Career Planning & Placement Services Resume Hints
A well-designed resume serves two purposes: it helps you get “in the door” for an interview, and it provides the basis for discussion during the interview. Don’t be discouraged if you have had little to no work experience or experience that would not be relevant to the job you are seeking. For someone just out of school, it is how you present your experience that is important and how it portrays you as a potential employee. For someone who is making a transition from one career field to another, it is how you present your qualifications and experience that is important.
To assist you with getting started with the development of your resume, we have a Resume Template available in the online job bank. The most commonly used format is a chronological format, but for those who have a longer work history or have similar experience in all jobs, a functional format may be more appropriate. We encourage to use the templates and to provide our office with a draft so we can review it prior to submission to an employer/job opportunity.
General Guidelines
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LIMIT YOUR RESUME TO ONE PAGE, if possible. Employers receive many resumes and may not be able to devote a lot time initially to reviewing the resume.
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ENSURE THAT YOUR RESUME IS ORGANIZED AND IS EASY TO READ. Leave sufficient margins so that the page is not crowded. Establish a clear and consistent format that is easy for the reader to follow.
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USE ACTION VERBS TO DESCRIBE YOUR JOB DUTIES AND SKILLS.
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PROOFREAD! PROOFREAD! PROOFREAD to ensure that there are no spelling, typographical, or grammatical errors in the resume.
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DEVELOP A COVER LETTER that can be sent with the resume if requested.
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BE POSITIVE AND HONEST.
Common Reasons Why Employers May Not Review Your Resume
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Poor physical appearance and/or a disorganized appearance
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Too lengthy – make every effort to fit everything on one page
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Too short - not including enough information about your skills. qualifications, or employment
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Including information that may be unrelated to the job for which you are applying
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Sending the wrong kind of resume for the job for which you are applying. Sometimes a resume needs to be reformatted to be more functional rather than chronological
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Not updating a resume with current information or leaving out important information such as your name, mailing address or telephone number
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Not following the employer’s preference/directions on how to submit your resume/application