One of the most important parts of career planning is developing a professional résumé. The Career Services office can help build a résumé from the ground up or fine-tune one to be the best it can be. Use the resources and information below to develop your résumé.
A résumé is a descriptive summary of your background, concisely written and presented attractively. It should clearly communicate a sense of purpose and professionalism, and focus on your strongest points. Your strengths and abilities are what "sell" you.
A résumé works effectively in one or two pages and should be accompanied by a cover letter. It never contains negative information or weaknesses. The primary purpose of the résumé is to obtain an interview.
Keep in mind that a human being may never read your résumé; it might be scanned into a computer database, or you might post it on a career website. There are slight variations in writing style required for each situation. You may want to call the organization to determine which type of resumé to send.
| DO include: |
- Name, address, e-mail, and telephone number
- Education: degree, institution, city and state, major, minor, graduation date
- Experience: job titles, company name, city and state, responsibilities and achievements, employment dates; may include volunteer experiences, field experiences, co-ops, internships, and summer employment
- Activities: professional, educational, extracurricular, or civic organization involvement and leadership responsibilities
- Awards, certifications, or memberships in professional organizations
- Relevant Skills: technical and computer proficiency, foreign language
|
| DO NOT include: |
- References: instead note "References available upon request."
- Lies, exaggerations, or misrepresentations
- Photographs
- Salary expectations: this will be discussed in a later interview or in a job offer.
- Irrelevant personal information: age, sex, marital status, race, religion, national origin, political affiliation, social security number, or health status
- Any negative information
|
| Possible Section Headings |
- Career Objective
- Employment
- Education
- Summary of Qualifications
|
- Accreditations & Licenses
- Equipment Knowledge
- Achievements
- Publications & Patents
- Honors and Awards
|
- Professional Affiliations
- Activities
- Languages
- Relevant Coursework
- Relevant Training
|
- Thesis
- Computer Experience
- Leadership Experience
- Military Experience
|
Appearance
Make your résumé: |
Attractive and easy to read - Use capital letters, bullets, underlining, highlighting, appropriate margins, and spacing. Be careful with these additives if writing scannable or electronic résumés. Use block form with plenty of white space. Print on neutral-color paper: ivory, white, or light gray bond/résumé paper. Use white paper if it will be scanned. Concise - Résumés are typically one page for new or recent college graduates. Write in phrases, not full sentences. Free of errors - Make sure your resumé is free of spelling, grammatical, and typographical errors.
Include a cover letter.
Send a cover letter with every résumé. When mailing, print the letter on the same paper. |