There is no one right way to do a resume, just certain principles or guidelines.

• There are usually 2 culls for a resume – 20 seconds and then an in-depth review.
• Use labeling, clear formatting and alignment and white space to ensure your valuable information is noticed.
• Include enough detail and concrete examples for the second cull as well!
• 2-3 pages are the average for graduate resumes (although shorter or longer are also OK).
• Information Technology may require 1 page.
• If a length or format is stipulated – stick to it.
• Use only one plain font – Times New Roman, Arial, Helvetica, Century Schoolbook
• Use a combination of bullets and short paragraphs.
• Avoid italics and underline (they don't fax or scan into database well) and make it more difficult to read, as does the use of too many brackets.
• One typo can reduce your chances of success by 70% - edit furiously
• Don't over capitalise or over bold (e.g. 2 or 3 lines in a paragraph)
• Be consistent in formatting. Put dates, titles, full stops etc in similar places throughout your resume.
• Format each section similarly if possible to help the reader digest your information.
• Be consistent with your language throughout your resume.
• Use active verbs to indicate achievements.
• There is no one right way to set out a resume.
• Think about what the employer will value most.
• Make the resume is as simple and easy to read as possible.
• Make sure that your resume is well presented and well organised, so that an employer can immediately see the most relevant information - remember clear headings and lots of white space.
• Balance the resume as to what the employer will consider most important / relevant (eg don't spend a page describing high school achievements and one line describing your degree)

Presentation

• Make sure that your application is typed and professionally presented.
• Remember that this is often the first contact with an employer, and therefore spelling and grammatical errors are unacceptable and may result in your application not being considered. It is very hard to convince someone that you have strong attention to detail if your application is full of mistakes.

Paper

• Ordinary, white, A4 paper is perfectly acceptable, or you can be more daring and use better quality, higher grade paper, as is often used in letterheads.
• Print on dark paper may be difficult to read and will not photocopy well.

The Application
Your application should contain:

• The covering or application letter which summarises your relevant skills and links your application to the position and company. Remember, as an employer I am most interested in how your skills and abilities relate to the selection criteria.
• Your Resume
• Academic transcripts from both your tertiary and secondary study.
• A completed application form, if required.
• For public service and university positions you will need a formal statement addressing each of the selection criteria

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