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You are here: The Job Explorer > Cover Letter > Resume Guide

Resume Guide

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How Do I Begin?
Self Assessment
It is important that your resume is reflective of your personal skills and strengths. To write a good resume, you need to spend some time thinking about the skills you have that would make an employer want to hire you. These skills can vary according to the job you're applying for. Think about how you would answer the following question if asked by an employer: "Based upon your past work experience, class projects, or other activities, why are you the most qualified person for this job?" Your answer to that question is the message that you need to communicate in your resume. On your resume, be sure to highlight the areas where you've demonstrated skills that employers place the highest priority on: verbal and written communication skills, teamwork skills, organizational skills, interpersonal skills, analytical skills, computer skills, and motivation/initiative.

If you feel that you do not have any strengths or skills, then you need to seriously work on developing some before sending your resume to employers! If you do not have a lot of relevant work experience, you should try to obtain an internship (even an unpaid one) or volunteer your time for a campus or off-campus organization. Create opportunities in which you will be able to develop the main skills that employers desire.

What Style of Resume is Recommended?
A popular style of resume is the Combination Resume. Job seekers using this style of resume will include an overview or summary of qualifications at the beginning, in which they stress their skills and characteristics appropriate for the position, but they revert to the reverse chronological style for the remainder of the document. This overview section is used to "set the scene" so that the resume is read from a particular perspective. This is useful to strongly stress certain areas.

Resume Pointers
  • Visual effect is important!
  • Content should be solid.
  • Professional appearance.
  • Quantify when possible.
  • Employ white space.
  • Use action verbs!
  • Use technology effectively.
  • Show results of your actions.
  • Print on good quality paper.
  • Be brief but informative.
  • Accuracy is critical!
  • Proofread and proofread again! And then have someone else proofread it!

What to Include

What kind of Personal Information should be included?
Include your name, address, phone, and e-mail address if desired. A permanent address and/or telephone number where you can also be contacted after you graduate is especially important during your transition from college to your new location.

What tips do you have for writing the Objective Statement?
Although having an objective is optional, most employers prefer that you have an objective on your resume. The objective should enable them to quickly see what type of job you would be interested in at their company.

What the objective should communicate:
The position you are applying for. If you are unsure of the exact position or are using the resume at a career fair, it should specify the general area that you're interested in (e.g., human resources). You may also choose to refer to the main skills that you would apply in that position.

What to do if considering different jobs:
If considering going into two different areas (e.g., sales or computer programming), you'll want to have two different resumes, with different objectives on each, that emphasize your skills and experience for that area.

Some Sample Objectives:
  • An entry level position in marketing management in a large East Coast company in the consumer products industry.
  • Utilize my organizational and interpersonal skills as a Project Manager
  • An entry level position in the newsroom, leading to writing, reporting, or producing of broadcast news.

 

 


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Outline of a Resume | Types of Resume | Electronic Resume | How to Create a Resume | Resume Template | Resume Guide

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