Content

To begin writing a winning resume, you must first complete a self-analysis of the following college level experiences:

• Education (college level only)
• Work Experience
• Volunteer Experience
• Extra-curricular activities / Leadership
• Awards

Your name and contact information (address, telephone number, email address) should be listed prominently at the top of the page.  The aforementioned elements typically serve as section headings, but should be ordered by relevance to the job you are seeking.  For example, if you completed an internship related to the full-time job you are currently seeking, you should list it under "Work Experience" and place the "Work Experience" section toward the top of the resume.  Resume writing is not an exact science.  Be sure to sell your skill sets in a way that works best for you and the information you're trying to communicate.  Ask yourself what the employer is seeking and write your resume so that you stand out among the competition.

Important Tips

One page or two?

Try to stick to one page when writing your resume.  If you end up not mentioning great information for the sake of saving space, it is acceptable to submit two pages.  However, do not try to extend a one pager into two.

Be specific about your accomplishments and try to quantify information where possible

Before: Responsible for managing volunteers at a telethon.
After: Managed 30 volunteers during a 12 hour Muscular Dystrophy telethon resulting in $50,000 raised for MD research.

Avoid typos and grammatical errors

You only have 30 seconds to make a good impression on paper, don't get tossed out of the stack for silly mistakes.

Customize

Employers want to believe that you have created your Résumé just for them. Make them feel special by selling yourself for their position or company. A good place to do this is in an objective statement.

List your accomplishments rather than job duties using action verbs

Be brief

Highlight your most marketable qualities, not all of your qualities. The purpose of the résumé is to land a job interview.  Be sure to leave something to talk about!

Make sure your résumé is easy to read and not too busy

• Use a maximum of 2 typed font styles
• Be consistent with bold, italics, spacing, etc.
• Make margins consistent on all sides
• Avoid using borders

Double check contact information for accuracy, update regularly

• Include your name, address (campus and permanent is acceptable), telephone number, professional email address
• Be sure your outgoing voicemail message is professional
• Your written email address should be professional also.