Resume Writing

• Action Verbs  (PDF)
• Resume Examples
• Online Job Application Tips

A resume is a one, sometimes two, page summary of your education, skills, accomplishments and experience. The purpose of your resume is to help you get your foot in the door. If done correctly, a resume will help you get an interview and not exclude you from consideration. An effective resume is your primary marketing tool and your ticket to an interview where you can sell yourself!

To prepare a successful and effective resume, you need to know how to review, summarize and present your experiences and achievements on one page. Unless you have considerable experience, you don't need two pages. Outline your achievements briefly and concisely. Begin by writing down your successes, accomplishments and contributions from your past and current activities. Include employment, education, team and individual class projects, student clubs, campus organizations, volunteer experience, community service and other activities. (See the Skills/Achievement Exercise on our site to help guide you.)

Content (Chronological Format)

Contact Information

• Name, address (permanent and campus, if applicable), telephone and email address
• All contact information should be at the top of your resume

Objective

• Tells employers what type of work you are hoping to do
• Be specific about what you want without being trite (for example, avoid using "opportunity for advancement," "a challenging position," and "position working with people")
• Must be work-centered, not self-centered - include ways in which you will contribute to their organization, not how they will benefit from having you
• Tailor your statements to each employer/job

Education

• Recent graduates should have education near the top of your resume - more experienced professionals may place education near the bottom or last
• List your most recent educational information first. This should include:
• Name of institution, location, degrees, majors and minors/concentrations, graduation dates and GPA (if over 3.0)
• You also might want to include: Relevant coursework, academic honors/awards, research, publications and significant projects

Experience

• Can include paid and non-paid experiences, full-time, part-time and summer employment, internships and volunteer experiences
• List your most recent experiences first. This should include:
  • Name of organization, location (city/state, city/country), title of position, dates of employment
  • Brief statements describing work performed
  • Using action verbs (see Action Verb list on our site), describe work performed including contributions/achievements and demonstrated skills and abilities
  • Be sure to state what methods, skills, procedures, techniques, etc. you used to perform a specific function and state the result or outcome of specific job function

Skills

• Can include foreign language, computer/programming, industry specific, technical

Other Categories/Headings

• Activities, Leadership, Campus Organizations, Professional Memberships, Computer Skills, Volunteer Experience, Community Service, Technical Skills, Publications, Language Skills, Honors, Awards and Scholarships

Types

Chronological

• Organized by job titles with the most recent position listed first
• Best for job seekers with solid experience and a logical job history
• Some employers prefer this style due to its "easy-to-read" format

Functional

• Rearranges employment history into sections that highlight areas of skill and accomplishment
• Gives you freedom to organize your work history and match up skills and accomplishments that might not be obvious to the employer in a traditional chronological format
• Can be useful if you:
  • Have an inconsistent work history with no clear theme
  • Are a new graduate with little work history, thus wanting to show how skills and relevant coursework/projects relate to a job
  • Are trying to make a career change

Appearance

• Paper and Envelopes (Should match your resume)
• 8 ½ " x 11"
• White, off-white, ivory or cream in color
• Good quality - between 16 and 25 lbs. in weight
• Typeface/Font
  • Use the same style throughout the whole page
  • Recommended font styles are Times New Roman and Arial
  • Size: 11 to 12 point type
• Layout Formats
  • There is no one correct way to format your resume. However, there are some things to keep in mind:
    • Be consistent! Go with your format/layout of choice and stick to it
    • Make sure that corresponding margins match up
• Don't over use bullets - use them wisely

Additional Tips

• Your resume is your most important marketing tool, make sure it's professional
• Taylor your resume as much as possible to the specific job or industry
• Be strategic in how it is laid out. Think about what you want the employer to notice first, then put that near the top of your resume (i.e. if you think your skills are more relevant to the employers' current needs than your experience, then put skills before experience)
• Keep extra copies for yourself
• Your resume is a constant work in progress... but don't obsess over it