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HOW TO WRITE A RESUME


FORMATTING AND APPEARANCE:

  • Clear, concise, inviting to read and easy to access information
  • Margins: 1-inch on all sides
  • Standard fonts: Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial
  • Type Size: 10 – 12 point
  • Paper: White, beige, or light gray quality bond paper
  • Length: a new grad’s resume should be one side of a single page, but can be up to two pages if your experiences and skills are relevant to the job
  • Your document should look balanced, pleasing to the eye, and easy to read. Your formatting (bold, italics, etc.) must be consistent throughout the document.
  • Use bullet points instead of paragraphs. It is easier to find the main points. It also helps your resume get filtered through the ATS (Applicant Tracking System).

CONTENT:

  • Contact information (Name, address, phone, email, LinkedIn profile)
  • Highlight relevant information; eliminate unrelated information.
  • Use strong action words to describe work experience.
  • Include numbers to quantify experience when possible.
  • Eliminate personal pronouns.

COMPONENTS:
These are the parts of a resume listed in the order suggested for new or recent college graduates. Resumes do not have to include all these components.

  • Heading
    • Name, city and state, phone number, and email address
  • Objective or Summary
    • A statement of what job title or position you are targeting.
    • This should be tailored for each position.
  • Education
    • List all colleges in reverse chronological order.
    • Location (City, State)
    • Include dates that you attended (Month/Year-Month/Year or Year/Year – be consistent).
    • Include your degree, certification and major.
    • You can also list honors such as Dean’s List here.
    • Only include GPA if it is 3.0 or higher.
  • Experience
    • Include related employment (full-time or part-time), internships, volunteering, service learning, capstone projects.
    • List employers in reverse chronological order
    • Include dates that you were employed (Month/Year – Month/Year)
    • You can choose to highlight accomplishments and duties that are relevant to the position. This is best done by using bullet points. Pick 3-5 for each experience. Start each accomplishment or duty with a power verb. Do not use “I”.
  • Additional Components
    • Skills
    • Activities
      • Student Organizations
      • Leadership activities
      • Professional memberships
    • Honors
      • You can choose to place honors, awards, scholarships, recognition here or in the Education section.
    • Publications/Research
    • Make sure any additional components are relevant.


Sample Resume
Resume Writing Worksheet
Resume Power Verbs  - Power verbs for your resume - University of Northern Iowa. University of Northern Iowa Career Services. (n.d.).
How to Format a Resume for Success in 5 Easy Steps | Indeed Career Tips