- Employ the jargon of your profession. Incorporate words from your courses and use them appropriately.
- Provide as much relevant information as concisely as possible. Explain a little about each position; focus on your abilities and accomplishments Be specific, use exact numbers when possible.
- A resume is not an autobiography. Choose which experiences you wish to showcase for an employer. Other topics can be discussed during the interview.
- Take the time to design your layout. Your resume's appearance should be neat and pleasing to the eye. Structure your resume to be consistent and easy to scan.
- Underline, bold or use CAPITALIZATION to emphasize important points. Be consistent in how you highlight throughout your resume.
- Use an 8 1/2 x 11, high-quality white or light colored paper (ivory, beige, light gray).
- Listing relevant courses is helpful for co-ops, internships and fieldwork, but not usually necessary for a full-time job search.
- Place most significant information nearest to the top of page or category. Highlight your position and achievements. Describe what you did; don't assume the reader knows details.
- Ordinarily, it is recommended that a professional objective be included to give direction to your resume and reflect a commitment to your field.
- Eliminate the personal pronouns: I, me, my. Eliminate articles: a, the, an, etc.
- Use key words and phrases instead of complete sentences.
- Resumes should always be computer generated. Use a quality printer for your computer.
- Have a capable person conscientiously proofread your resume for spelling and typographical errors. It should be letter perfect. This is important: your resume is judged as a reflection of how you will approach a position. Errors damage your credibility, sloppiness will likely eliminate you from consideration.
- Stay away from unnecessary words such as "Responsibilities included managing the health fitness center." Say simply, "Managed health fitness center."
- Two-page resumes are acceptable if you have significant information to communicate. However, don't delete important information for the sake of a one-page resume. Don't go longer than two pages. Your name should be typed on page two.
- Functional or functional/chronological resumes are used primarily by individuals who have been out of school for a period of time, are changing career fields or who have interruptions in their work history.
- Don't falsify information on a resume. Market your skills and accomplishments but never exaggerate
- Don't abbreviate in a resume. The only exceptions are states. Use postal service abbreviations (AZ, GA, MA)
