Your application materials describe who you are, what you know, what you have done and, most importantly, what you can offer an employer. A well-crafted and well-formatted resume and cover letter will help you stand out from other applicants and are definitely worth the time and effort. A curriculum vitae (CV) is an alternative to a resume typically used in the academic and research fields. The US Federal Government has an alternate preferred format for resumes as well.<\/p>\n\n
Your resume is a marketing document and should be focused on delivering a specific message about you to your target audience. In order to know what to include in your resume, you have to be able to answer the following question:<\/p>\n
What do you want employers to learn about you?<\/strong><\/p>\n Your resume cannot and should not try to tell everything there is to know about you. The only way to know what you should include or exclude is to identify the aspects of your education, experience, skills and characteristics that are relevant to your candidacy. These should comprise the core message of your resume, using strong action verbs<\/a>. Once you know your core message, you can begin creating your resume<\/p>\n\n There are three primary types of resume formats: the chronological resume, the functional resume, and the combination chronological-functional resume. Generally, the chronologically formatted resume is recommended. However, the functional format may be more suitable in certain cases: new graduates with minimal work experience, career changers, and those who are returning to the workforce after an extended gap.<\/p>\n Education, experience, jobs, activities, projects and technical skills are entered individually within specific categories. These entries are made in reverse chronological order, beginning with the most recent. Date ranges are included for each entry.<\/p>\n The functional resume combines transferable skills together under appropriate headings, such as “Event Coordination,” “Leadership,” and “Fundraising.” The employers, positions, and (sometimes) dates of employment are listed in simple form at the bottom of the resume.<\/p>\n The combination resume takes the best of both the chronological and functional resume formats by combining descriptive information on your work history with information on your specific skill areas. Combination resumes are designed for job seekers who already have quite a bit of experience. Like functional resumes, a combination style heavily focuses on the applicant’s skills and abilities right from get-go. For those applying for a position that requires a lot of technical skills and expertise, using a combination format is a good way to showcase these abilities.<\/p>\n Regardless of format, here are some tips for creating a professional looking resume:<\/p>\n For more in-depth information, explore the following Career Steps online lesson:<\/p>\n Developing application materials:<\/strong> Formatting your resume<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n <\/body><\/html>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n \n While resume construction is a subjective art, the following is an explanation of commonly used sections from the top of your resume down to the bottom. Optional sections should be included if they will enhance your ability to relay your message. Also, standard sections can be renamed to suit your specific needs.<\/p>\n Your contact information is the heading of your resume. It should include your name, phone number, and email address. You can also include a personal web URL (can be your LinkedIn profile) if it helps in marketing yourself for a position. We do not recommend including your physical address on your resume.<\/p>\n This is the recommended way to begin a resume in most fields and include 3-5 bullet points that highlight your most impressive skills, experience, and qualifications relevant to the position you’re applying for. Bullet points in your summary of qualifications (and throughout your resume) should be targeted to the position and quantified when possible. “Quantifying” means adding a number, award, or other hard evidence to prove the claim you’re making.<\/p>\n Here are some great examples:<\/p>\n A skills section is especially important for those in technical fields, but can be used by all. The skills section should be tailored to the required skills in the position description, and\/or highlights skills that might make you stand out.<\/p>\n For example:<\/p>\n Current students and recent graduates usually put the Education section after their Summary of Qualifications (or Skills section if present). Experienced candidates usually place education after their Experience section. Your education section can include honors and GPA if you are a recent graduate and your GPA is about 3.5. Study abroad, research, and other projects can also appear in this section. Do not include your High School information. Use “Anticipated Graduation” to reflect your planned graduation date.<\/p>\n This section can be useful if you have limited work experience relevant to your target job. In addition to the names of courses (course numbers will not mean anything to an employer) you can include brief descriptions of course projects.<\/p>\n The experience section may include internships, part-time jobs, full time positions, volunteer experience, and temporary employment. Possible headings include Professional Experience, Work Experience, Experience Highlights, and Relevant Experience. Jobs are typically listed in reverse chronological order. When describing your experience, focus on your accomplishment statements<\/a>, rather than providing a job description. This section should be bulleted, starting every statement with a strong action verb<\/a>.<\/p>\n These are optional sections you may include if you want to highlight certain extracurricular activities you believe reflect something important about you, in relation to the type of positions for which you are applying.<\/p>\n Place current, not expired, certificates, trainings or memberships you hold and are relevant to your goals.<\/p>\n\n
\n Format Tab Open<\/span>\n <\/h4>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/li>\n
\n Content Tab Closed<\/span>\n <\/h4>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/li>\n
\n Examples Tab Closed<\/span>\n <\/h4>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/li>\n
\n Federal resumes Tab Closed<\/span>\n <\/h4>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/li>\n <\/ul>\n \n
Format Accordion Open<\/span><\/h4>\n <\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n
Chronological resume<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Functional resume<\/h3>\n
Combination resume<\/h3>\n
Formatting tips<\/h3>\n
\n
Learn more<\/h3>\n
Content Accordion Closed<\/span><\/h4>\n <\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n
Contact information<\/h3>\n
Summary of qualifications<\/h3>\n
\n
Skills<\/h3>\n
\n
Education<\/h3>\n
Relevant courses (optional)<\/h3>\n
Experience<\/h3>\n
Affiliations\/honors\/community involvement\/other activities (optional)<\/h3>\n
Training\/certifications\/professional memberships (optional)<\/h3>\n
Learn more<\/h3>\n