Why have a resume? - Your resume is the essential tool that earns you an interview. Resumes play two key roles in your journey for employment:

• To represent you when employers review your application

• To convince the employer you are the candidate best qualified for the position.

 

Style - Resumes can be composed in three different formats: chronological, functional, or a combination of the two.

• The chronological resume lists jobs and duties sequentially beginning with the current or most recent position. This style focuses on your growth in a specific profession.

• The functional resume emphasizes professional skills.

• The combination of the two styles incorporates the strengths of both the chronological and the functional. Your resume should be short, easy to read and use words that are familiar to the reader. The goal is to show off your achievements and minimize any weaknesses.

 

Objective - Each resume will be specifically prepared for each employer. Because of this, be careful in how you word your "career objective."

• If you are applying for positions in several different areas, the objective may be omitted from your resume.

• Education majors should replace "career objective" with "teaching field" because this is what they are certified for and it is not likely to change.

• To target a particular employer or career field, you may want to prepare individual resumes for the actual interview.

• Remember, cover letters can be used to serve the purpose of establishing why you are sending a resume and you will be the communicator of this information in the interview itself.

 

Education - Included in this section are undergraduate and graduate degrees earned.

• Most recent degrees are listed first (reverse chronological order).

• Include your major and minor if applicable.

• You may promote your marketability by putting other areas of academic emphasis; i.e., "15 hours computer science," "8 hours technical writing," etc. If space allows, you might even list some course titles. Grade point averages may be given in this section.

• Some students give their cumulative GPA or choose major GPA or junior/senior GPA, depending on which represents them most favorably.

 

Experience - This section may include part-time or full-time work.

• It may also include internships as well as volunteer experiences.

• Name, address of the organization, your title or position, and dates worked should be included.

• Describe your experiences in active, skill-related terms and emphasize accomplishments.