How to Write a Resume

You can always write your own resume. If you are brave enough to risk your job search hopes on your writing skills, we've compiled some resources to help. You will need to consider the type and level of job you hope to attain. You will also need to be able to articulate your education, training, and experiences very well. You might want to start by taking a look at some of the sample resumes listed below. You should also study the resume writing tips provided below. Plan on spending several hours writing, editing, and revising your resume. If you have limited work experience, learn how to write an entry level resume. If you are a seasoned professional, learn how to write an executive resume. If you have an academic background, learn how to write an effective CV.

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Resume Writing Tips

• Use spellcheck, but also be sure to read every line of the resume. Make sure spelling, grammar, voice, and tone are consistent and error free.
• Organize your information in a logical way and keep descriptions clear and to the point. Include as much work experience as possible, even if it obviously doesn't relate to the job you are seeking.
• Focus on what you bring to the employer, not what you want from the job. Remember your primary job will be to relieve your future boss's stress. Let him know exactly how you plan to do this.
• Be professional—You won't be taken seriously if you don't have e-mail or voice mail/answering machine. If you don't have e-mail, set up a free account through Yahoo! or Hotmail. And don't make the address an overly goofy or childish one - it should be professional or at least neutral sounding.
• If you plan to apply for federal government jobs, you'll need a federal resume. These resumes contain additional information and are specially formatted.

Your resume should provide answers to these questions:

• Contact Information - What is your name and how can you be reached?
• Job Objective - What do you want to do?
• Education - What have you learned?
• Employment History - What have you done?
• Skills & Abilities - What can you do?
• Activities and Honors
• References - Who?

 

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The header of your resume should include your name, address, phone number, and email address, if you regularly use it. When submitting a paper version of your resume, it is visually appealing to use a large font for your name. Include both a local and permanent address and a phone number so that an employer can easily reach you. This is especially important for graduating students.

Job Objective - Although optional, a job objective statement shows employers the direction you want to go, your work preferences, and serves as a focal point for employers to review and analyze your resume. It allows employers to immediately identify the kind of position you want. If you are looking for jobs in a number of different fields, you need to have a different job objective for each position. To address this, prepare some resumes without objective statements. Or tailor each resume to the specific job you seek. Do not write an objective that is vague and meaningless-if is isn't specific, don't include one. It may contain up to four parts: The level of the position. This can be anything from an internship, to full time, entry level, experienced, supervisory, or executive. Skills you hope to bring to the position. Look to the list of action verbs included in this toolkit to identify which skills you have experience using. Position. If you are responding to a job listing, look in the text of the listing to find out what the employer calls the position. This is the actual title, such as consultant, investment banker or field or industry in which you hope to work. Such as telecommunications, health care, and banking.

Education - In this section, include any information about your degree(s), including where and when you graduated; date(s); major, minor, or concentration; certification; and academic awards and honors. Make sure you use the official names for schools, degrees and majors/minors. Include all honors, special awards, and recognitions. While commonly known awards, such as Phi Beta Kappa, do not need an explanation, less known awards should be briefly explained. Include your GPA if it is an asset. If your GPA is not strong, focus your resume on non-academic strengths and skills. A general rule of thumb is that if your GPA is a 3.0 or higher, include it. If the GPA for your major is strong, you can just put that down but make sure you specify that it is only for classes in your major. If you are calculating a major GPA, make sure that if employers ask for your transcript, they will be able to follow your calculations. If not, they will assume you falsified your resume! GPA is calculated as follows: 3.15 can be rounded up to 3.2. However, 3.14 cannot be rounded up. If you do not have a lot of relevant experience for the position you are applying for, it is a good idea to list courses and class projects of interest to the employer.

Employment History - The way you structure the "experience" section will depend on what you are looking for and what you have done. This section lists in chronological order the positions you have held, names and locations of employers, and dates employed. You should also list responsibilities, achievements, significant contributions and demonstrated skills. Try to describe your experience in the most interesting and brief way possible. However, don't sacrifice clarifying details about important accomplishments for the sake of brevity. Remember to use active verbs to describe your work experience. Be hard on yourself, and, if necessary, discard "good" material that will have no meaning for an employer. Descriptions such as "responsibilities included developing course material" can be phrased more persuasively as "developed course materials." Descriptions do not need to be phrased in full sentences. The questions in an employer's mind are "Why should I speak with this person? How are they different from all the other applicants?" Try to answer these questions in each of your descriptions. You should also include independent study or volunteer work if it is relevant to the job you want and provided you with significant skills and experiences. If you do include your volunteer work, do not describe if under a heading which implies you were paid. In some instances, you may want to divide your experience into sub-sections. For example, if you are seeking a teaching job, and have both a teaching and business background, two separate headings-one "Teaching Experience" and "Additional Experience" may have more impact than a single heading.

Skills and Abilities - This is the place to put important and/or interesting information that does not fit anywhere else. With the advance of technology, it is increasingly important to include a section on computer skills. This should include any of your knowledge of computer programs, hardware, software, database knowledge, and/or Internet functions. If you have any other notable skills, such as foreign languages, musical talents, or writing skills include these here.

Activities and Honors - If you have received any awards or honors, or been involved in campus or community organizations, such as athletics, clubs or student government, you should mention them in this section. Identify any leadership roles that you had in these organizations. If you have too many organizations to list, choose the ones that have the strongest connection to the type of job you seek, don't pad this section with organizations you joined "in name only." Employers may ask you about your involvement during an interview.

References - Simply indicate that references are "available upon request" in a paper version of your resume. You should know at least 3 people who can serve as your references. Ask in advance for permission to use them as references. Use faculty and employers as references, not personal acquaintances. Do not include their names, address, or phone numbers on the resume. You may send a separate sheet with this information along with your resume, or wait until the employer requests references.

Can you pull it off? - If so great. But if not, seriously consider paying a pro. See our comparison of affordable, professional resume writing services to prepare a great resume that really highlights your skills, experience, education, and training.