Whether or not to staple a resume consisting of more than one page was a topic of discussion in a resume writing group I belong to. The person that posed the question admitted to being a bit embarrassed to even ask because it seemed like something that should be common knowledge. Well, this got me thinking about how many people there are out there that probably have a lot of similar questions about resumes that might seem silly to ask. Or maybe some of the things I’m going to cover don’t even occur to people.

Stapling a resume
The overall consensus among the group was that no, you should not staple your resume; different suggestions were made such as enclosing the resume in a professional looking folder or using a paperclip.

Dates
The most important thing with the dates on your resume is to keep it consistent throughout no matter what variation you use. Some different variations: 01/01/12, 1/1/2012, Jan. 1, 2012, January 1, 2012, Jan. 2012, January 2012, 01/12, 1/12.

Nicknames
If your given name is not the name you go by then include your nickname on your resume. This will alert the reader that this is the name you prefer. Simply put it in parentheses after your first name: Ebenezer (Ben) Scrooge.

Phone numbers
It’s standard practice to include your phone number with the area code but you don’t need to include a 1 before the area code, that’s understood. You should put your phone number as one of the following: 123-456-7890 or (123) 456-7890. Another alternative that is becoming more common: 123.456.7890.

Abbreviations
Try not to, but if you are going to use abbreviations on your resume make sure they are correct. For example, Ave. not Av. for avenue. If it is a widely known and accepted abbreviation such as MBA, feel free to use it.

Page numbers
If your resume goes beyond one page in length label subsequent pages with a page number. I also recommend including your name and phone number. If for some reason the pages of your resume become separated the hiring manager can easily match them up.

Email address
This should be obvious but your email address should be professional. Use your name or first initial and last name. You may want to set up an email account strictly for your job search.

Subject line
If you are sending your resume via email don’t forget to fill out the subject line of your email and the more detail you can add, the better. Reference the job title, posting number if there is one and anything else that identifies what the email is in regards to.

Making changes
If after you’ve printed your resume you notice a mistake of some kind do not “fix it” by crossing it out, using white out or writing in a correction. You need to reprint it.

There are so many things to think about when you’re creating your resume that these smaller things might be overlooked. It’s the little things that can make the difference so keep these in mind for a first-rate resume.