Resume Tutorial

What is the Purpose of a Resume?

To get a job interview.
Structure the interview process.
Remind the interviewer of you after you're gone.
Basis for justifying the hiring decision to others.

What are the Absolute, Unbreakable Rules of Resume Writing?

There are only a few absolute rules in resume writing! Almost every rule you have ever heard can be broken, if you have a compelling reason.

These rules, however, are absolutes:

No typing errors.
No misspellings.
Do not tell a lie or mistruth.
Do not include any negative information

What About "Breakable Rules" of Resume Writing?

While many college-student resumes are one page, you don't absolutely have to have a one-page resume, especially if you have good experience. Your resume should be long enough to establish what you have to offer, yet short enough to entice the reader to want to know more (interview).
All important points should be introduced on the first page if your resume is more than one page.
If the material on the second page of your resume fills less than half a page, it may be better to condense to one page.
Your resume shouldn't be more than two pages, without a good reason. (But, again, for more experienced job-seekers, even this rule can be broken.)
Your resume type size should be no smaller than 10-12 point. Eleven-point type is ideal.
Include only relevant (to the job you are seeking) information on your resume.

Do I Need More than One Version of my Resume?

You might if you are applying for jobs that are rather different from each other. You may want a version tailored to one type of job and a second version tailored to another kind of position.
You also need a standard print version and a scannable version (explained later).
And you may want a Web-based resume (also explained later).

What Kinds of Resume Styles and Formats are There?

There are three resumes styles:

Chronological
Functional
Targeted

Chronological Resumes

Organized by experience: job/company/accomplishments
Reverse chronological order
Used by most college students and job-seekers

Functional Resumes

Organized by skills and functions
Employment history listed as a separate section
More college students should consider using a functional format, especially if their past experience is very diverse and/or unrelated to what they want to do after graduation.
One warning: some employers and recruiters absolutely do not like functional resumes because they feel the job-seeker is trying to hide something.

Targeted Resumes

Most experts suggest job-seekers create a different resume for each position applied for;
Organized by skills and functions transferred from previous experience;
Focuses on a specific, targeted position (often from a job posting);
You can avoid doing a targeted resume for every position by doing a targeted cover letter and/or having a couple different versions of your resume.

If I've Never Done a Resume Before, How do I get Started?

List 3 strengths you are proud of and give one example of each.
Brainstorm your major accomplishments (from work, volunteering, education) -- and quantify them when possible.
Write a bumper sticker about yourself that reflect what you would want an employer to know about you.
Identify 3 skills or characteristics desired in one of the fields you are considering.
Make an inventory of your life's experiences.
Think about the kinds of things that people come to you about for help and advice.
Start with an outline of various headings (which are discussed just ahead).
Without regard for wording, start listing everything you can think of for each heading. (As soon as you have something to work with you'll start to feel a sense of accomplishment.)
Begin to polish your resume into a cohesive marketing piece.

What About Those Resume Wizards/Templates in Microsoft Word?

Word's Resume Wizards are increasingly popular with students. (That's bad news.)
They can be fantastic tools for helping you format your resume.
CAUTION: If you are a college students, you should know that the formats are not geared to college students and can cause students to set up your resumes inappropriately. If you use Wizards, adapt them to recommended guideline for college students.
FURTHER CAUTION: Since so many college students are using Resume Wizards, employers are seeing an awful lot of resumes that look exactly alike.

What Should be Included on a Resume?

We've broken this answer into three categories:

Musts
Optionals
Nevers

Categories that Must be Included on a Resume

Name
Address(es)
Phone numbers
Education
Experience

Categories that Should Never be Included on a Resume

Height, weight, age, date of birth, place of birth, marital status, sex, race, health, social security number (except on an International Resume/CV)
Reasons for leaving previous job(s)
Name of boss or supervisor
Picture of yourself
Salary information
References (more on this issue later)
The title "Resume"
Religion, church affiliations, political affiliations

There's Nothing Tricky About Listing my Name, is There?

Not really, but if everyone knows you by a middle name or nickname, provide that name in quotes or parentheses between your first name and last name: Karen "Kasey" Clark.
If your name is hard to pronounce, provide a phonetic pronunciation: Sandhya (pronounced Sun-thee-a) Aggarwaal.
List any professional credentials (M.D., CPA, Ph.D.) that are integral to the job.

How Should I List my Address?

List your permanent address
Most college students give college address and permanent address

What Other Contact Information do I Need?

As much as possible -- any means the employer could use to reach you: Phone numbers, beepers, cell phones, voice mail, e-mail;
If you include your email address, make sure you use a professional one, not one such as SexyBabe2301@aol.com;
If you are in serious job-hunting mode and employers who call your phone are likely to get voicemail, make sure your message is professional.

Should I Include my Career Objective on my Resume?

There is no consensus among resume experts about objectives. It is a matter of individual choice, BUT about 40 percent of employers say they want to see an objective.
An objective can help sharpen the focus of your resume.
If you use an objective, make it specific. Vague, all-purpose objectives defeat the purpose.
Ideally include title, field, or industry of position you are seeking.
Do NOT include what you are expecting from the company. Always tell what you can do for the company; not what the company can do for you.
Do NOT ask for an entry-level job.
If you do not use an objective, state your objective in your cover letter.

What About a Profile, Skills Profile, Qualifications, or Strengths Section?

Many job-seekers use these effective sections instead of or in addition to job objectives.
Profile/Skills Profile/Qualifications/Strengths section is an overview of your strengths and capabilities in a particular industry and/or field. (Think of this section as your resume's executive summary.)
Bulleted format works well for these sections. (3-4 bullet points maximum).
Most often used with scannable (text-based) resumes, but becoming more popular with all resume formats.

What is the Resume Ingredients Rule?

Note: From Donald Asher's From College to Career: Entry-Level Resumes, Wet Feet Press.

Organize the information on your resume in accordance with your desired impact on the reader. This rule should govern which information you present and the order in which you present it.
That's why you always list your work experience in REVERSE chronological order -- because your most important and applicable jobs are likely to be the most recent.
You don't want the first thing that the employer sees to be bagboy at the supermarket or waitress if you've had more important and relevant jobs.

What Kinds of Licenses or Certifications Should I List?

Any that are relevant to the job you're seeking.

What Goes First -- Education or Experience?

Always list the most relevant section first...
If you are a current college student or about to graduate, you generally list education first.
If you are currently working, then you generally list experience first.

What Should I Always List Under the Education Section?

ALWAYS list name of your degree FIRST
College name, city, and state
Major(s), Minor(s)
Graduation date (or expected graduation): Month/Year
Optional: Keep reading for other information you could put in this section.

Get Your Degree(s) Straight

Different schools and colleges do degrees slightly differently, so you need to be sure of the exact degree(s) you have earned.

For example, at the undergraduate level, you may be earning a Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Education, or Bachelor of Business Administration (spell it out).

Should I List my Minor?

Some experts say to only list minor if relevant, but others suggest always putting all on your resume.
Computer-related minor is almost always relevant.
Foreign language minors can be very relevant, depending on the job.
If you do not have all the courses completed for the minor, you might consider stating you have an "emphasis."

Should I list my GPA?

List GPA only if 3.0 or higher.
If your overall GPA is lower than 3.0, but your GPA in your major is 3.0 or above, you can isolate your major GPA.
Some employers will not even review your resume if you do not list your GPA.

Should I List my Coursework?

Probably not unless it contributes something different from what any other student from your major would offer an employer.
You can also list coursework if you have very little else to put on your resume and need some padding.
Note: It is better to list major course projects you completed rather than names of the classes themselves.

Should I List my High School?

Unless you are currently a high school student, omit high-school education from your resume. If you insist on putting it on, at least list your college education first!
High school is expected on some international resumes.
High school can be listed if, for example, you won a major award that shows early interest in your career field (or if you attended some prestigious prep school).
Space issue: If you are trying to condense to one page, high school is something you can easily omit.

What About Community College?

Only if it adds something; only if you earned a degree.
Space issue: If you are trying to condense to one page, community college is something you can easily omit.
These same rules apply if you attended more than one college; the only one that really matters is the one where you are receiving your terminal (bachelor's) degree.

Should I list Academic Awards, Honors, Recognition Under the Education Section?

You can, but sometimes doing so pushes the important Experience section to a less prominent position on the resume, so use your judgment.
If you have many, it may be better to list honors and awards in a later section toward the end of the resume.
Items to include: Scholarships, Dean's List, Honor Roll, Awards.

What Else Should be Listed Under the Education Section?

You should include any special or private training, certification, seminars, etc.

Should my other major heading be "Employment" or "Experience?"

Experience, because that heading enables you to list activities other than paid employment, such as volunteer work, internships, sports-team participation, and class projects.

Should the Experience Section be Further Broken Down into Subsections?

This section can be broken out into subsections, such as Relevant (or Professional) Experience, Other Experience.

How Should my Jobs be Listed Under the Experience Section?

Job title;
Job subheadings should include name of company, city, and state (Do NOT include street addresses, names of supervisors, contact telephone numbers, or other extraneous data.);
Dates of employment (include seasonal descriptor or year);
Bulleted list of key accomplishments (more to come);
Company description (optional).

Should I List Company Names First or Job Titles First?

Generally, list job title first unless you are trying to call attention to the name of prominent companies for which you've worked. (Example: If you plan to enter the tourism industry, and you've had internships at Disney World, Sea World, and Universal Studios, you could list company names first).

How Should I List What I did in Each Job?

Do NOT use phrases such as "Responsible for . . .," "Duties included . . .," and "Responsibilities included..."
When you use those phrases, you are giving job descriptions instead of describing the skills you used, the accomplishments you made, and the initiative you took.
Focus on specific accomplishments -- how you made each job your own, and quanitfy these accomplishments whenever possible.

What are Transferable Skills, and What is Their Significance on a Resume?

Skills obtained through ANY of the experiences in your life (including extracurricular activities, sports, and classroom experience) that can transfer and apply to the kind of job you want when you graduate.
Portraying your experiences in terms of transferable skills is probably the MOST IMPORTANT aspect of your resume.
Most college students could do a much better job of portraying their experiences in terms of transferable skills. Those who do so successfully will be most likely to get interviews

But What if I Have No Work Experience?

Identify transferable/applicable skills from these areas:

Internships
Summer jobs
Campus jobs (work-study)
Entrepreneurial/self-employed jobs
Temporary work
Volunteer Work: school, church, club, not-for-profit organizations
Research papers/projects
Certification courses
Campus activity positions
Fraternity/sorority/social club positions
Extracurricular or sports leadership positions

Which Transferable Skills are Most in Demand by Employers?

Every career expert has a different list of skills most in demand by employers (although certain items, such as teamwork, interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills, appear on almost all lists).
Familiarize yourself with these lists of most in-demand skills so you know what skills to play up on your resume.
The most important in-demand skills are the ones that are in demand in YOUR FIELD. Get to know what those are.
Here's one career expert's (Donald Asher in From College to Career: Entry-Level Resumes) list of the skills most in demand by employers:
- Ability to acquire new technical, analytical, or computer skills quickly
- Teamwork skills
- The ability to sell ideas and persuade others
- Creative problem-solving talents
- Ability to follow orders
- Leadership aptitude
- Drive, stamina, strong work ethic
- Intelligence
- Diligence, "stick-to-itiveness"
- Initiative
- Ability to acquire foreign languages
- Ambition
- Reliability

Why and How Should Accomplishments and Achievements be Incorporated in the Experience Section?

Try to come up accomplishments/achievements for each job -- ways you did the job that distinguish you from others doing the same job.
It's not easy for college students to identify these accomplishments, but you should try.
Always quantify accomplishments whenever possible.

What are Situation > Action > Results Statements?

The Situation > Action > Results statement is one way to frame your accomplishments. Tell what the situation was in the job when you started, what action you took to affect the situation, and what the results were.
Example: As a result of my reorganization of an extremely messy office-supply store, sales increased more than 20 percent.

How Can I Use my Resume to Set Myself Apart from Other Candidates?

Always think about the employer's ROIQ (Return on Investment Quotient):
- Know what you're worth to an employer.
- What uniquely qualifies you for the work you want?
- You have to position yourself as a company asset with real capital value.
- How will you distinguish yourself from somebody else who might have held the same job?

What is the Significance of Quantifying on a Resume?

Quantifying means expressing accomplishments in terms of numbers.
Examples: You increased sales by 10 percent, you supervised 4 other employees, you served 150 customers daily.

What is Parallelism, and What is its Significance on a Resume?

Don't mix job titles with job functions.
Use same part of speech when you describe your jobs. It is usually best to use verbs. Don't mix nouns and verbs.
Be consistent with verb forms for each listing (all '-ed' verbs or all '-ing' verbs, but not a mixture of the two).

What Other Sections Could my Resume Include?

Affiliations/Memberships (of non-controversial groups)
Languages: Ability to read, write and speak.
Foreign travel
Public speaking
Volunteer, Civic, Fund-raising, Leadership and Athletic activities.
Military

Should I List the Specific Name of my Greek Organization?

Doing so is a calculated risk. You should avoid information that could be used to screen you out. Employers may screen you out based on deep-seated rivalries or animosities toward your Greek organization.
Better to list Greek organization generically, for example: Membership vice president for social fraternity.

Should I List Hobbies, Interests, and/or Sports?

Sports, absolutely if you are a student-athlete. You can exploit many transferable skills (teamwork, leadership, competitive drive) with sports. Many on-campus recruiters specifically ask to interview athletes.
Generally, don't list hobbies or interests unless they are somehow relevant to the position you seek.

Should I List References on my Resume?

NEVER!

How Should I Handle References?

List on a separate page with same name/address/phone number/e-mail heading as your resume. Do not submit with resume unless requested. Give to employer at end of interview if you are interested in this position.
List a minimum of 3 business references: People who have direct knowledge of your daily job performance. Get their approval first. Provide your references with a copy of your resume.
List contact's name, title, company, complete address, phone number with area code, and e-mail address (if they use it).
Don't ever submit your list of references unless it is requested by the employer.

Should I Use the Line: "References Available upon Request?"

"References on Request" line is a given, so it is purely optional. Could be space-saver if you want to condense to 1 page.
The "References available on Request" line can sometimes be a good device to signal the end of your resume. Sort of like saying "The End."

Why Does a Resume Need to be Sharply Focused?

The reader needs to be able to tell in a quick glance what you want to do and what you would be good at. The reader will probably spend 20 seconds or less screening your resume, so you need to focus reader's attention quickly. The reader should be able to glean this information whether or not you have an objective on your resume.

How can You Sharpen the Focus of Your Resume?

Add a qualifications summary.
Beef up portrayal of accomplishments and transferable skills. Be sure to spotlight skills that apply to what you want to do upon graduation.
Consider a functional format. Organize your resume around skills clusters that directly apply to what you want to do upon graduation.
Consider adding class projects in your major (or other classes) that are applicable to what you want to do upon graduation.
If all else fails, add an objective.

What are the Most Important Design Elements for a Resume?

Use bold type, italics, bold and italics, varying font sizes, and upper-case lettering for emphasis and to control the reader's eye.
Type should be between 10 & 12 pt.
Balance the material on your page.
Allow sufficient white space.
Bulleted lists are extremely reader-friendly.
Be consistent with headings so the eye can follow a pattern.
Do not use justified text blocks.
Do NOT italicize your entire resume.
Don't use more than two fonts

What Kind of Paper Should I Use?

Regular copy paper is fine, but...
Studies show candidates who use heavy paper are considered more serious.
Print on a 24- or 28-pound paper.
Choose a light colored paper; can't go wrong with white.

How Should I Duplicate my Resume?

Laser printing or high-quality inkjet
For large numbers of copies: High-quality photocopies
When determining the number of copies to have produced, remember, you will want to keep tweaking your resume (for each position you apply to), so don't get massive quantities photocopied at once. 25 at a time is a good rule of thumb.

How Should I Mail my Resume?

Ideally, mail flat; do NOT fold, especially for scannable resume.
For the all-important position, Priority Mail may impress recipient.

Why do I Need a Scannable/Text Resume?

Increasingly, employers, especially large companies, are keeping databases of resumes electronically, so you need a text/scannable version of your resume
If you know or suspect company may be scanning resumes, send two versions, using a Post-It note to indicate the scannable version
Use keywords (nouns and phrases), as opposed to the verbs you would use on a print resume
A scannable resume is basically stripped of all formatting
Use a basic sans-serif font (such as Helvetica/Arial)
No italics, script, underlining, bullets
No graphics, shading, multiple columns, vertical lines
Use a high-quality printer
Plain white paper
Heading information (use all caps to distinguish) on separate lines

What About a Web-based Resume?

The biggest advantage of a Web-based resume is that it is available 24/7.
Posting your resume on-line allows global exposure to the job market.
A growing number of companies are actively using the Internet in their job searching strategies.
A Web-based resume is different because page restrictions do not exist, allowing you to do more tailoring and adding more specifics than you might with a traditional resume. You can also use more keywords and phrases.