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How to Write a Resume
 Now
that you know some general information about resumes and their purpose,
below you will find some guidelines for putting a resume together, including
some tips on what to include and what to avoid, and how to package everything
together.
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Start off by Asking Yourself:
- WHAT do I want
to do?
- FOR/WITH WHOM
do I want to do it?
- WHERE do I want
to do it?
- At what LEVEL
OF RESPONSIBILITY?
Information you need to include:
Education
- The years you attended, name of the school, courses studied, and certificates/awards.
Career
Objective - The industry or position you are
applying for.
Work
Experience
- Any work experience that you have had that will help you look good
to an employer.
Functional
Format
- Write down all
of your work experience as far back as you can remember. (This also
serves as your master list).
- Write down what
you did at each job include your responsibilities, accomplishments and
duties you performed.
- Try to group your
duties and skills into three or four general skill areas, and list detailed
examples of how you performed these skills below each general skill
area.
- Now your "Relevant
Skills & Experience" section is ready to be put in your resume, and
you can list the years, position, organization and city/state as your
"experience" section.
Additional Resume
Tips:
Be Concise and
Specific
- Limit your resume
to one or two pages. Your resume should say the most about you in the
fewest words. One page is best, but two pages are acceptable if you
have enough important information. Include only information that will
make you look good to an employer.
- There should be
a reason for everything in your resume. Leave out personal information
such as age, race, marital status and so on.
- The only time to
include photographs is in a very extensive portfolio. For the purpose
of the resume, photographs should not be included.
- Avoid including
the complete address of previous employers. This information should
be included on a reference page. Think of all the skills and qualifications
that could replace the address in just four lines!
- Be careful of
including a large number of jobs you have had in the past. Try to keep
the employment section relevant or specific to the position you are
seeking.
Optional Additional Resume
Sections
- Community Technical
Service
- Volunteer Experience
- Military Experience
- Special Training
- Leadership Experience
- Special Skills/Interests
- Research Experience
Personal Interests
Make
a Good First Impression
- Leave out personal
pronouns, for example: "Installed siding for XYZ Company" rather than
"I Installed..."
- Use verbs and
action, words that indicate what you did.
- Use a high quality
paper, either white, off white, gray, or beige. These colors will offer
distinction without distraction. Avoid blue or pastels. Be sure to purchase
extra for your cover letter. Use standard paper size (8 1/2 x 11 inches).
Remember if it cannot be filed easily it will be tossed. Use your good
judgment.
- Get feedback.
Have your coordinator, a classmate, friend or family member help you
read over your resume.
- Use capital letters,
italics, scripts and underlining sparingly. The purpose in using these
options is to make information stand out. If they are overused, nothing
will stand out.
- Be consistent
in your layout and composition. Do not switch from sentences to phrases.
Be sure that related headings are consistent in underlining, capitalization,
and spacing.
- Use past tense
for previous activities, experience or acquired skills. Present tense
refers to ongoing or current activities.
- Bullet marks (o),
or large dots are effective in drawing the employers attention to competencies,
accomplishments, or achievements. Some use dashes (-), though they are
not quite as effective.
- Use white space
for eye appeal and easy reading. Use ample margins and make sure they
are uniform. Use indentations and tabs for best use of space and emphasis
of key points.
Aim for accuracy
- Proofread your
resume. It would be wise to have several people read your resume for
both content, grammar and spelling.
- Constantly update
your resume. Never send out an old resume which lacks current information.
- Typing should
be perfect. Computer processing with a laser printer is the best way
to produce your resume. If you are using a typewriter, use a new ribbon.
You should not be able to tell that any corrections have been made.
Be Careful
- Don't exaggerate.
Any information you list incorrectly can be used for dismissal if they
find out you lied.
- Don't use slang.
- Don't put in fancy
binders or folders.
- Don't list sex,
height, weight or other personal information.
- Don't list religion,
race, ethnic origin or political affiliation.
- Don't include
salary information.
- Don't use copies
of your resume unless it's from a quality photo copier.
- Don't highlight
problems.
- Don't use personal
pronouns.
Ask Yourself...
- Does it draw your
attention in 10 seconds?
- Does it look clean
and inviting?
- Does it make the
reader want to know more?
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