Resume Writing Rules

A mere listing of your education and experience is not enough; your resume must market your skills and convince the employer that you will be an asset to the organization. Each year, more than one million bachelor degrees are awarded to graduates across the country. You must be prepared with a defined career plan and a well-written resume if you are to succeed! The job market is competitive, so your resume will need to set you apart from your competitors. One way to distinguish yourself from other college graduates is to commit the necessary energy and attention to your job search; You will spend approximately 50-60% of your waking hours at your job for the next 40 years - the time invested in your job search is time well spent!

Before you begin writing your resume, you must decide what type of work you want to do. Are you interested in teaching? Banking? Sales? Non-profit management? Whatever your plans may be, you must develop a resume that markets your skills for the position you desire. You liberal arts degree prepares you for many career options - in fact, you may be interested in pursuing several career opportunities. But your resume should match whatever career opportunity you are currently pursuing. You should note, for example, that a resume developed for a human resources position will not work effectively for an advertising position. In order to earn the competitive edge, you must analyze your skills, determine the traits necessary for success in your chosen field, and then develop a resume that demonstrates your ability to perform the responsibilities of that position. If you are interested in both human resources and advertising, you should develop two resumes, each assessing the unique skills you offer for the two positions.

To begin, make a list of your qualifications. Start with several sheets of paper with the headings ‘Education,’ ‘Experience,’ ‘Activities,’ and ‘Special Skills/Recognitions.’ Prepare a list of your accomplishments in each of these areas. On the ‘Education’ sheet, include significant courses, related course projects, foreign language proficiency, study abroad, and computer skills. Under the ‘Experience’ heading, list summer jobs, internships, volunteer jobs etc. Be sure to list your responsibilities and accomplishments in each position. When listing your activities, include both campus and community organizations. If you held a leadership position, include the responsibilities that you performed. Finally, develop a list of your skills not previously noted, as well as a list of your honors and awards.

This preliminary work will help you develop an effective resume. Next, think in terms of the skills an employer may seek in your chosen profession. Can you demonstrate your ability to perform these skills based on your accomplishments? As you begin to work on your resume, keep your objective in mind - you are writing an advertisement, and the product is you!

Types of Resumes

The three most common resume formats are chronological, functional, and combined. You should choose the style that best highlights your skills and experience:

Chronological - A chronological format presents your experience and educational background in reverse chronological order, beginning with your most recent experiences. This is the most common style and is considered the easiest to write. The chronological style highlights position titles and organization names while demonstrating career growth and continuity. Many employers prefer this style; however, if you have little or no direct experience in your chosen field, you may want to emphasize your skills and potential using the functional or combined format.

Functional - In a functional resume, achievements are listed by skill areas rather than by job. This format provides you with the flexibility to demonstrate your ability to perform the responsibilities of the position. When developing a functional resume, identify 3-5 skill areas; under each skill area, highlight specific achievements or experiences as evidence of your ability. It is your decision whether or not to include position titles with your descriptions. A functional resume is more difficult to write, and many employers find it difficult to read.

Combined - A combined format gives you the opportunity to list your skills at the top of your
resume, followed by a brief listing of your work history. This format allows you to stress your
transferable skills while demonstrating career growth and continuity. Some employers appreciate this style, while others find it redundant.

Content

Listed below are sections that should be included on your resume:

Identification. In this section, include your full name, address (current and permanent if applicable), telephone number(s), and email address. 

Objective. Often the most difficult section to write, the objective states your career plans and goals. This statement should be targeted and concise. An objective should identify the type of position desired (e.g. accounting, broadcasting, social work), as well as with a list of skills you possess that apply to the position. Some job-seekers find the career objective too limiting; however, well-written objectives may greatly enhance one’s resume. When writing yourobjective, keep in mind the ‘advertising’ concept. In other words, your objective should focus on what you have to offer the employer.

Examples:
Aggressive pharmaceutical sales position that will utilize my communication skills as well as my sales and management background.

An administrative position in the health field using my background and experience in
organizing groups, clarifying ideas, making public addresses, and writing reports, articles, and newsletters.

An internship in a magazine publishing organization which will utilize my writing and editing skills.

Education. List your degree, the name of your institution, city and state, your major(s), and date of graduation. You may also find it advantageous to list significant courses or course projects, especially if you do not have much related work experience. Study abroad experience(s) may also be listed in this section. Include your GPA if it is above a 3.0. Scholarships or other academic awards may be included in this section as well. If you have taken responsibility for personally financing a portion of your education, you should also include a statement similar to: ‘Personally financed 40% of college tuition.’

Experience. Your experience (full-time, summer, intern, and/or volunteer) should be listed in reverse chronological order. When listing your experiences, be sure to include: the name of the employer, city and state of employment, your title, dates of your employment, and a summary of your responsibilities and/or accomplishments. Whenever possible, utilize ‘key action verbs’ to describe your experience. Do not begin your sentences with ‘I’ or ‘My’ - always try to begin with a verb. 

To enhance your written descriptions, be sure to consider the following information:

  • What/who was affected?
  • Why was the task important?
  • What results were achieved?
  • What impact did your work have on people, events, and/or things?

If you have a long work history, you do not need to include all positions. You may list the positions that are most relevant or the ones indicating the most responsibility. If you are a senior, you do not need toinclude information from high school unless you believe it to be relevant to your chosen career. Remember, your resume is a marketing tool, not an autobiography. If seeking a specific position, you may want to tailor your headings to draw attention to related experience (i.e. ‘Marketing Experience’). This section would appear first, before general work experience. 

Activities. If you have very little work experience, the Activities section of your resume can be
extremely important. Your involvement on campus and in the community indicates your social skills, leadership potential, and energy level. When listing your activities, be sure to indicate the name of the organization, dates of affiliation, and positions held. If you were an officer in the organization, be sure to include a brief description of your accomplishments while in office. Again, utilize action verbs when describing your responsibilities. Also, try to list specific accomplishments; numbers can convey an impressive message.

Example
Weak style: As sorority treasurer, managed chapter budget.
Action style: As sorority treasurer, managed an annual budget of $45,000

Skills and/or Recognitions. This section can be used to list specific, relevant skills, as well as honors or awards that you have received. When listing honors and awards, be sure to indicate the nature of the recognition (e.g. leadership award). Computer skills and foreign language proficiency are particularly valuable and can be included in this section.

Additional Categories. Some of the sections listed above may be eliminated if they do not pertain to you, and other categories may be added. You may want to include sections such as ‘Publications,’ ‘Presentations,’ ‘Research,’ ‘Professional Associations,’ ‘Accomplishments,’ etc. Information regarding your age, marital status, health, religion, and political affiliation should not be included; this information may be used inappropriately by the employer to discriminate against you.

If space permits, a statement regarding the availability of your references is generally included at the end of a resume.

Example
References Available Upon Request.

Design

The design of your resume plays an important role in its overall appeal. The following resume tips will help you give your resume a professional look:

  • A resume is generally one page in length; however, if your experience is related and warrants a second page, be sure to include your name and the words ‘page 2’ at the top of the second page.
  • The preferred resume paper colors are: white, off-white (ivory), and grey. A good linen paper gives your resume a classic look; parchment paper may make your resume appear cluttered.
  • Generally, a 10-14 point font is most acceptable. Palatino, Times, Helvetica, New Century Schoolbook, etc. are the most commonly used. 
  • Depending on the amount of your content, choose a font size that will allow you to fill the page.
  • Do not include graphics or pictures, or any other items that may distract the eye.
  • Carefully plan the layout of your resume. Appropriate use of white space, bold type, and bullets gives your resume visual appeal. 
  • Your most relevant information should be placed at the top of your resume. Employers spend less than a minute looking at your resume. Give them information to make them want to interview you.

General Resume Rules

  • Always send a cover letter with your resume.
  • A resume may be folded neatly and mailed in a regular-sized business envelope (unless it will be scanned; if it will be scanned, use a large envelope that does not require your resume to be folded). 
  • Try your best to fit all your information into one page; one-page resumes are cleaner and easier for the employer to peruse.
  • Use concise, positive phrases beginning with action verbs (see page 15 for sample verbs).
  • Use indented or ‘bulleted’ statements.
  • Use quantities, amounts, and dollar values to enhance your job descriptions.
  • Don’t use a resume with a job objective that differs from the position for which you have applied.
  • Don’t list personal irrelevancies such as sex, weight, health, race, religion, marital status, political affiliation, etc.
  • Don’t put your resume in a fancy binder. Don’t include pictures.
  • Don’t list references on your resume (except journalism and art). Don’t include street addresses of former employers.
  • Don’t use words such as ‘I,’ ‘me,’ or ‘my’ in your resume. Don’t use personal evaluations (ex: ‘learned a great deal through this experience’).
  • Don’t explain unrelated information in detail.

EDIT, PROOFREAD, AND SPELL-CHECK REPEATEDLY FOR POSSIBLE ERRORS!