Resume Writing Tips
A resume is:
 An organized compilation of your education, experiences
and achievements
 Your own personal marketing piece designed to give a
picture of
o Who you are
o What you have accomplished
o Your ability to successfully perform meaningful work
 Often the first impression an employer will have of you
 A job search tool that should elicit an invitation to interview
 A living document that will grow and change to reflect your
own development
Resume Design Basics
 Formatting and Appearance
o Clear, concise, inviting to read and easy to access
information
o Margins: 1 inch on all sides
o Length: generally 1 page, no more than 2
o Use standard fonts (Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial)
o Type Size: 10 – 12 point
o Paper: White, beige or light gray quality bond paper
– same color paper should be used for your cover
letter and envelope
o Use consistent forms (italics, bold, underline, CAPS)
 Content
o Include standard contact information (Name, Address,
Phone, email)
o Highlight relevant information; eliminate unrelated
information
o Link transferable skills that relate to position
o Focus on the needs of the position or employer
o Indicate your contributions and emphasize results
o Use quantifiable information (specific numbers)
whenever possible [e.g. increased sales by 50%, operated
10-line switchboard, provided clerical support for ten staff
members]
 Grammar and Punctuation
o Begin statements with action verbs and be consistent
with verb tense
– [use present tense for current positions, past tense
for previous positions]
o Avoid “I”, "the", pronouns and prepositions
o Omit periods unless you have a complete sentence
Resume Components
Below are components that are parts of a resume listed in the
order suggested for new or recent college graduates.
Resumes do not have to include ALL of these components.
HEADING:
 The top of your resume must begin with your name, address,
e-mail and a phone number where you can be reached. Make
sure your voicemail and e-mail are professional.
OBJECTIVE:
 A clear and concise statement of what job title or type of
position you are targeting
 Should be tailored for each position
 Optional to include, but suggested
EDUCATION:
 List all colleges in reverse chronological order, beginning with
the one you are presently attending. Include your degree,
certification and your major. Your grade point average is
optional, and should not be included if it is below a 3.0.
 May incorporate RELATED COURSEWORK by providing titles
of courses you’ve taken (may also included current courses)
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS:
 Bulleted list that can summarize multiple aspects of your
background and provides a description or overview of
relevant functional skill set
 Short list of both “hard” and “soft” skills
 Include computer and language skills
 Use keywords related to field or industry
 Can incorporate RELATED COURSEWORK by providing
descriptions of what you learned in those classes instead of
just the title
EXPERIENCE:
 Should include related employment (full-time or part-time),
internships (paid or unpaid), co-op, service learning,
volunteering, projects or academic research, work experience
abroad, capstone projects
 List employers in reverse chronological order
 May create 2 sections:
o PROFESSIONAL/RELATED EXPERIENCE
o ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS: (optional- include those relevant to position)
ACTIVITIES:
 Leadership activities, student organizations, professional
memberships, volunteer work that doesn’t fit well in
experience
HONORS/AWARDS/SCHOLARSHIPS/RECOGNITION
PUBLICATIONS/RESEARCH
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and include: an employer will have of you  Use action verbs
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Resume Design Basics  Have your resume reviewed and critiqued
o Time frame (use consistent format) EDUCATION:
 Formatting
– MM/YY and –Appearance
MM/YY  List all colleges in reverse chronological order, beginning with
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Y –concise,
Y inviting to ready & easy to pick out
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– # Years optional, and should not be included if it is below a 3.0.
o Margins: 1 inch on all sides  Include unrelated information
 Use consistent formatting (bold, italics, underline, CAPS,   Can incorporate RELATED COURSEWORK by providing titles of
o Length: Ever exceed 2 pages
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similar 2
things: courses you’ve taken (may also included current courses)
 Fabricate, exaggerate or misrepresent
oo Degree/Major
Use standard fonts (Times
and Job TitleNew Roman, Calibri)
(bold) SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS:
 Fail to convey your knowledge, skills and abilities
oo School
Type Size:
Name 10and
– 12Company
point Name (italics)  Bulleted list that can summarize multiple aspects of your
 background
Make yourand resume difficult to read or overview of
oo RESUME
Paper: White, beige or light
COMPONENTS (boldgray
andquality
CAPS) bond paper provides a description
– same color paper should be used for your cover relevant functional skill set
 Use paragraphs or large blocks of text
 Brainstormletter
skillsand
andenvelope
experiences you have gained from all
areas of your life, then edit out the irrelevant ones   Short
Uselist of both
passive “hard” and “soft” skills
descriptions
o Use consistent forms (italics, bold, underline, CAPS)   Include computer & language skills
 Employers form impressions of you based on your email Number items, instead use bullets
 address
Contentand phone voicemail   Use keywords related to field or industry
Use excessive punctuation
oo Make
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sure you havecontact information
a professional (Name,
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Phone, email)
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Suggestions
just the title
oo No
Write concisely
slang, profanity, music, overly religious or silly
 Keep an “experience” journal so as you gain knowledge,
EXPERIENCE:
o comments should be
Highlight relevant a part of your
information; voice mail
eliminate greeting
completely
skills included
 Should and experiences you can record
related employment them (especially
(full-time or part-time),
unrelated information
o Always respond in a timely manner to employer contacts quantifiable information)and have a resource
internships (paid or unpaid), co-op, service learning,to use as you
o (phone or email) skills
Link transferable regularly update your resume
volunteer, projects or academic research, work experience
 o Focus
Always ask someone to proofread
on the needs your resume!
of the position or employer  abroad,
Make capstone projects
sure resumes you post online are privacy safe and
 o Indicate
Reference Page (if requested)
your contributions & emphasize results  searchable
List employers in reverse chronological order
oo Do not
Use include “References
quantifiable information Available
(specificUpon Request”
numbers)   May
Attend
breakthe Employment
this Prep Conference (held in the
into 2 sections:
whenever possible [
o Reference addendum, with contact informationoperated
e.g. increased sales by 50%, for a beginning of the fall
o PROFESSIONAL/RELATED and spring semesters) to have an
EXPERIENCE
10-line switchboard, provided clerical support for ten staff employer critique your resume, make a professional
minimum of 3 professional references, is a separate page o ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
members] contact and strengthen your networking skills
that should complement resume
 Grammar and Punctuation ADDITION COMPONENTS: (optional- include those relevant for you)
 Electronic / Email Resumes  Get your resume critiqued at Career Services (drop-in hours
o Begin sentences with action verbs and be consistent ACTIVITIES:
during semester: 10 am - 3 pm)
o Always include your name when saving your resume to  Leadership activities, student organizations, professional
with verb tense
email to an employer (i.e. Sandra Smith resume.pdf)  Post your final resume, critiqued and free of errors on
– [use present tense for current positions, past tense memberships, volunteer work that doesn’t fit well in
 Scannableforresumes: KnightLink
previous positions] experience
oo Use American Standard Code forprepositions
Information  Understand your resume doesn’t get you a job… it gets you
HONORS/AWARDS/SCHOLOARSHIPS/RECONGNITION
Avoid “I”, "the", pronouns and
Interchange (ASCII) format, can be done in notepad or an interview
o Omit periods unless you have a complete sentence PUBLICATIONS/RESEARCH
save as Rich Text Format
o