Your resume is the most important document you will have when looking for a job.
However, when you apply to any employment / recruitment agency, they will never send on your resume.
We always change the resume into our standard format - this is to protect your privacy, and also so that when an employer is comparing resumes, they can do so at a glance.
However - sometimes it's a nightmare to do so, becaue of the formatting in the resume.
So - from a person who spends most of her days having to reformat resumes - here are my pleas!
1. Always, always, send your document in a MS Word or Rich Text format. Most places use MS Word, and (unfortunately) word cannot convert from other formats.
2. Don't use fancy fonts, italics or other fancy formatting. The best font is 11point Arial. Honestly. It's easy to read, and looks good.
3. Don't convert your resume into a PDF document and send it.
4. Try not to use tables - and please don't use text boxes, shading, or page borders. When we do a resume up, tables, text boxes and unusual formatting really do affect the "cut and paste" method that we use to transcribe your information.
5. When you are giving your employment history, don't just include what your job was. List your duties, and then, under that, put a section on what you've achieved whilst in the role. Always try to highlight areas that fit the role you are applying for. Include why you left that job.
6. Set your employment history out from most recent (or current job) to oldest.
7. Always include details of what licences or tickets (eg: car licence, forklift or crane licence, electrical ticket, etc).
8. If you are on a Visa, include full details of the visa - when it expires, what type it is, and how many hours per week it allows you to work.
9. Set out your qualifications clearly - give the date you gained the qualification, the type, and the institution (eg: 2003 Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering Qld University of Technology). If you are still studying, include the course you are doing, and provide details of the subjects/modules you have completed and your results. State that you are still studying and when you expect to graduate.
10. You don't need to put how many children you have, their ages, and names. If you are married, just state you are married.
11. Always put what sort of pay you are looking for. Hourly rate, as well as yearly salary.
12. What sort of work do you want? Permanent only? Contract or Project work? Part time only?
13. Are you willing to relocate, or travel?
14. What are your key skills? List these separately, so that we can see them at a glance without having to look for them. Use single words , if possible, and in point form. These key skills become keywords when we get a job in and start to try to find somebody on our databases to fill it.
15. List your computer skills - what software can you use? How well can you use it? (eg: basic, intermediate, advanced).
17. Always check the agency's website to see if they have any formatting guidelines for resumes. If they do - follow them. They are there and requested for a reason. If the agency has an online registration form, then register online with them. Make sure you fill the online form out completely.
18. ALWAYS include complete contact details: home phone, mobile phone, e-mail, postal address and a number where we can leave a message if necessary. After all - we can't employ you if we can't contact you!! These details are NEVER passed onto a client.
19. If you have any questions, call the agency and ask.
20. Keep in contact. If you move, or change phone numbers or e-mail address, let them know. If you get a job - again let them know, or if you become available again - let them know. Remember, though, often one of the consultants won't be able to speak with you, although the Administrator will be able to take any changes of information.
Basically, we want to get as much information from you as possible.
As an example of an online form, the one that the Agency I work for (in Brisbane, Australia - so don't get excited unless you are an engineer/drafter, ec., in Brisbane, Australia!) is
HERETrust me - if you follow these simple guidelines, then your agency will love you!
Good Hunting.
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