Resume Writing Guidelines

What is in a Resume?

Identification

• Your name, address, phone number, and email address.

Objective

• Indicate the type of job you would like to apply for.

Education

• Name of school, what you are studying, graduation date, and GPA.

Honors

• Awards and scholarships.

Experience

• Paid or unpaid jobs show the employer that you have the skills needed to perform the job you are interested in.
• List your experience in **reverse chronological order**—start with your most recent experience and work backwards.
• Remember to use **action verbs** to describe your duties and accomplishments!

Activities

• Clubs, volunteer experience, sports... things that show **community involvement** and **leadership skills**.

Skills

• Things you can do that make you special—using the computer, speaking a foreign language, etc.
• The skills you list will change depending on the type of job you want.

General Resume Styles

In general, there are 3 resume styles. **Tailor your resume to your employer of interest!**

Chronological Resume

• The **most popular** style and is preferred by many employers.
• Presents your education and work experience in **reverse time sequence**, with the most recent events listed first.
• Job titles and dates are included.

Functional Resume

• Emphasizes **qualifications, skills, and related accomplishments** over dates and job titles.
• Utilizes short sentences or phrases, organizing skills into categories.
• Ideal for those who want to bridge a gap between their background and job requirements—for example, those who are **changing career fields** and have extensive work experience.

Combination Resume

• Borrows elements of both styles, emphasizing skills and work accomplishments.

A Few Things to Remember

• There is really **no ONE right way** to write a resume—everyone is unique. There is room to “be yourself.”
• **Proofread** your resume very carefully for grammar, punctuation, and spelling. You do not want ANY mistakes in your resume. Have someone review your resume for mistakes and use spell check!
• Get feedback from other people. Make sure that your resume looks good, is easy to understand, and says what you want it to say!
• Utilize options such as **bold type, italics, and bullet points** to draw the reader's eye to key areas. Be consistent with formatting, punctuation, and capitalization.
• Use a font size and style that is **easy to read**.
• Avoid using **personal pronouns** such as "I," "me," or "my" anywhere on your resume.
• Re-title and re-order section headings as needed. You are in control of the way your information impacts employers.

Demonstrate Your Skills

• Include verifiable abilities such as computer hardware and/or software skills and foreign language skills.
• Use terms such as "**familiar with**," "**knowledgeable of**," or "**proficient in**" as quantifiers.

Optional Sections: Show Your Class

• List **relevant courses** that add credibility to your skills and qualifications. List course titles—not course numbers. It is not necessary to list the grades earned in each course.
• List current or relevant **honors, awards, and scholarships**. Likewise, include activities that show leadership, responsibility, or community involvement.
• Take care not to reveal religious, political, or personal information.

Some Examples of Action Verbs

Use these to make your bullet points impactful:

• Accomplished
• Analyzed
• Achieved
• Coordinated
• Contributed
• Delegated
• Designed
• Devised
• Enhanced
• Established
• Formulated
• Generated
• Implemented
• Supervised
• Trained
• Researched