If you were an employer, what would you like to see in the heading of an applicant’s resume? Would you like to see an unreadable name in Gigi font? What about an embarrassing, inappropriate email address? Or how about no contact information?! Any of the aforementioned mishaps are enough to have your resume meet the other rejected resumes in the “No pile.”  Where do you think your resume is landing?

When you begin your resume, you will typically start with the heading (not to be confused with the header). A heading often includes information such as your name, address, phone number, email, website, and/or social media profiles. Pick a font that is readable like Calibri, Georgia, Arial, or Times New Roman. When including your address, feel free to leave off your street number; however, ensure you have indicated your city and postal code so the employer knows your general location. Include your phone number and ensure you have voicemail. If you don’t have voicemail, talk to your local WorkBC Employment Services Centre about setting up a temporary one for you–an employer who cannot leave you a message will likely move on to the next candidate. Also, include your email address, but make sure it is appropriate like yourname@gmail.com for example. If you are currently using Hotmail, note that some employers view this email host as juvenile—you may want to switch to something more professional like gmail. Finally, if you have a website or social media profiles that may make you look more valuable to an employer go ahead and include them.

As previously mentioned in our last post, please remember to omit your Social Insurance Number (SIN) and your picture if you currently have them included in your heading.

And that’s it! Hopefully the employer will have a favourable first impression when they begin reading your resume, which will entice them to continue reading, which will encourage them to call you for an interview, and then finally offer you the job! Good work!