A Quick Guide to Writing your Resume

You have heard you need one, you have learned what sort of experience needs to be on it, you have heard how to get that experience . . . but do you know how to put one together? I know, its near the end of the year and it is probably the last thing on your mind, with exams and such, but still . . . it is important information to know. So if you need a resume, especially for that summer job at Starbucks, here are some quick tips for writing one. Feel free to come in and get it revised by our Career Assitants who are here 9-5 until Finals Week.

Have a strong but not distracting header
Your name and contact informating should be at the top of the resume, with your name in a slightly larger font than the rest on the paper. It should stand out but not be distracting. Additionally, it should look crisp and clean, not cluttered. Stay away from fonts that are hard to read, but also make it interesting.

Sell yourself on the top half of the page
After your contact information (your objective. . . if you want one) and your education, the next thing should be related experience to the job you are applying for. Make this top half your best experiences. Make sure everything goes in reverse chronological order. So put the most recent jobs you have had at the top. Using a variety of past tense action verbs, explain the tasks and accomplishments that you acheived in the position you are describing. Need some action verbs? Check out the online resource room on out website and go to resume writing guide for help!

It should only be a page
Unless you are an education major, your resume should only be a page. References are not required to be attached anymore. Education majors are able to have two pages because of their feild experiences. If you do have a second page. . . on the second page put your name and page two in the upper right hand corner. If you are having trouble fitting everything on one page try making your margins smaller and your font smaller. You can go as small as 10 on font, as long as it is still readable.

I know this is a quick overview. But I do not want to overwhelm. The key is baby steps. I will continue with resume writing with my next post. Stick with me.