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Resumes

What is a resumé anyway?
A resumé is a snapshot of yourself where you present your qualifications to a potential employer, someone writing you a recommendation, networking contacts or a graduate school.

The key is to present enough information that you sound interesting enough to warrant an interview, but not so much information that the employer thinks there is nothing else they can learn about you from an interview.


What should I put on my resumé?
A resumé must include your name, address, phone number, education and employment and related experience.
Some additional headings for your resumé might include job objective, skills summary, honors/awards, accomplishments, extra-curricular experiences, internships, co-ops, leadership and volunteer experiences, publications, professional organizations, research experience, study abroad and special skills.


How do I organize all this information onto one page?
There are three common resume formats:

  • Chronological- List all education and work experience from present to past. This is the most traditional format.
  • Functional - Design your resumé around the skills you developed through your education and experience. This format is particularly helpful for people with few real world work experiences, frequent job changers and those with gaps in between work experiences.
  • Combination - List all education and work experiences from present to past and incorporate skills into your resumé. This format allows for a combination of tradition and creativity in resumé writing.

What else?

  • Be concise! Use fragmented sentences that start with action verbs in job descriptions.
  • Laser print on quality resume paper. Use matching envelopes when sending via postal mail.
  • Spelling errors are one of the most common reasons resumés are discarded by employers. Proofread often.
  • Target your resumé to the job requirements.

This should help you get started, but do utilize the resources available in our office. Pick up a Resumé Packet for additional information and samples.

Resume drop off service: resumes are critiqued and edited within 48 hours by Career Services staff.