Checklist for Creating a Fantastic First Resume
Instructions:
· Please staple this to the resume you are turning in with your professor.
· Check off each point to make sure you took it into consideration and sign and print your name at the bottom of this sheet.
A ☐Avoid using resume templates as they are difficult to update later. When starting your resume set the 12 pt. font size with everything single spaced. That way you can go back later after you have everything typed to (1) add line spacing, and (2) format things to be easy to read / esthetically pleasing.
B ☐Font size needs to be between 10 and 12 point, but your name at the top of the page should be larger than 12 pt.
C ☐Ensure that your resume fits on one page, unless you have extensive relevant experience. Change margins, spacing between items, and font size as needed to fit everything on one page.
D ☐If there is a lot of white space: Widen margins, increase spacing between items and increase font size to fill out the page.
E ☐Line spacing between items within a section should be less than line spacing between sections. Remember, you can make the line spacing as small or big as you want by going to “Line and Paragraph Spacing,” then “Line Spacing Options.”
F ☐Make your contact info easy to read, considering font type, size, and location on page. Address is not required, but phone number and email is. Your email should not be hyperlinked – remove underline if one is placed there automatically.
G ☐When listing dates and other information on the right side of the page, space the text so that is over to the point just before it would wrap around to the next line so that it is aligned to the right margin.
H ☐List course names, not course numbers. For example, Mechanical Engineering 101, should be listed as Introduction to Mechanical Engineering.
I ☐If you list your High School GPA or a transfer college GPA, make sure you label it as such so that an employer is not confused about where you earned these grades. Remove high school information after freshman year, unless significant.
J ☐List items in reversed chronological order, i.e. the most recent first (education, activities, job/work).
K ☐Elaborate on the tasks you performed in activities and experience. Start phrases under experience with action words, such as: Developed, Produced, Performed, Managed, etc. Use metrics if they are impressive. For example with Eagle Scouts: What did you accomplish? How many volunteers did you coordinate? How many collective volunteer hours were involved?
L ☐For Scholarships as well as any honors, elaborate on how you were selected, not the application process. For example, was it because of academic achievement?
M ☐“I” and “my” should never be words you use in a resume. Reword as needed to eliminate these words from your resume.
N ☐If your resume is not a full page, be sure you have added volunteer or work experience; relevant courses; scholarships, significant class projects, anything else that would be relevant and help fill up the page
O ☐Think about the order of information in lists, for example, when listing skills, put ones most important to a potential employer at the top or beginning of lists.
P ☐If you have listed soft skills like “hard working, good communicator, or effective leader,” remove them and add information in education/activities/honors/awards/experiences sections that would let the reader conclude these things about you.
I have taken all the points above into consideration AND have created my Wildcat Career Link Account.
____________________________________ ______________________________ __________________
Signed Name Printed Name Date