Your Resume by Section Part I - Heading

This is the first in a series of posts that will break down your resume, piece by piece.  This may seem like a lot of information for some of these seemingly unimportant sections.  However,  your resume is your first impression.  You only get one chance, so all of it is important.  Here is what you should know about the Heading section.

 

 

• Your full name 

The font on this should be the largest thing in your document, and it should be centered (there are conflicting schools of thought on this.  Some think it should be located on the left side.  My thoughts are this:  do not make them hunt for it.  Make it prominent.  People’s eyes are typically, naturally drawn to the center of a page, so that is where you should put it.  In books, title pages are centered.  This is your book, and your name is the title.  Center it.)

 

The rest of the heading should be 12 point font, and directly below your name. Don’t make them hunt for this.

• Your phone #

Your phone # should go next, because that is the first thing they will look for when they want to contact you.  This should be your personal  #, not your work #.  Please make sure it is correct and up to date.  I have seen many people forget to change that when they have a new #.  Also, please make sure that the outgoing voice message is professional.  A potential employer does not need to hear your joke, your kid singing a song, etc.  It’s a simple concept.  Be funny on your own time.  If you are giving a potential employer access to something, make sure it paints you in the most professional light.
 

• Your email address 

Please ensure that your email address is professional.  Ideally it should be your name (or some combination of your name), so that the employer can type it easily. 
 
If you have a cutesy or inappropriate email address, get a new one for professional use. (I have seen some doozies like “jacobsmommy”, “thickrick69” and “sexysandy”.  True story.)

These can be obtained for free through Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, etc.  Some give you the option of routing messages sent to that address into another inbox.  I recommend this for any and all of your personal emails.  This will ensure that you never miss a message and also save you time.

DO NOT, under ANY circumstances use your work email address in your resume.  This makes you look like you use your work email for personal matters, which is a no-no at every employer I have ever worked for.  Keep it simple, use one central, professional email address for your job hunt.

• Your LinkedIn profile address

You can personalize this to reflect your name, which is what I would recommend.  If you haven’t noticed the pattern, let me spell this out for you.  Your name is key.  Put it anywhere and everywhere.  You want it drilled so deeply into the manager’s brain that it can be recalled easily.  If it is at the top, center of your resume, then under it as your email address, then under that for your linked in, the person reviewing has already seen your name 3 times before he or she has even gotten to your qualifications.  Name recognition is never a bad thing (ask Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, etc.).


Here’s how you customize your LinkedIn profile address:  When you go to the “Edit Profile” screen, the option should be just under your picture.  The system will let you know what is available, but get it as close to your actual name (and email address if possible) as you can.

 

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I do not recommend that you put your address in the heading (or anywhere else for that matter).  It’s an employer’s market, and there are employers out there that will eliminate a candidate simply based on the fact that they live too far away.  Their thought process here is that if you have a longer commute you will a) be late all the time, and/or b) continue looking for a job closer to home.  It’s best to leave this off so that you can be the one to decide whether you are willing to make that drive.  Don’t eliminate yourself from consideration simply based on where you live.