Rules for Resumes (Page 1 of 2)	
Rules for Resumes	
Use size 12 font (type) so employers can easily read your resume.  
You may use size 11 font if you have a lot of information on your 
resume.  	Two types of resume fonts to use are:	 1) Serif fonts	 (with 	
overhanging tails or hooks) such as: Times New Roman, Georgia, 
Bookman Old Style, Merriweather, Lora, and Playfair.  	2) Sans 	
Serif fonts 	(with no tails or hooks) such as: Arial, Verdana, Calibri, 	
Tahoma, Open Sans, Roboto, and Lato.
Try these fonts, or others, to find out which font style fits your 
personality.  	Some say	 serif fonts give the impression of reliable, 	
trustworthy, and traditional — while sans-serif fonts give the 
impression of clean, modern, logical, and stable.  If your resume will b
e scanned and read by computer 
software, 	choose a sans serif 	font (such as Arial, Verdana, or Tahoma) that works on any computer — in 	
size 11 or 12.  Computer operating systems may 	reject	 resumes with serif fonts.  	
The resume needs a good looking design so that employers can easily read and find information to get to 
know you.  Think of your resume as an 	attractive, accurate, advertisement 	about you!  About 85% of 	
employers who see just 	one spelling error 	on a resume decide to remove the job seeker from consideration 	
for the job opening.  Spell check and proofread your resume.  Ask a smart friend or teacher to proofread 
your resume also.  If you include your 	email address	, be sure the email address sounds professional.  	
Employers will not email a job seeker with e-mail address of — party2
47@gmail.com.  If you include your 
phone number	, be sure that phone number's voice greeting sounds business-like.  An employer will not 	
leave a job interview message after a voice mail that includes rock musi
c or silly greeting.  	If you email 	
your resume 	to an employer, be sure to give the document a business-like subject 	
line such as: Resume.Carol Smith
Never use the word "I" or "my" or "me" on a resume.  NEVER lie on a resu
me. 
Present your skills and abilities in the best way possible.  If a lie is
 discovered on 
your resume, even years after you were hired, you may be fired.  NEVER include 
your height, weight, date of birth, place of birth, social security numb
er, address, 
or other personal information on your resume due to identity theft risks
.  
BEFORE you give your resume to an employer, CHECK that your social media 
sites, such as Facebook or other:  a) Look business-like; not party-lik
e or political.  b) Privacy levels are 
set on high.  c) Offensive pictures and comments are deleted.  Employers visit social media
 pages to learn 
about job seekers!  Visit your social media pages as an outsider to see what employers will s
ee about you.
 
Change your resume's job objective to fit the company.  To apply at a grocery store, your job objective may 
read:  	Seeking a job as a Courtesy Clerk	.  To apply at a restaurant, the job objective may read:  	Seeking a 	
job as a Server	.  To apply at a retail store, the job objective may read:  	Seeking position as Sales Associate 	
with growth potential	.  To apply at a law office:  	Seeking job as a Secretary	.

College & Career Publishing.  Permission to use allowed with usworkworld.com subscrip
tion.	Rules for Resumes (Page 2 of 2)	
1. a) What size font is used on a resume?  b) Why?  
2. What is the name of the font family that has: 
 a) Tails or hooks?  b) No tails or hooks?  
3. List the name 2:  a) Serif font.  b) Sans serif 	
font.  What do some say about:  c) Serif font?  
d) Sans serif font?  	
4. a) List 3 fonts to use if your resume will be 	
scanned.  b) What may happen with serif fonts?	
5. Think of a resume as what 3 things about you?
6. What do 85% of employers do when they see a 	
spelling error on a resume?	
7. Of what should you be sure if you:  a) use email 	
address on a resume?  b) use phone number on 
a resume? c) if you email your resume?	
8. What 3 words do you never use on a resume?
9. Why should you never lie on a resume?
10. List 5 things to never include on a resume.
QUICK CHECK:	
Rules for Grammar	
Be consistent with capitals.  
Use capital letters for job titles listed on your resume (such as: Cash
ier, Sales Clerk).  Use capital letters for 
classes listed on your resume (such as:  Electives in Speech, Wood Technology, Computer Applications).  
If you want to use lower case letters for job titles and classes, be sur
e to capitalize name of languages (such 
as: Electives in speech, wood technology, computer applications, Spanish).  Use two capital letters for the 
state abbreviation, with no period, as the Postal Service recommends.  F
or example:  CA for California, NY 
for New York, AZ for Arizona.  Use one space between state abbreviation and the zip code.  
Be consistent with punctuation. 	 	
Use one (1) space after a comma.  Use one (1) space after a colon.  
Use one space after a sentence period, after an initial (Joyce A. Bailey), or after an abbreviation (Mr.).  
BUT, if an abbreviation has 3 or more letters (such as AAA for American 
Automobile Association), you may leave out the period after each letter.  
Note: It is best to spell out what AAA means for the employer.
If you place a period at the end of a line in the "Skills & Activities" section, 
place a period at the end of every line in this section.
Be consistent with dates. 	 	
If you spell out a month, spell out all months.  If you abbreviate a mon
th, 
abbreviate all months.  Place all dates in the same format.  Examples:
September 2020 to December 2021 -- or
SEP 2020 to DEC 2021 -- or
9/2020 to 12/2021 -- Whatever style you decide to use, make sure you use the same style for a
ll dates. 	
11. Discuss 3 things you need to check on your 	
social media sites.  	
12. a) Do you think it is fair that employers search 	
social media to find out information about you?  	
 b) Give a reason for your answer.
13. Write down a job objective you may use to 
 apply at:  a) grocery store.  b) restaurant. 
 c) retail clothing store.  d) medical office.
14. What is the state abbreviation for Arizona?
15. How many spaces are left between the state 
 abbreviation and zip code?
16. How many spaces are left after a comma?
17. In your opinion, if you are not consistent and 	
correct with your punctuation on a resume, 
what might the employer think of you?	
18. Pretend that you are an employer reading 
 resumes from job seekers.  List 3 errors that 	
would cause you to REJECT the resume.