Resume Writing

Outline
What is a Resume and How Do You Write One?
Optional Information & Headings
Helpful Hints
More Tips on Resume Writing
Remember

Identification:
1. Name, address (street, city/town, state, zip code) and telephone number.
2. If you plan to move during your job search, be sure to include both a     current and a permanent address and telephone.

Objective:
1. State your immediate objective and, if you wish, your career objective.
2. This can be done by specifying job title, industry, skills or any combination     of the preceeding.
3. It should help tell the employer at a glance if you would fit the job.

Education:
1. Name of the college (highlighted) and its location.
2. Degree (Bachelor of Arts), graduation date, major, minor, GPA
3. Marketable coursework, special educational experiences, etc.
4. Honors

Activities:
1. List anything which might possibly relate to the job you are seeking: include examples of leadership, professional interests and additional skills.
2. If appropriate, and if space permits, explain two or three using action verbs.

Experience:
1. Serves as an indicator of your ability to work and hold a job.
2. Highlight your experience so it is related to your objective or to show     responsibility.
3. Volunteer positions, internships and unusual work experience can come     under this heading or can be a separate category.
4. Be sure to list Position title, name of employer, location and dates of     employment. Use a consistent format throughout.
5. Start by listing your most recent job experience first and work in reverse     chronological order.
6. Explain something about your position: what responsibility you had, did     you advance within the organization, did you supervise anyone, whom did     you have contact with, what skills did you develop and/or employ. Use     action verbs and numbers where appropriate.

Interests:
1. List three or four across separating them with commas.
2. Shows well-roundedness.
3. Acts as an ice breaker in an interview.

References:
1. State that they are available and furnished upon request.
2. Do not give names, addresses or telephone numbers on your resume.

What is a Resume and How Do You Write One? (back to top)
*Click here for sample* - MS Word Format

Q. What is a resume?
A. A resume is your introduction to a prospective employer.

Q. What is the purpose of a resume?
A. To obtain an interview.

Q. How does a resume work?
A. By providing a prospective employer with the most relevant information about you, your education, skills and experiences in as concise manner as possible.

Q, What should a resume include?
A. Name, address, telephone number, job objective, education, honors, activities and a personal section if you desire. It should emphasize only your best side – and only the information most relevant to the job at hand. Remember, a resume is not a biography.

Q. What are some of the things to keep in mind when writing a resume?
A. Do not exaggerate, but don’t sell yourself short—there is no room for modesty in a resume. The tone of your resume shows personality—it says as much about you as the content of your resume.

Q. What format should be used?
A. The basic format is traditional – the expected information should jump out at the reader – if it doesn’t, it will not be doing its job for you. However, your personality can come through by the style type and color paper you choose. Be sure to choose a reasonable color and type.

Q. How long should a resume be?
A. One (1) page if it is longer, it tells the employer you are trying to say too much and do not know how to come to the point.

Q. How many resumes should I have?
A. Have several different resumes, each with a different focus. Have one resume for each area you are interested in pursuing and slant them by choosing different highlights and objectives.

Q. What shouldn’t resume include?
A. Unrelated information – picture, social security number, misspelled or inappropriate terminology or ambiguous jargon.

Q. How long does it take to do a resume?
A. Allow as much time as you possibly can, as oftentimes many drafts are needed before the copy is completed.

Optional Information & Headings (back to top)

Skills or Summary of Qualifications:

• Appears after the objective and before education.
• Used only if you have had work experience that is extensive and have obtained specific skills, or if you know several computer or foreign languages.

Certification:

• Used for teaching.
• May appear as a highlighted subsection of education or as a separate heading.

Personal:

• Information would include: date of birth, marital status, height, weight and health. Interests and willingness to relocate may be given here or separately.
• An employer may not ask for this information during the interview process, so it is up to you to decide whether or not you wish to volunteer this information.

Helpful Hints (back to top)

• Print your resume on high quality resume paper.
• Be sure that you print your cover letters on the same kind of paper used for your resume, and the envelopes should match as well.
• Be sure your resume is clean, neat and easily scanned.
• Verbs should be strong and the same tense throughout your resume.
• Never use personal pronouns.
• Never staple anything to your resume.

More Tips on Resume Writing (back to top)

Resume Paper Color
The majority of job searchers still print their resumes on white paper. Your resume will therefore stand out and draw more attention if you use colored paper. Light grays, blues or creams are best for the professional look. Stay away from bright or dark colors which make print harder to read.

Resume Paper Stock
Most people use standard photocopy paper for their resumes, which is 20 lb. weight. This is the paper classification referring to the weight per 1,000 sheets. Try a slightly heavier paper stock such as a 24 lb. weight. This gives your resume a richer and more professional feel and look, and is only slightly more expensive. Avoid heavy ‘linen’ paper stocks. They may be fine for personal stationary, but inappropriate for a resume. They are also much more expensive and create more eyestrain when reading. Many stationery and office supply stores carry paper especially designed for resumes.

Font
Also called the ‘typeface’ refers to the particular design of the print. Ensure the font you select is easy to read. With the advent of computers and the ready availability of a wide assortment of fonts, there can be a tendency to select fancy, stylistic type that’s attractive, but hard to read. Keep it simple. Some of the more popular fonts for resumes are Times New Roman, Arial, Galliard, and Univers.

Most of your resume should be in plain style. Use bold and italic type to highlight certain words or to identify headings.

Size
Most Business correspondence uses 12 point size. For resume, you may want to use 13 point for easier readability. Headings of course, should be in larger type – 14 to 16 point for section headings and 26 – 28 point for your name.

White Space
As the term suggests, refers to the amount of space on a page that is absent of type – thus ‘white’. Of course, if you were using gray paper, it would be gray. A page with too much type is cluttered and more difficult to read – and if you make things too difficult for an employer, they may choose not to read your resume at all. You can create white space by minimizing the amount of copy, indenting paragraphs, leaving adequate space between sections, using bullets, and flushing type to the left.

Graphics
The effective use of graphics can enhance the appearance of your resume. Today’s computer programs provide us with a wide array of graphics, pictures and clip art to choose from. But again, simplicity is best. Lines, boxes, shading, bullets, and symbols – when used judiciously – create the best results. Avoid the temptation to get overly artistic.

Job searchers tend to underestimate the importance of the appearance of their resumes. But never forget that for the employer, it is their first impression of you. You want it to be a positive one.

Remember

You want your resume to represent you well, and gain you a job interview. Be sure it is concise and serves the purposes of the employer (who has to read it) as well as yourself.

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