Career Development Center
Writing your résumé
Heading
Center your name at the top of the page in a large bold face type.
Provide complete present and permanent addresses. Be sure to include
area code, phone number and email address if available. Make sure your
email address username appears professional.
Objective
State the position you are seeking. If applying for various positions,
state the direction you would like to go in your field instead. This
will tell employer specifically what sort of work you are hoping to
do. It is optional, and if included, should be kept short; it is not
your philosophy on life.
Education
Must include:
- Name of degree
- Name of university, city, state
- Graduation date or expected graduation date
Optional:
- GPA (Usually a 3.0 or better is good to include)
- Minor
- Related coursework (if relevant- don't list every class you have taken)
- Academic scholarships and academic honors
- Percentage of your education that you financed, if more than half.
Experience
This is a crucial part of your résumé. List job experience
from most to least important, regardless of date. Be organized and consistent:
- Job title (dates at this job)
- Name of company, city, state
- Describe current job responsibilities in present tense
- Describe previous job responsibilities in past tense
- Begin each phrase with an action verb, avoid phrases like "responsibilities
included" - Use a bullet in front of brief descriptions, avoid decorative designs
- For long descriptions, divide each phrase with a semi-colon (;)
- Describe your skills and accomplishments, how well you did what you did
- Begin statements with an action verb as much as possible.
- Tailor the information to the position for which you are applying;
unrelated
experience like receptionist or babysitter can go in a skills section.
Internships
These are normally included in the Experience section, but if you have
several, you could make them a separate section.
Volunteer Work
Describe your experience if it is related to the position for which
you're applying. This can also be listed in the Experience section,
but not both.
Honors & Activities
If not included in the Education section, list any significant involvement
in order of importance:
- Dean's List
- Scholarships
- Leadership positions
- Clubs
- Committees
- Sports
- Intramural activities
- Hobbies and interests
Skills
- Proficiency in computer programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint,
or
graphics programs - Fluency in a foreign language
- Anything else that might make you unique among other applicants
References
Three to five references should be listed on a separate sheet. Include
name, title/position, employer, complete mailing address, phone number
and email address if applicable. We recommend mailing your reference
list with your résumé instead of waiting for the employer
to request it. Some guidelines for references:
- Your references should know you professionally and know you well
- Chose someone that will give you a positive recommendation
- Inform your references of your career plans and jobs you have applied for
- Provide them with a copy of your résumé for a complete picture of you
- Keep them informed on your job-search progress
- Send them a thank-you for their assistance
Helpful Suggestions
Salary
Leave out all references to salary, but do some research before
your interview.
Resources that might be helpful include: the company's annual financial
report, NACE Salary Survey, Dynamite Salary Negotiations, Job Search
Handbook, and Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Check the Career Development Center Library for these references.
Do not include or mention the following:
- Age
- Health
- Religion
- Weaknesses
- Sex
- Height
- Marital Status
- Disabilities
- Race
- Weight
- Photograph
- Childhood
In writing...
- Do use third voice.
- Don't use "I" or other pronouns.
- Do draw attention to important information with bold or underline.
- Don't abbreviate (except for states) or use contractions.
- Don't use technical jargon and slang.
- Do proofread; check for correct punctuation and misspellings.
In producing...
- Do produce your résumé on a computer using a minimum
12 point type
size. - Do use high quality ivory or white paper.
- Do print on a laser printer.
- Don't mix type fonts.
- Strive for consistency in graphic elements
Final Checklist
- Did I address all of the key areas that this employer is looking for?
- Did I use appropriate tenses?
- Is my resume free from spelling errors and typos?
- Is my format consistent and easy to read (state abbreviations,
dates and
locations in consistent locations)? - Are my most highly related experiences and skills impossible to
miss?
Is there anything missing from my resume that would be important to this
employer? - Have I taken the job description into account when constructing this resume?
- Have I taken this company's culture, history and values into account
when
constructing this resume? - Are my margins and tabs lined up correctly?
- When I look at my resume, is it pleasing to the eye, or does it
seem
crowded/busy? - Have I double checked my name, address, phone number, e-mail for errors?
- Have I double checked my references for errors in phone and fax numbers?
- Have I dared at least two people to find and error in this resume
and made
corrections?
Bring your résumé to the Career Development Center, and one of the CDAs as well as Chris Confer will critique and proof-read it for you.
Use the following guideline to help you get started on your résumé.
To look at some sample-résumés, come to the CDC in the
WSC.
| _________(NAME)___________ | |
|
Present
Address |
Permanent Address ______________ ______________ ( )___________ |
| Objective |
____________________________________________ |
| Education |
(Degree)_____________________________________
John Brown University, Siloam Springs, AR Minor: ____________________________ GPA: ______ Graduation: _____________ |
| Experience |
(Position) _____________________(date)_________
(Company, city, state)________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ (Position)
_____________________(date)_________ (Position) _____________________(date)_________
|
| Honors & Activities |
__________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ |
| References |
___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ |