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A résumé is a written document to highlight your education, experiences and skills that represent
the personal brand you want to portray to potential employers to obtain an interview. In 30
seconds or less, most employers will review a résumé and decide whether or not to consider an
applicant for an interview. Make yours clear, concise, and compelling. Brainstorm all of your
experiences and skills such as:
• Organizational
memberships
• Study abroad
• Relevant courses
• Awards
• Computer skills
• Languages you speak
• Certifications or licenses
• Part-time and full-time
positions
• Internships and Co
-
ops
• Research experience
ADDITIONAL SECTIONS
• Optional sections based on your background that show relevant job-related skills or show you are well-rounded.
HEADING
• Contact information: basic mailing address, one professional email, one phone number, personal website or LinkedIn.
• Use your heading like stationary on all of your job application documents to create a professional appearance.
OBJECTIVE (OPTIONAL SECTION)
• Objectives are tailored to the job description and should include: the title of the position, name of the company, and
any knowledge or specialized interests and skills you have to distinguish you from other candidates.
EDUCATION
• List education institutions that have awarded you a degree beyond high school. Listing a transfer institution is
acceptable.
• Important information to include: institution and location, graduation date, official name of degree(s), major(s),
concentration(s), minor(s), overall GPA and scale if 3.0/4.0 or higher.
EXPERIENCE
• Highlight employment, volunteer, military and school experiences that are related to your desired objective or the job
description.
• Break down each position into title, company or organization name, start and finish dates, and location. Emphasize
the relevant skills, specific accomplishments and/or contributions.
• Create bulleted statements that start with an action verb to highlight core competencies, skills and experiences.
• Use #, $, % when appropriate to provide context to your experience and show accomplishments.
• Infuse keywords listed in the job description into your bulleted statements to tailor your résumé.
SKILLS (OPTIONAL SECTION)
• Consider different skills you are proficient in and can use "on the job" such as computer skills or language skills.
Be sure to proofread
Incorporate
#, $, %
One page per degree
Use industry-appropriate
graphics
Tailor your résumé
Include volunteer experience
Use strong action
verbs
Include locations
w
riting
a
r
ésumé
• Leadership positions
• Presentations
• Special class projects
• Volunteer experiences
TIP
List dates for each
section in reverse
chronological
order.