Résumé Recommendations
A collection of tips, information,
and examples of résumés
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Tips for Writing an Effective Resume
Resume Writing Strategy
It is important to remember that there is no one right way to write a resume. There are, however, recommendations on writing resumes, formatting them, and choosing what to include. Based on employers’ feedback and some research done by Career Services, we have created general guidelines to follow when writing a resume. Ultimately, the resume is your document and therefore should be a reflection of you.
Remember, a resume…
IS / IS NOTA marketing tool / An autobiography
Targeted and selective / A laundry list of everything you’ve done
Customized to the position / Only one generic version used every time
About relevant skills & experiences / About listing personal qualities
About your qualifications for the job / About you
You want your resume to be persuasive! The best resume writers take the time to research the company/organization/graduate school they are applying to AND take a very careful look at the job or program. Pick up on the clues they give you.
Think like the person who will read the resume. What do you want them to see, to know about you? Whatever that is, find ways to make it obvious and clear. This strategy will shape all your decisions about what to include and how to organize the resume.
Use the language and terminology they use. Some employers use key words to search their resume data base, so use their terminology! Every piece of knowledge you gain helps you understand them better and persuade them to hire you.
As you are making decisions about each item for the resume, ask yourself:
1. Is this relevant?
2. Is this recent?
3. Is this impressive?
4. Is this important?
Your answers to these questions will help you decide whether to include that item, how much space to devote to it, and how to describe it.
STEP 1: Lay Out Your ResumeYour resume may represent your first contact with the employer, therefore the content and appearance is critical. Create the resume yourself. Avoid using templates. Templates are difficult to edit and make your resume look generic.
Design Guidelines
· Layout: Choose between placing your category headings to the left of your content or above your content. See examples in the back of this packet.
· Format: Make it visually appealing and easy to read. Be consistent in your format and use of bold, CAPITALIZATION, italics, etc.
· Font: Use a font size of 10-12 points. Choose a standard font that is easy to read (Garamond, Arial, etc.) Do not mix more than two font styles.
· Margins: Keep the margins even. Margins should be between .75 and 1 inch.
· Length: Keep it to one page, unless there is enough critical information for two full pages. Exceptions: Some majors such as education will have two pages. Resumes for graduate school applications may also be two pages.
· Presentation: Do not fold or staple your resume. If you have two pages, do not print double-sided. Use a paper clip to keep the two pages together.
· Paper: Use good quality, neutral 8.5x11” bond paper with high quality print. Do not use paper with flecks/glitter because of poor copying abilities.
· Document Format: Before submitting your resume, always save it as a PDF file. This will preserve your formatting no matter who opens it.
Content Guidelines
· Style: Use long phrases, not sentences. Do not write in the first person (i.e. don’t use “I” statements). Avoid using abbreviations or acronyms.
· Order: Within each category, all information should be in reverse chronological order. Most recent items go first.
· Tense: Using past tense verbs emphasizes completion and accomplishment. Use present tense for current experiences.
· Older Experiences: Generally, you should not include high school experiences past your sophomore year in college. Experiences older than five years should be left off unless they are highly relevant to the position you are applying for.
SAMPLE RESUME LAYOUT 1
Your Name
9870 Home Street Any City, IL 09369 Telephone: (219) 999-9999
Profile or Objective
The type of position you are seeking, the type of organization you are seeking it in and 2-3 skills/experiences you will bring to the job. Customize the objective for each position or position type.
OR, write a SUMMARY or PROFILE instead, and summarize your strongest qualifications in bullet points.
Education
Bachelor of Business Degree, Western Illinois University, Moline, IL Anticipated May 2016
Major: Minor: (if none, then delete)
Overall G.P.A.: X.X/4.0 Major GPA: X.X/4.0 (optional)
Honors: Add any honors, honor societies, awards or scholarships, indicating years you received them.
Include “Dean’s List”, if applicable, and indicate the # of semesters.
Relevant Experience
Position/Job Title (most recent jobs first!) Dates of Employment
Name of Company/Organization, City, State
· Bullet your best accomplishments or most significant duties on the job, starting with action verbs.
· Quantify information if possible, use numbers, statistics, percentages to strengthen each bullet.
Position/Title, Department Dates of Employment
Name of Organization, City, State
· Include not just what you did, but what you learned and the results of what you did.
· If all of the experiences are “Relevant”, delete the “Other Experience” section.
Other Experience
Position/Title , Name of Organization, City, State Dates of Employment
· Description
Position/Title , Name of Organization, City, State Dates of Employment
· Description
Campus & Community Involvement
· Add any student organizations and off-campus activities that you have been involved in, the dates you have been involved, and any leadership roles you have had in them.
· Example: Any Student Organization, 2007-present: President, 2008-2009
Related Skills
· List your computer skills, especially software, and anything related to your career field.
· Also add any language skills you have, training or certifications, or other skills relevant to the job that are not mentioned elsewhere on your resume.
SAMPLE RESUME LAYOUT 2
Your Name
Address: Mailing Address, City, State Zip
Phone Number
Email Address
______
PROFILE/ What can you do for the employer? Expresses your interest in a specific job or tells
OBJECTIVE the reader about your career goals. Profile can be bulleted and highlight skills and relevant experiences that are expanded upon later.
EDUCATION List schools (most recent first) include degrees, locations, majors, minors, and GPA
(if 3.0 or higher). You may also include honors such as Dean’s List (unless you choose to make this a separate category) and/or study abroad experience.
RELATED You should include your jobs, internships, or volunteer work that is most related to
EXPERIENCE your area of study. List title held, company’s name, the location (city, state), and dates of employment. Start by listing your most recent experiences.
· Use bullet points to describe what, why, and how you performed the duties of your job in short descriptive statements while focusing on positive outcomes.
· List job tasks in order of importance so the most relevant information is
conveyed first.
· Begin each statement with an action verb. (See List of Action Verbs)
· Avoid using any personal pronouns like “I”.
· Try to quantify results using numbers and percentages when appropriate.
ADDITIONAL Use this section to highlight any other paid or unpaid experiences which are notable,
EXPERIENCE not as relevant to your area of study or the job in which you are applying. Highlight transferable skills (communication, customer service, organization, teamwork, time management). You may also include part-time or summer employment, civilian or military. Highlight these experiences more briefly than your relevant experiences.
HONORS & Highlight your co-curricular activities, leadership roles, student interest groups, or
ACTIVITIES honors/scholarships that you have been awarded during your time at WIU. Focus on your accomplishments. Find ways to get involved both on and off campus that will help you expand your resume.
SKILLS Do you have specific computer, laboratory, or language skills? This is a section for you to highlight skills that will make you more marketable to the employer.
Step 2: Choose Resume Headings
Objective or Summary:· Internship Objective
· Career Objective
· Professional Objective
· Summary
· Summary of Qualifications
· Profile / Special Skills and Training:
· Related Skills
· Computer Skills/Technology Skills
· Special Training
· Certifications
· Language Competencies
· Areas of Knowledge/ Expertise
· Professional Skills
· Licenses or Licensure
Education:
· Educational Background
· Study Abroad/International Experience
· Relevant Coursework - if related to position/field
· Senior Research Project / Activities:
• Campus Leadership
• Campus & Community Activities
• Community Involvement
• Campus Activities
• Volunteer/Service
• Professional and Community Activities
• Leadership Activities
• Co-curricular Activities
Experience:
· Employment/Work Experience
· Internship Experience
· Related Experience
· Leadership Experience
· Research Experience
· Career Related Experience
· Study Abroad/International Experience
· Teamwork Experience
· Sales Experience
· Marketing Experience
· Research Experience
· Business Experience
· Accounting Experience
· Public Relations Experience
· Tutoring/Counseling Experience / Honors/ Awards:
· Activities and Distinctions
· Honors and Awards
· College Honors
· Special Honors
· Dean’s List
· Scholarships
· Athletic Honors
Publications or Research:
· Research Interests
· Research Experience
· Presentations
· Academic Research
Step 3: Write Content for Each Section
Resume Sections: PROFILE or OBJECTIVE
The resume profile is different from the resume objective statement. The first one is more focused on the customer (employer) and what benefits he or she will receive if hiring you. The objective is more focused on the candidate. For this reason we do recommend to use a resume profile instead of an objective as it is stronger choice for most.
Resume profiles statements feature your skills, accomplishments, and career level, and can also include your career objective as well, but with the advantage to look more attractive and interesting to recruiters.
PROFILE CONTENT (PREFERRED)
· 4-6 bullets of your top selling points
· Describes your specialization, experience, responsibilities that are relevant to a specific position
· Relays your value to the organization in a summarized format
· Utilizes keywords found in job description
PROFILE STYLES
Bullet Points:· Over ten years customer service experience.
· Exceptional planning and organizational skills.
· Well developed interpersonal and written communication skills.
Introductory narrative with bullet points:
Public relations professional with over 10 years experience in the not for profit and community welfare sectors. Has a demonstrated track record of success in relation to:
· Developing and maintaining excellent relationships with print and electronic media.
· Business development and fundraising.
· Image development and brand repositioning
Bullet points with accompanying narrative:
· Well developed written communication skills - Has produced work for a variety of audiences including public and private sector clients, the higher education sector and academia, management and consumers.
Narrative:
Charismatic, energetic and results focused with extensive general management experience in a diverse range of fields including tour wholesaling, the conventions industry and the hospitality sector
OBJECTIVE CONTENT (Optional, or as part of profile)
· 1-3 lines in length. Use long phrases in bulleted form, not complete sentences.
· Conveys key information to the employer about what you have applied for, including any job number.
· Tells the audience why you are writing and key skills that you can contribute.
OBJECTIVE STYLES
Position-Oriented: Human Resources Assistant position with Trinity Hospital, position number_____Field-Oriented: To obtain a position in the field of …
Skills Oriented: Seeking a position that uses/utilizes/capitalizes upon skills in… (leadership, communication, organization, computer science, foreign language, etc.)
Knowledge-Oriented: To obtain a position that will utilize knowledge/strong background in… (economics, chemistry, etc.)
Combination (various pairings can occur such as the following):
-Field and Position: To obtain an accounting position at XYZ accounting firm.
-Field and Skills: Desire a position in elementary education that uses skills in creative lesson planning, flexibility, and fluency in the Spanish language
OBJECTIVE/PROFILE FORMATTING TIPS
· Tailor to each position or employer you apply
· Do not use obvious comments such as: “To work in a challenging environment.” Most employers would like to think that the candidate possesses enough initiative to challenge the environment.
· Focus on the specific position you are applying for and utilize their keywords.
Resume Sections: EDUCATION
Required ContentDegree Level (Bachelor of Science, Master of Science)
Name of College
Location of College (city, state)
Graduation Date (month, year)
Major(s), Minor(s), and Concentration(s) / Optional Content
GPA, if over a 3.0 (Example: 3.0/4.0)
Can also include your major GPA
Relevant Coursework (a short list of 3-4 courses)
Honors and Awards (or could be its own section)
Study Abroad Experience (ditto)
Example Education Sections
Bachelor of Science, Western Illinois University, Moline, IL Anticipated May 2014
Major: Management
GPA: 3.27, Major GPA: 3.4
Study Abroad: Morocco Spring 2011
Bachelor of Science degree, May 2012
Western Illinois University, Moline, IL
Majors: Engineering
GPA: 3.42
Resume Sections: EXPERIENCE
Possible Experience Categories/ Headings
· Career-Related Experience
· Internship Experience
· Additional Work Experience
· Volunteer Experience
· Leadership Experience
· Coaching Experience
· Teaching Experience
Experience Content (Include for EACH experience)
· Position title
· Organization name
· Location (city, state)
· Dates of service (month, year-month, year) For summer jobs: Summers 2009-2010
· Description of responsibilities, achievements, skills in bulleted phrases