Resume Writing Tips

A resume is a marketing tool and often your first introduction to an employer. The following are tips offered to provide general guidance. For specific assistance with your resume, meet with a Career Coach.

Style

There are three primary styles - choose which best illustrates your qualifications and see examples.

Chronological

For those with strong or relevant experience, where education, experience, and skills are arranged in reverse chronological order.

Functional

For those who are changing careers and/or have limited or less focused professional experiences.

A flexible format, ignoring historical sequence by stressing qualifications regardless of where they were developed or acquired. Group education, experience, and activities by specific job objectives.

Combination

For those with well-developed skills and limited or unrelated professional experience.

Blends directness of a chronological format with the functional format’s highlighting of skills. Provide a skill or qualifications section above the education and experience sections.

Appearance

Resumes should be consistently formatted and easy to read.

• Use a standard, serif type font in an easy-to-read size (e.g., Times New Roman at 12 point).
• Highlight your name and key headings using formatting such as bolding and/or all caps.
• Use bullets where possible for easy scanning.
• Use adequate spacing - effective use of white space will highlight relevant information.
• When printing, use resume paper in white or another neutral color.
• Go beyond one page only with extensive industry-related experience. Use a significant portion of the second page if doing so.

Content

Key information should be displayed prominently and arranged strategically.

• Be specific: Submit a unique resume for every position. Highlight experience as it relates directly to a potential position and/or employer’s needs, using wording from a job description when possible.
• Stay concise: The average employer reports spending 15 to 20 seconds scanning a resume. Readers should be able to gather key or relevant information in 15 seconds.
• Word tense: Use present tense verbs for current activities and past tense verbs for former activities.
• Header: Include name, a professional email address, and phone number that is used during normal, business hours. Consider adding a URL to a LinkedIn page and/or to an online portfolio, if applicable.
• Objective: Seldom used except for those with extensive work experience and those seeking teaching positions. If used, keep it short and direct.
• Education: Should be at or near the top if a current student or recent graduate. In reverse chronological order, list degrees currently in progress and/or degrees conferred. Include a GPA if 3.0 or higher.
• Experience: Always list job title, employer/company, and city/state (or country if outside US). Use bullets to describe previous positions. Start every bullet with an action verb and quantify where possible. Experience can be organized into separate relevant experience and additional experience sections.
• Qualifications/Skills: If a separate section, list only hard skills related to the type of job being pursued (e.g., certifications/licenses, laboratory techniques, software proficiencies, and languages)
• Additional categories to consider: Professional Development/Involvement, Community Service, Honors & Awards, Relevant Projects or Coursework
• Do not include: Personal information such as hobbies, marital status, social security number, or visa status. References should only be included when specifically requested– even then, references should be listed on a separate sheet with the same heading