Resume Tips

Putting Together an Eye-Catching and Effective Resume

Your resume has only one purpose, and that is to get the attention of an employer and make them want to interview you. The initial screening process is often based more on the quality and clarity of your resume than on actual abilities and accomplishments.

Keep your resume in a computer file and modify it for each job you apply for. Stress specifics in your background relevant to the position you are seeking.

• What to include:
  • Contact Information: Your name, home address, telephone number, and e-mail address should be easy to locate at the top of your resume.
  • Education: If you have a college degree or higher education, name the institution and your degree. Include your GPA only if it was a 3.0 or better. Include any courses or areas of focus relevant to the position you are seeking.
  • Experience: Chronological format is preferred with the most recent job first. List both paid and volunteer experience. Include the job title, dates of employment, and company name and location for each job. Briefly describe your responsibilities for each position with an emphasis on achievements.
  • Skills: List computer skills and other skills relevant to the position you are applying for. Also list proficiency in foreign languages if applicable.
  • Additional Information: Include hobbies and membership organizations that are relevant to the job you are seeking.
  • References: References should be listed only when requested.
• What to avoid:
  • Typos, spelling errors, and poor grammar.
  • Missing or inaccurate contact information.
  • Unexplained gaps in employment.
  • Long paragraphs (no paragraph should exceed 10 lines).
  • Long resumes.
  • Meaningless objectives or introductions.
  • Pictures, graphics, or URL links.
  • Complete sentences with personal pronouns such as "I" and "we."
  • Personal information such as weight, height, sex, health, age, religious affiliations, or personal details about your family.
• Keep it brief - one or two pages in length. Margins should be no less than 0.5". Keep sentences and paragraphs short and concise.
• Use bullets to highlight key skills and accomplishments.
• Avoid fancy formatting and graphics. Most resumes are scanned and entered electronically into company databases. Extensive page formatting can get lost, causing text to become unreadable in the scanned version.
• If e-mailing your resume, make sure you save it as a file type that can be read by the recipient. Microsoft Word is an acceptable format for most companies.
• Have someone proofread your resume to be sure the spelling and grammar are perfect.
• Print your resume on plain white bond paper.