How To Get Started
1) Use a blank worksheet to generate information on your education, work history, activities, and additional data. Don't worry about the final format at this point - your main objective is to identify relevant information and accomplishments. You may not end up using all of this in your resume, but it is important to get it on paper to consider. Once you have determined what to include on your resume, it will be easier to choose a format that best highlights your relevant skills and experiences.
Education: List schools attended, dates, courses taken, degrees, special projects, subjects, extra-curricular activities, special skills developed, and academic accomplishments.
Work History: Start with your most recent job and work backwards. List such information as the name, city, and state of your employer, job title, dates of employment, duties, skills developed and accomplishments. The accomplishment statements you use to describe your experiences are the most important part of your resume. This is where you have the opportunity to market yourself and show the results of your work-related efforts.
Additional Data: List relevant hobbies, volunteer activities, special talents, or aptitudes (such as leadership skills or experiences, travel, foreign languages, computer skills, musical abilities, etc.).
2) Develop a rough draft. Examples of different formats are included in this guide, but feel free to develop your own. If you want to see additional examples of resumes, visit the Career Resource Center at the Advising & Career Center. Concentrate on accomplishments and skills. Avoid using "I" statements — begin phrases with action verbs. Edit and type the rough draft. Avoid using templates because they are not original - your resume will look like everyone else's and you won't be able to customize it easily to your formatting needs.
3) Have someone critique your resume draft. Look for the following:
Overall Appearance: At a glance, can you identify significant data, such as your degree, work experience and leadership qualities. Are the spacing, layout, margins, and type style neat and consistent? How could the appearance be improved?
Length: Could anything be deleted, shortened, or combined? One-page resumes are still preferred by employers however two-pages are acceptable as long as the information is relevant.
Action Orientation: Do the phrases begin with action verbs? See the list of action verbs. Do descriptions give an active impression?
Specificity: Does the resume highlight specific skills, accomplishments, and areas of knowledge? Are accomplishments quantified wherever possible?
Completeness: Is all the important information included? Could anything be added without distracting the reader?
Effectiveness: How well does the resume accomplish its purpose? Does the resume suggest a "fit" with the job tasks and requirements of your targeted area?
4) Have your resume critiqued by someone working in your target profession — preferably someone who reviews resumes of job applicants. JSC faculty members can be a great resource for this as well.