But there are

Key Principles: •  Target Your Resume •  Look Professional •  Be Easily Read •  Document Skills &

Experience •  Stress Accomplishments

Put First Things First •  Assess Your

–  skills –  attributes –  experience

•  Research –  your field –  the firms –  the position

•  Target your resume and every section in it to the field and the position for which you are applying.

•  Aesthetically Pleasing and Balanced •  Organized •  Conservative Fonts w/o Graphics •  Quality Paper

– White – Cotton Bond –  24 Lb. Minimum

•  “Easily Read” = “Easily Scanned” •  Consider using bullet format

– Phrases not Sentences – One line per thought – One thought per line

•  Judicious use of bold •  One page •  Thou Shalt Not Use Less Than 11 Point Font !

•  Make Sure that You Address the Position’s Requirements:

– Required Qualifications – Desired Qualifications

•  Tell them that YOU have what they want! •  Use Automated Screening Programs to

YOUR Advantage – Use Descriptive Job Titles – Use the Employer’s Terminology

•  Generate a List of Accomplishments (See page 3 of Our Resume Writing Guide)

Think Problems, Solutions, Results

•  Quantify with $ # % Grades Etc.

•  Heading (Contact Information) •  Objective (Optional) •  Qualifications or Skill Summary (I got what

you want -- read the rest of this resume for details! -- Optional)

•  Education •  Professional Certifications / Credentials •  Experience Section(s) •  Other Categories (Honors / Publications / etc.)

•  Chronological

•  Functional

•  Combination

•  Reverse Chronological Order –  Most recent experience first –  Work backwards from there

•  Emphasizes Work/Experience History –  When and Where You Gained Your Experience –  But you may have more than one experience section

•  Type Most Preferred by Employers •  See Pages 10, 11, & 12 of our Resume Writing

Guide

•  Emphasizes Skills & Accomplishments •  Useful for Certain Problem Situations

– Limited experience – Significant career change – Erratic work history

•  But Employers Greet with Skepticism –  “What is she trying to hide?” –  College students can usually use w/o suspicion

•  See Page 13 of our Resume Writing Guide

•  Emphasizes Skills and Accomplishments And

•  Includes Work/Experience History

•  Useful for a Person Who Has A Lot of Experience in the Same Field

•  See Page 14 of our Resume Writing Guide

Aka: “Cover Letters” & “Broadcast Letters”: –  Identify Position and Create

Interest in You and Your Resume

–  Highlight Your Most Salient Qualifications

–  Ask for an Interview •  See Pages 8, 15, & 16 of

our Resume Writing Guide

Before you start writing,

•  Assess your skills, strengths & accomplishments

•  Research your industry and the firms in that industry

•  Apply the key principles: –  Target Your Resume –  Professional Look –  Easily Scanned –  Document Key Skills

& Experience –  Quantify Results

•  Read and Work the Exercises in our Resume Writing Guide!

•  Attend One of Our Resume Critique Sessions {See Workshop Schedule for Dates & Times}

•  Visit the Career Center in Campus Center 202A to Make an Appointment for Resume Assistance

? QUESTIONS ?