For students

Resume presentation

Be consistent in your layout. For example the headings of your major sections may all be in BOLD CAPITALS and your sub-headings in bold lower case. The use of bold, underlining or italics help the reader to focus on different sections of your resumé.
Use a font that is professional and easy to read. Avoid using fancy borders. It’s safer to use plain white paper, but if you wish to use colour, check that it photocopies well.
It’s better not to use a template as they tend to restrict what you can do with the document. You have much more flexibility if you create your own Word document.
Most employers prefer not to have resumés presented in folders. Just staple the top left corners and attach your covering letter with a paper clip. Don’t fold your resumé; use an A4 envelope.
Most resumés in Australia are between 2 and 4 pages long.
Avoid using sentences if you can. Bullet points are quicker and easier to read.
Use action verbs to describe what you have done. This has more impact than using words such as ‘responsible for’ or ‘able to’. Use the correct tense for your action verbs; if you are describing a past job, use the past tense; if you are describing your current job use the present tense.
Use a good quality printer and paper.
The pages shouldn’t look too cramped or too empty by the use of an over-wide margin.