Carefully read every word in your resume. If you write "from" instead of "form," you won't leave a good impression. Spell-check will be unable to detect your mistake.
Have a friend or two proofread your resume for you.
Punctuation Mistakes
Check for periods at the end of all full sentences.
Be consistent in your use of punctuations.
Always put periods and commas within quotation marks. (i.e., "Won awards including the 'JRD Tata Memorial Service Award.'")
Avoid using exclamation marks.
Grammatical Mistakes
Do not switch tenses within your resume. The duties you currently perform should be in present tense (i.e., write reports), but ones you may have performed in the past jobs should be in past tense (i.e., wrote reports).
Capitalize all proper nouns.
When expressing numbers, write out all numbers between one and nine (i.e., one, five, seven), but use numerals for all numbers 10 and above (i.e., 10, 25, 108).
If you begin a sentence with a numeral, spell out that numeral (i.e., "Eleven service awards won while employed.").
Make sure your date formats are consistent (i.e., 06/01/2000 or January 6, 2000. Choose one and stick with it.).
Choose Your Words Carefully
Be on the lookout for the following easily confused words. For
e.g.: i) accept (to receive), except (to exclude),
ii) all right (correct), alright (this is not a word),
iii) affect (to bring about change), effect (result),
iv) personal (private), personnel (staff members),
v) role (a character assigned or a function), roll (to revolve).
Use action words (i.e., wrote reports, increased revenues, directed staff).
Other Potential Mistakes
Check dates of all prior employment.
Check your address and phone number - are they still current and correct?
Design Is Important
Don't overcrowd your resume; allow for plenty of white space.
Keep the number of fonts you use to a minimum -- two at the most.
Use a font that is easy to read. Times Roman works well.
Do not justify the lines of type on your resume. Allow the right side of the page to "rag."
Do not overuse capitalization, italics, underlines, or other emphasizing features.
Make sure your name, address, and phone number appear on your resume and all correspondence, preferably at the top of the page.
Print your resume on white or cream paper using a good-quality printer.
Second- and third- generation photocopies are a no-no.
Print on one side of the paper only
And the final word…
Your resume is the most important document. Your potential recruiter will form an opinion about you depending on how you present the information about you, besides looking at what is the information you are providing. By following the above-mentioned guidelines and the checks, you are sure to boost of chances to make it to the Judgment Day - The Interview.
