What is a resume?
A resume is a written document that lists your work experience, skills and educational background. The resume is your main marketing tool when applying for internships and jobs. For a job in the U.S, your resume and cover letter must conform to basic, generally accepted standards. The American resume is succinct, including only information which is relevant to an employer’s needs. Personal information is usually excluded. The resume is limited to one page in most cases.How do I write a resume?
The easiest way to being writing a resume is to make a list of your academic, extracurricular, volunteer and employment activities. The more things that you add to your list, the easier it will be to write your resume!Resume formats
There are many different formats that can be used to write a resume, but keep in mind that no format is perfect! The format that you choose should be one that best highlights the qualifications that best suit the job that you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for a computer programming position, and you have an extensive employment history in this field, you would want to use a resume format that highlights your work history. If on the other hand you had no practical work experience in the computer programming field, you would want to choose a format that would more highlight your education in this field rather than the lack of work experience.Contact Information
In this section you will list your full name, mailing address (including city, state and zip code), phone number and email address. Make sure to bold your name and make the font a little bigger so that your name sticks out from the rest of the text.
Objective
An objective should be written from the perspective of what you have to offer rather than what you want from an employer or a position/job.
Education & Related Coursework
This is the area where you will include your educational history. You will want to list the name of the college(s) that you have attended and earned a degree. Be sure to include the city and state of the college, and what degree you earned from the college. If you hold more than one degree, list the most current related degree first. Only include your GPA if it is above a 3.0.
You can also include a “related courses” section of your resume. In this section you can include courses that you have completed that are related to the job/field of the job in which you are applying for. Do not include coursework that is not related to the job/field that you are applying for.
Honors & Accomplishments
Your accomplishments and extracurricular activities show an employer about your interests, motivations and skills. If applicable, include the source of the award/accomplishment and the applicable date.
Skills
If you are applying for a position that requires specific skills, such as computer programmer, it is a good idea to list the specific skills that you have in this field. For instance, if you are knowledgeable in C++ and Java, it would be a good idea for you to list these skills here.
Relevant Work Experience
Each paid and non paid employment position that you have held can be listed on your resume. When describing your jobs and experiences, be sure to give specific examples of your duties, accomplishments and achievements. Include the job title, company name, location and dates that you held the position.
For each job you list, you will want to describe your exact job duties. The action verbs that you use in these descriptions are very important because they show the actual actions that you did in that position. For a list of useful verbs to use in your resume, click here.
References
At the very bottom of your resume you will want to include a line that states “References available upon request.” You should only provide references if requested by the employer. References should include past supervisors, bosses, instructors or anyone else who is familiar with your past work or educational experiences.
To view sample resumes, visit these websites!
