Résumé Fundamentals In most instances, potential employers form their first impression of you based on the strength of your written job application materials. Submitting a polished résumé is crucial to securing an interview and ultimately a job offer. Learn the fundamentals of how to write a résumé below.
Employers read résumés quickly Employers spend on average 26 seconds or less reading a résumé. If well-organized, your résumé can say a great deal about you, even in such a short amount of time. Keep your audience in mind while you write! Your potential supervisor may be reviewing dozens of résumés, so spend extra time making yours clear and easy-to-follow.
Résumé categories The common categories of résumés are listed on the right. Dividing your résumé into categories allows employers to find exactly what they want to know about you as quickly as possible. While other categories may be included and the order they appear in may vary, categories are a necessary part of all résumés.
Contact Information Objective/Profile Education Experience Skills
Reverse-chronological order In each category, start with the most recent entry. For example, under Education, write your most recent degree first! Similarly, under Experience, start with your current or most recent role.
Bullet-point formula Bullet points are a great way to provide employers with specific information about your experience and accomplishments efficiently. In your bullet points, full sentences are not required. This document is all about you, so there is no need to say "I did x" or "I oversaw a team . . . ." Instead, follow the threestep formula below.
(1) Accomplish A (2) as measured by B (3) by doing C (1)The first part of the formula is an active verb that describes a goal, task, or achievement. (2)The second part is additional details or measurements. (3)The final part explains, briefly, how you achieved what you described in the first part. Practice identifying the parts of the formula in the sample bullet points below. Created and maintained daily blog and Twitter account to promote marketing services and increase visibility to potential clients; added over 500 new Twitter followers in 3 months Facilitated bi-weekly meetings with 4 counselors to strengthen teamwork and define learning objectives for students
Avoid templates and images While it is tempting to use a résumé template from MS Word or Google Docs, the ASC recommends creating your own from scratch. If you would like, review résumé templates and write down which aspects of them you feel are appropriate for your work. Keep in mind that most professionals do not include pictures or images on their résumés (unless you are a graphic designer). Remember, you can include a link to your LinkedIn profile, where images are more appropriate.
Formatting and tips checklist FONT Use a standard and easy-to-read font such as Times New Roman.
MARGINS Use 1" or .5" margins.
CATEGORIES Divide your résumé into relevant important categories.
REVERSE-CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER Underneath your categories, start with what you did most recently.
BULLET-POINT FORMULA Use the three-step formula for your bullet point entries.
BOLD, ITALICS, UNDERLINING Use these features sparingly and consistently.