Resume Tips

A well-prepared resume will improve your chances of receiving an interview. Here are some guidelines to follow when writing your resume. In general, your resume should:

Be well organized and concise.

Not crammed or forced.

Have accurate spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Encourage your audience to learn more about you.

Keep formatting consistent throughout the resume to it looks clean and easy to read.

For most graduates, one page is the best length.
A printer friendly typeface such as Times Roman, Arial or Helvetica and a font size between 10 and 12 points is easy to read. Also, black ink is best for faxing or reproducing.
Use good-quality paper that is white, ivory or light gray.
Use action words such as “accomplished, achieved, conducted, designed, evaluated, improved, planned, researched, streamlined, trained, etc.”

What to include

Personal Data: Name, address, phone number and e-mail address of where you can be reached to schedule an interview.

Objective or Profile: Describe the type of position you’re interested in and how your skills and education are relative.

Education: Include an education summary at the top of your resume. Be sure to list:

Degree(s) received

Grade point average

Graduation date, or expected graduation date

Scholarships, awards and honors received

Extracurricular activities

Experience: Describe all full- or part-time jobs and/or other experience gained through academic work that is relative to the position you’re applying for. List in chronological order. Be factual and use quantitative measures to describe your accomplishments.

Skills: List computer skills, skills unique to your field, or other related skills such as knowledge of a foreign language.

Activities: Extracurricular, or community service that would demonstrate your leadership, organizational ability or international experience.

Do not include

Salary requirements
Personal data, such as marital status, children, height, weight or social security number
Photographs
Unrelated hobbies

References and transcripts should also not be included with your resume. They will be requested from you at a later date.