Some advice on how to properly submit a resumé

Today’s Sound Off is about writing and submitting a resumé: Dear Heloise: For the past 12 years, I’ve worked in human resources for a Fortune 500 company. We receive resumés every day from college graduates who seem to think a resumé is unnecessary or old-fashioned, or that they don’t need one because their sparkling wit and charm will see them through.

A resumé is our first impression of an applicant, and I can’t stress enough how much a good resumé makes a person stand out from the crowd. It often makes the difference between getting an interview or getting passed over. I thought I’d pass along some important hints on resumé writing:

1. Select good paper in a white, off-white or pale gray color. No white-out or crossed-out words, and no fingerprints. Your resumé should be very clean. Try to condense your resumé to one or two pages, but never anything more than two pages.

2. You can add a very brief summary/objective at the top. Never put this at the bottom of your resumé.

3. Tailor your resumé to the job you want.

4. List your education and any volunteer work you’ve done.

5. List any other languages you speak.

6. List any awards you received at former jobs and any projects you spearheaded.

7. Don’t forget to list your contact information. You might be surprised how many people forget to let us know how to get in touch with them.

8. Have your resumé printed at a print shop. Please, no handwritten resumés and no misspelling. I can assure you, handwritten resumés, poor spelling, careless grammar and sloppy formats are dumped right into the wastebasket.

9. There are templates online to help you organize your thoughts and show you what your resumé should look like. Just type in “how to write a resumé” in the search bar.

10. Remember, a good resumé is the first step to getting the position you want. Don’t be shy. Instead, brag a little. But be honest, because we do check everyone’s background.

Good luck with your job search.