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Resume Guide

Preface

A resume is a professional representation of your education, experience and skills.  It is a marketing document that is normally one page in length for undergraduate students and two pages for alumni.  Remember, the goal of your resume is to gain a job interview.

There are many references available on resume writing. This guide represents the most current information gleaned from references in Career Services and from our continual interaction with employers, students and alumni.

There is no one way to write a resume, and no one should write it for you. The job seeker is the expert on him/herself and is, therefore, best qualified to present unique strengths and capabilities appropriate for specific career objectives.

Resumes

There are two resume formats that are most commonly used for resumes: chronological and functional.

Chronological

This style is used for an individual who is staying in the same field, has training and/or experience consistent with the career objective, has relevant job titles, or is applying for a job in a highly traditional field. This style is most effective for the majority of new college graduates.

Functional/Skills

This style emphasizes skill areas. It is most helpful for people who are changing careers, re-entering the job market, applying for positions where their training and/or experience does not directly qualify them, or whose background does not emphasize their abilities for the job. The skill categories should be rank ordered to support the career objective.

Choose the format that you believe will best market your abilities in conjunction with your past experiences, unique skills, and immediate career objective.

Curriculum Vitae

This is a special type of resume used within the academic community to highlight work experience as well as research interests and professional development within an academic setting. The format is recommended for graduate students and for those pursuing teaching or research positions in a college or university.

Do

• Print resume and cover letter on high quality bond paper
• Always submit your resume with a cover letter
• Update your resume often
• Check your resume for spelling and grammatical errors
• Be consistent in style and format
• Individually tailor your resume to fit a specific job

Don't

• Wait to create or update your resume at the last minute
• Use personal pronouns such as I, me and my
• Use acronyms or abbreviations
• Add space wasting headlines such as "References Available Upon Request"

Required Components

There are several components that are important to include in every resume. The following examples reflect the chronological format.

Contact Information

Your most current contact information should be included at the top of the resume.  Make sure your name is the most obvious piece of information on your resume. Also include the address and phone number with ZIP and area codes. List an email if you have one but be cautious about listing a web address.  It is unnecessary to include personal information such as age, marital status or health. It is important to provide accurate information so that a potential employer can easily reach you.

Use full name, address with zip code, telephone with area code and e-mail Include both your current college address and permanent address.

Objective Statement

An objective gives your resume a focus. It also gives credibility and direction to your resume and suggests commitment on your part. It should be specific enough to tell the employer the kind of work you seek, yet general enough to include the full range of jobs you will consider. This will take some thought!  If the statement is so specific that it would eliminate you from consideration for other jobs in which you have interest, you might consider having a resume for each type of job (not necessarily each job).  State the objective in the third-person and avoid using personal pronouns.

Education

Academic credentials are very important to an employer, particularly if you are relatively new to the world of work or if you are pursuing a job that requires specific training.

List your educational background in reverse chronological order; starting with your highest degree and working your way backwards.

Only list current institutions attended or those from which you have received a degree or certificate.  In general, avoid listing high school education.  List study abroad experience in this section.

Write out institution name, city and state, full degree title and graduation date.  If your grade point average (GPA) is 3.0 or higher you should include it in this section. Dissertation and thesis topics are also in this section as are honors bestowed at graduation time.

Professional Experience

An employer will look over your resume to see what experiences and skills you have gained so far and determine the relevancy to the current position. Do not limit yourself to paid experiences. It is very important for you to develop accomplishment statements that emphasize the skills you have developed as well as any positive outcomes.

List professional experience in reverse chronological order.  Indicate the company name, city and state, dates of employment (month and year), and title of position held.  Begin every bullet point with an action verb and be sure to use correct verb tense.  Develop bulleted accomplishment statements to highlight key responsibilities and skills.

Computer Skills

In the current work environment, all companies are interested in the computer skills of their employees. Depending on the desired position, this may range from a basic knowledge of computer applications to programming abilities.

Be specific with your skills.  List all relevant software, and your competency level with specific programs.  Indicate Internet research.

Optional Components

You may select from the following optional components to add to your resume. Select the areas in which you are the strongest and which help sell you to a particular employer.

Honors

Employers are always impressed by accomplishments in the form of honors and awards.  List any academic honors bestowed on you from the University or an outside organization.  Scholarships, academic honor societies, national honor societies and Greek honor societies may all be included.  Do not list dates as they tend to appear cluttered.

Activities

Companies often review resumes to determine how a candidate has spent time outside of the classroom or professional arena. This section may also include leadership and social skills.  List activities in which you are involved either at the University or through outside organizations (volunteer, community services, etc.) Indicate offices held such as board member, treasurer, or president. Do not list dates.

Relevant/Significant Courses

If you have little experience in a chosen career field list any relevant course work that indicates experience in the desired area. Also, students who are just beginning their college career find it useful to list relevant experience when trying to gain an internship. Select upper level courses in a specialized area that set you apart from other applicants.

Languages

In the global marketplace, many companies are looking to hire students and professionals who are fluent in two or more languages.

Be specific when listing the competency you have in a language (fluent or bilingual).

Licensure/Certification

If you currently hold a license relevant to your field, it is important for an employer to see this. Example: Accountants, Financial Planners, and Teachers are some areas that require licensing.

Professional Affiliations

Employers like to see how involved you are in your chosen field through professional affiliations. Professional Affiliations are an excellent way to network and learn about job opportunities before they are publicly posted.  List all professional organizations in which you are affiliated.

Volunteer/Leadership Experience

Often times students will have significant volunteer or leadership experience gained while working with an organization or leading a student group. It is important to determine the skills you have gained from this experience and the accomplishments the organization achieved due to your efforts.  If you have significant experience in this area, format this section similar to Professional Experience.

 Publications/Research

List articles you have published and those that have been accepted for publication. You can also give an employer insight into your professional abilities by listing the past and present research projects in your field in wh