Resume Writing Tips
Purpose
The purpose of a resume is to sell or market yourself to an organization and secure an interview. It communicates your relevant skills, education, experience and interests to a potential employer and assists the employer in assessing your ability to do the job. There is no one right resume, however the following is a set of tips to keep in mind as you begin to write.
Appearance
Appearances count! Good organization and an uncluttered and easy-to-read resume will help in creating a positive first impression. Here are some tips:
- Keep your resume short and concise – recommended to be no more than two pages
|
- Make sure your resume is on good quality paper, neatly typed or reproduced on a quality printer, with no handwritten corrections or white out
|
- Label each section of your resume clearly
|
- Use point form as much as possible; this will make your resume easier to read and will minimize wordiness
|
- Make effective use of white space so your resume is eye catching and easy to read
|
- Font should be easy to read and a minimum size of 10, average size of 12
|
Content
- Take some time for self-evaluation and reflection, and then make sure your resume does justice to your skills and abilities. Create a document that really sells your strengths!
|
- Use action verbs such as "supervised", "directed", "developed", "organized" and "planned", etc. to describe your skills and accomplishments
|
- Make sure your resume highlights qualities or skills which are unique to you or in which you have excelled
|
- Don’t include irrelevant information such as age, gender, health or marital status
|
- Be honest and accurate about your accomplishments – don’t undersell yourself, but don’t exaggerate information either – it could come back to haunt you in an interview or after being hired
|
- Make sure the content of your resume includes your education, employment history, awards, community involvement, and volunteer positions; if you include a personal interest section, make sure that the content is relevant to the job you are seeking
|
- At the top of the document, include your name, telephone number, email address, complete address personal website if applicable
|
*Book an appointment with a Career Advisor to critique your resume*
