you think, "Did I do that?"
After attending many resume workshops and looking at many, I want to share a checklist of commonly missed mistakes in design resumes. If you are not a designer, these tips and tricks are still applicable! Besides, you could learn how to apply these qualities to your own non-designer resume. If you're looking on how to start a resume, this is not a how-to guide. The purpose is to share list of things that I believe are commonly and easily overlooked.
The “I thought I did that” List
Check spelling
Spell checks are integrated into the programs used to create resumes. The hard part is locating the button.
Tip:
To check spelling on InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop:
Edit > Spelling > Check Spelling or Ctrl + I.
For Microsoft Word, go to the Review Tab > Spelling & Grammar.
For cover letters and other uses, Grammarly can be added to chrome browser or downloaded to your computer to automatically check for spelling and grammar errors.
Click here to check it out.
Test links
Test whether your links brings you to the intended place.
Does your LinkedIn link go to your LinkedIn?
Is your e-mail spelled correctly?
Content
List your experiences from latest to oldest experience
List your most recent experiences in descending order.
Match experiences to their respective tenses
Check if your current position (if applicable) is written in present tense and all previous experiences written in past tense.
Consistency
Fix inconsistencies
Sections, subsections, paragraphs are all in their corresponding style. Repeat the style every time it is in use.
Try to recognize the inconsistencies here:
Exercise:
Company Name 1 January 2020 to Present
· Roles
Company Name 2 March 2019 to Aug 2019
· Roles
Company Name 3 January 2019 - June 2019
· Roles
Inconsistencies:
Company Name 1 January 2020 to Present
· Roles
Company Name 2 not to be italicized, color is different March 2019 to Aug 2019 to be italicized, Aug is shortened, March is written out
· Roles font to be smaller
Company Name 3 January 2019 - June 2019 “-“ is used instead of to
· Roles a couple of spaces were added in front of “roles”
Check your text justification
Be consistent with using left, right, or justified in the text.
Align text
Draw a vertical line down and check if
the text is sticking to it.
Last Steps
Consider your reader
Another reason to print it out is to check the color (if applicable).
Consider who is reading it. Make sure the text and color visible to everybody.
Check intended document size
I have opened up poster-size 42” x 30” resumes. Imagine your potential employer printing this out quickly and printing 1/8th of your resume.
Size matters
Check if the file is a reasonable size. E-mails tolerate file sizes under 23MB. Just so you know: 1000KB is 1MB.
To check this, right-click the file, and check the dimensions or pixels.
A 8.5” x 11” will be:
1275 x 1650 @ 150 dpi
2550 x 3300 @ 300dpi
Name your file correctly
Include your name in the file name. Keep it clean, you do not want to send in a file name that is named “my draft resume.”
Keep it clean. Here are some examples
First Name_Last Name_Resume_Interior Design
First Name_Last Name_Resume_2020
Last, print out your resume
You will be surprised how different it looks on paper and on the computer. You will also be able to judge the entirety of the document.
I hope these tips helped!