Resume Preparation
A resume is a one-page summary of your work experience, education and qualifications. While an excellent resume and cover letter cannot guarantee you the job, poorly written documents can take you out of the running completely. Refer to the content tips for further insight on what to include and what not to include in your resume.
Your cover letter highlights those points from your resume that show an employer why you are an excellent fit for the job. The cover letter and resume combination give prospective employers their critical first impression of you and position you as a strong candidate for an interview.
Contact Information
All of your contact information should appear at the top of your resume, including your name, address, telephone, e-mail address, and web site address.
- Avoid nicknames.
- Use a permanent address. Use your parents' address or the address you plan to use after graduation.
- Use a permanent telephone number. Include the area code. If you have an answering machine, record a neutral greeting.
- Include a permanent e-mail address, making sure that the one you use sounds professional.
- Make sure your web page reflects your professional ambitions.
Objective or Summary
An objective tells potential employers the sort of work you're hoping to do.
- Be specific about the job you want without being so specific you narrow your opportunities unnecessarily. For example: To obtain an entry-level software develolpment position.
- Tailor your objective as appropriate to each employer and job posting that you target.
Education
New graduates without a lot of work experience should list their educational information first. If you already have work experience in your discipline you should list your education after the work experience section.
- List your most recent educational information first.
- Include your degree (B.S., etc.), major, institution attended, and minor/concentration.
- Add your grade point average (GPA) if it is higher than 3.0.
- Mention any academic honors.
Work Experience
Briefly give the employer an overview of relevant work. Use action words to describe your job duties. Include your work experience in reverse chronological order. Include:
- Title of position
- Name of organization
- Location of work (town, state)
- Dates of employment
- Brief description of your work responsibilities with emphasis on specific skills and achievements.
Other information
Include any other relevant information that puts you in a positive light, such as:
- Special skills, competencies, and certifications
- Participation in volunteer organizations and activities
- Participation in sports
References
Ask people if they are willing to serve as references before you give their contact information to a potential employer. Chat with your references, reminding them of your prior relationship if necessary (such as what classes you had from a particular professor).
Do not include your reference information on your resume. Instead, include a note at the bottom of your resume: "References furnished on request." And have such a page ready to distribute with all contact information for your references clearly outlined.
Information for this page was based on content from JobWeb Resources.