Career Services: Writing Your Resume - Content
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Your resume will consist of several sections. Some of the sections
are required, some are optional. Since your resume will be tailor-made,
include only those categories that pertain to your specific background
and current job target. Integrating selected optional sections with
the required sections often result in a very effective presentation
of your skills and abilities.
Name
Use your full name (nicknames are generally discouraged), set it
apart from the body of your resume. A middle-initial may suffice
for your middle name. Accent your name by experimenting with any
of the following: larger point type, all uppercase, bold-faced letters,
italics, or underlining.
Address & Telephone Number
Include complete mailing address with zip code for current (i.e.
college or summer only) and permanent residences. If employed, it
may be appropriate to list both office and home address and phone
numbers. Employers need to know when and where to reach you. Include
dates under address if this will help. If unavailable to receive
mail or phone calls directly list the address and phone number of
a responsible party who will promptly forward messages to you. Be
sure to include your email address, especially if you are aware
that employers in your field use it.
Education
List schools attended in reverse, chronological order. Always include
the name of institution, location, degree, certificate or course
of study, date of completion, and major/concentration/minor. List
high school only if relevant to your job search.
Experience
Also referred to as Employment History, Work Experience,
Relevant Experience; it can even be broken down into more
than one category of information (i.e. Related & Additional
Experience, Professional Development & Other Experience, Teaching
Experience & Administrative Experience, etc.) The information
in this section should be relevant to your targeted job; it should
demonstrate to the employer that you have the skills necessary to
do the work. You may include paid and volunteer positions, internships,
overseas experience, research experience, etc. Keep in mind that
these areas can often produce more relevant experience than previous
paid employment. Use action verbs and adjectives (such as: managed,
coordinated, and intensive) to describe accomplishments and significant
responsibilities of each position.
Optional Sections
The following sections, however important for your resume, need
not nessecarily to there. However it is advantageous to incorporate
at least some of these features with your resume.
Objective
Also referred to as Professional or Career
Objective, it indicates the type of work you desire. Employers
have mixed reactions to this category and its use seems to be gradually
fading. Use only if you are specific. Don't be so specific, however,
that you preclude other acceptable job options. If you choose not
to use an objective, then be sure you address it in some form in
your cover letter. An objective statement can be personalized for
each recipient though obviously this can be time consuming and only
practical if using a word processor. An alternative might be to
have two or more editions of your resume, each with its own objective
statement directed to a specific group of employers.
Profile
Also referred to as Skills, Qualifications,
Interest, or Strengths, the profile
section appears to be gaining favor among employers. It is developed
utilizing the information you gathered during your career field
research and simply indicates, either in list or paragraph form,
the relevant skills you possess and offer the employer. Normally
it is the first section an employer reads. The theory is; that upon
seeing you possess the required skills, the employer will be enticed
to read your entire resume.
Honors & Awards
List academic, leadership and/or athletic awards if appropriate.
This information can also be included in the Education section.
Activities
Also referred to as Activities & Interests, or Interests; this
category shows commitment and involvement outside of academic course
work and/or formal employment. This information can also appear
in the Experience section, if it is relevant to the position you
are seeking. List membership and leadership positions in clubs,
organizations, or athletics; volunteer positions; internships; hobbies
or special interests that can help to round out your profile.
References: Available Upon Request
You should have references whether or not you state it on your
resume. Your references should be listed on a separate sheet of
paper. They should be people who can speak about your skills and
abilities that are relevant to the position you are seeking. Letters
of reference are rarely required outside of the education field.
If space is at a premium, mention of references is not necessary.
Other optional information you might wish to include:
- Thesis Title:
Which demonstrates research and writing ability regardless of
relevance to job objective.
- Independent Course Work:
Brief listing of relevant courses.
- Grade Point Average:
If calculated to be an asset (generally 3.0 or higher on a 4.0
scale), either Cumulative GPA or Major GPA.
- Study Abroad:
If you've ever studied or attened school in another country.
- Honors/Awards:
If not listed elsewhere.
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