Below you will find information on two common mistakes — sloppy proofreading and incorrect formatting — made on administrative resumes and how to fix them.
The Mistake: “I Don’t Need to Proofread My Resume.”
With an attitude like this, who would want to hire you? Already, you’re dismissing administrative rule number one: “check, double-check, and triple-check your work.” By not wanting to follow this rule even before you land the job, you’re demonstrating not only a lack of desire but poor skills as well. Be certain that someone looking to hire an administrator will notice the details — or lack thereof. Do not give your potential employer any reason to dismiss your resume, especially for something as simple as not proofreading.
The Solution: Proofread Your Article by Rereading It, Having Someone Else Check It, Or Giving Your Eyes a Rest
Proofread your resume. Show your potential employer that you can produce impeccable work and that you care. Here are some ways to make sure your resume is error-free:
- Read your resume from end to beginning: Sometimes, even after reviewing a document or resume over and over again, our eyes tend to skate over the mistakes. One way to make sure this doesn’t happen is to read the resume from the end to the beginning. This way, your eyes will take in the information like it was new.
- Give your resume to someone else: Another way to make sure you’re catching every mistake is to give the resume to someone else. Let a pair of new eyes look over your resume.
- Let your resume sit for a few days: And if you’re still at a loss, try setting the resume aside for a few days. Again, your mind will be fresher and more ready to catch any mistakes that might appear on the page.
“My accomplishments and experiences are enough to land the job. Someone who wants to hire me won’t care about details like formatting on my resume,” you might say. Wrong. True, your accomplishments should matter most when you’re being considered; however, poor formatting on your resume can reflect on the type of work you do. Remember, attention to detail is essential when being hired as an administrator.
The Solution: Pay Attention to Fonts, Margins, and White Space
Three important formatting issues include font size and style, margins, and white space.
- Font size and style should be neat and legible: According to the resume-writing service ResumeApple, you should “always use the correct fonts. Times New Roman is the classic, but might be overused. For variety, consider Garamond, Book Antiqua, and Palatino Linotype. But stick with one of these four. Never go below 10.5 in size (or above 12). If the employer has to squint or hold your resume at a distance, your resume will probably not be read at all.”
- Use a one-inch margin: Be sure to keep at least a one-inch margin around your resume. Letting the words run too close to the edges looks cluttered and sloppy.
- Balance your white space with your text: Another way to make sure your resume doesn’t look too cluttered is by having enough white space. A balance between white space and text helps — every employer should be able to scan your resume and know your educational background, your skills, and your experience in just a short amount of time. If it appears too cluttered, however, the employer might not even give it a second look.
So have you proofread your resume? Have you made sure the formatting is impeccable and correct? Once you’ve checked, double-checked, and triple-checked your resume, you’ll be well on your way to landing that admin interview you’ve been hoping for.
