Creating your Resume or C.V.
Step 1: Think about the following before writing your resume
What is the goal of your resume? (Job, internship, scholarship; introduction,
information, interview; graduate or professional school admission; etc.)
What industry or job function are you seeking? (To determine this,
look for a position description to determine what skills, abilities, etc.
the employer, scholarship committee, organization or entity is seeking.)
or
What are the qualifications of interest for the program to which you are
applying?
Step 2: Decide how the resume will be used
General Use - If you are distributing your resume on a broad scale
(e.g., at a career fair or posting it), design it with your generalized
career industry in mind.
Specific Company or Position - If you are targeting a specific company
or position, tailor your resume to focus on the specific qualifications
needed for each particular position. If you are applying to a graduate
or professional school, you will want to include the relevant experiences
(lab, field, classroom) in the resume as well.
Step 3: Create the parts of the resume using the following sections to
give you some initial structure
Heading [Your Name Resumé, or Curriculum Vita]
Name, address, e-mail address, and reliable phone number listed.
If two addresses are listed, are both needed based on time frame?
or could one do.
Objective Statement (See below)
State the type of position (intern, full-time), field/industry, and
any other particular features of the job.
Focus on what you bring to the position, not how the position will
help you.
Education: Decide which is more important to the employer, the degree
or the institution:
If degree, list the degree title first and the graduation date
If school, then list the school first and then the location
Include the name of the degree/major, school, location,
and minor or certificate
Include GPA - cumulative; may add major or upper division
GPA to better showcase performance
Highlight education that is relevant to the position;
leave out info common to all people in your field
Include relevant courses that showcase your skills, knowledge and
talents that you are marketing to the employer
Employment/Work Experiences
List job titles, dates, organization, location, description
Design descriptions to answer the following questions:
What were you really good at doing?
What skills did you gain?
What impact did you have?
Use action verbs; put things in the past tense
Emphasize transferable skills
Activities/Affiliations/Interests
Examples of an objective statement by major...
Advertising: Desire to begin career in the media department of a large
advertising agency. Eventual goal is account executive.
Banking: Interested in bank management training program. Long-term goal
is to advance to position of bank officer.
Broadcasting: Seeking a position as an announcer and news reporter with
a television station.
Computer Programmer/Systems Analyst: Desire a position as a programmer
or systems analyst utilizing quantitative and mathematical training. Special
interest in marketing and financial applications.
Consumer Product Sales: Seeking a position as a sales representative with
a consumer products organization. Eventual goal is to move into a marketing
management position with involvement in training, advertising, and marketing
research.
Graphic Design: Desire position in advertising as a graphic designer. Particularly
interested in information design, packaging, exhibits, and multimedia presentations
Laboratory Research: Seeking a position as a laboratory assistant in an
industrial chemical research facility.
Law Enforcement: Desire a position as a police officer of a medium size
city or county law enforcement agency that will benefit from my demonstrated
investigative talents.
Museum Work: Desire to secure a position as an assistant to the curator
of collections in a museum of art and/or natural history.
Newspaper Reporting: Seeking a position with a small city daily newspaper.
Wish to use my interviewing, writing and photography skills.
Personnel: Seeking position as an assistant in the personnel department
of a medical center/health service facility that will utilize my knowledge
of labor relations, benefit programs, wage administration, and employment.
Eventual goal is advancement to the position of personnel manager.
Public Relations: Wish to join the public relations staff of a large public
utility. Interested in photography, copywriting, preparation of news releases,
and publication work.
Publishing: Interested in a position with a serial publication which will
utilize my writing and photographic skills.
Retail Management: Interested in management trainee program or entry-level
buying position with a large department store.
Statistics: Seeking a position as a statistician with a large insurance
company. Eventual goal is to complete requirements to become an actuary.
Social Work: Seeking a career in family counseling in an urban social service
setting. Especially interested in program planning responsibilities.
Technical Sales: Industrial Sales Representative. Desire a position in
marketing that utilizes technical background in chemistry and biological
sciences.
Technical Writing: To secure a position as a technical writer for a large
computer corporation. Interested in preparing journal articles and speeches
and editing of technical literature and annual reports.