Resumes

Downloadable version (Microsoft Word document)

Note: The downloadable version of this document contains several example resumes to provide ideas.

Purpose

The goal of a resume is to help you obtain a job interview by showcasing your qualifications to prospective employers. Ideally, you should revise your resume each time you apply for a different job in order to highlight your most relevant skills and abilities. Avoid the temptation to fill in a template—the format and content of a resume is meant to display your unique personality and qualifications, not your data entry skills.

 

Organization

Help prospective employers discover your qualifications by dividing a resume into sections; typical resumes include such headings as "Education," "Work Experience," "Honors," or "Volunteer Activities." Resumes aimed at specific jobs or fields might include other types of information as well. For instance, individuals submitting a resume for an academic career might include a section titled "Publications," listing scholarly articles and books they have written. Resumes targeting other professional occupations might have a section entitled "Affiliations," where membership in organizations such as the American Bar Association or Texas Nurses' Association could be listed.

Place the section most applicable to your prospective employment at the top of the page, and list the most recent experiences first, noting the duration and location of your experience. Unrelated jobs, if listed, should be de-emphasized. These items are usually included only if they account for a large time gap between two relevant experiences.

 

Format

Because employers may spend only a few seconds on each resume, the format and visual appeal of your resume is extremely important. These guidelines can help you create a professional looking, well-formatted resume:

• Use no more than two typefaces throughout your resume—one for headings, one for the body. Headings use sans-serif fonts, such as Arial, while the body employs a serif font, such as Times New Roman.
• With the exception of headings, all text should be 10 – 12 pt.
• Because employers scan resumes quickly and because English is read left-to-right, top-to-bottom, the information most relevant to a specific job should be to the left of the line in the diagram at right.
• Use bullets, bold, and italics sparingly.
• Avoid clip art and other non-essential decorations.
• Print your resume on bond paper with a laser printer.

 

Content

The best resumes avoid job descriptions in favor of quantifiable accounts of success and specific, transferable skills. Provide the reader with descriptions of your skills or accomplishments that are impressive, easily understandable, and accurate. Descriptive verbs should be used for each point, and numbers are always preferable to generalizations. For instance, "Decreased budget by 73% while increasing revenue levels by 5% in a one year period," is preferable to "In charge of the budget."