RESUME
FORMAT
A resume is a one-page document
including your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address; objective;
skills; education; and work experience. You may
add a selected accomplishments section if space on your one
page is available.
1. Paper
should be 8 1/2 by 11 inches and white or
off-white water-marked 20- to
25-pound bond. If you choose colored paper, use a
conservative color.
2. Use
a high-quality copying process such as a laser printer or offset printing. Do not use courier or cursive font. Use no more than three font faces
3. Do
not include your marital status, height, weight, sex, specific religious
organization,
etc. This information is illegal or questionable
and may create a discrimination issue.
4. Use
the reverse chronological order--listing most recent first. In the Education section, list your
most recent college or university education first. Then list other colleges or universities you
have attended. Do not mention high
school in this section. You could
also list your specific skills or provide a skills section. Skills might be listed as use Excel
formulas to create analytical models, develop integrated software applications
including databases, design marketing strategies for consultation. Do not list courses taken. Tell what specific value you can add to their
business.
5. Use
active verbs (received, participated) throughout, and be careful not to change
tenses in the body of the resume. For
example, use only ‘ed’ endings or ‘ing’ endings on your verbs.
6. Keep
the format pleasing to the eye; use hanging paragraph style--the first line
begins on the left margin, the others are indented. Indent each level three spaces. Avoid
overuse of underlining and capitalization.
DO NOT use all caps AND underlining on the same word(s).
7. Do
not use "I" in your resume. Do
not write complete sentences. You have
only one page on which to place all this information. Be concise and use strong words.
8. Spell
out names of organizations and agencies.
Courtesy titles (Mr., Ms., Dr.), Apt., and GPA may be abbreviated.
9. Proofread
your resume carefully. In fact, have
someone else proofread it for you a final time before you print. If your potential employer finds a mistake on
your resume, your chances of receiving a job offer are slim. If you do not represent yourself with care
and precision, your potential employers will not believe you will represent
them well.
10. Use bullets to draw the eye to your listings under your headings. Only one or two spaces should separate the
bullet from the information following it, so change your tab set to bring the
bullet closer to its content.