My colleague emailed me a resume the other day and commented that the applicant did not place her contact information on it. I opened the resume and indeed the information was not there -- until I clicked on VIEW and then on HEADER AND FOOTER. The applicant had made a common mistake. She placed her name, address and contact information in the header.
Placing your contact information in the header 15 years ago, when it was common to send resumes through the U.S. mail, was a style choice that had no consequences. But today, when you are emailing your resume to a busy professional who has only seconds to look at your resume and decide whether to read on, it is unwise to place your contact information in the header. Why? Because it is hidden on the document that appears on the computer screen. And that sometimes is enough for the reader to hit DELETE.
So, the resume tip for the day is: place your name and contact information in the text of your resume, not in the first page header.
By: Randi S. Lewis © Resume Boutique LLC 2007. All rights reserved. http://www.resumeboutique.com/
