Resume Writing

Resumes

The purpose of the resume is not to secure a job offer, but rather to obtain an interview. Resumes must be a clear and concise summary of qualifications that demonstrate a match between your ability and potential contributions to the position for which you are applying.  The desired outcome is to produce a one-page resume that will elicit excitement as to your candidacy.

View our resume writing guide here: Resume Writing Guide

Major and industry-specific resume samples can be found in EagleOps under the “Documents” section.

Purpose of a Resume

The number one purpose of a resume is to secure an interview.  Your resume is an advertisement that will allow you to effectively market yourself.  Think of it as a big flashing neon billboard!  The resume succeeds if it helps you pass the initial screening process.  Used to apply for employment, internships, graduate or professional schools, fellowships, or scholarships, it is an outline of your skills and experiences that clarifies direction, qualifications, and strengths.   A resume also provides background information to job-hunting contacts and professional references.  The most effective resumes are clearly focused on a specific job description and addresses the employer’s stated requirements for the position.

Getting Started

In order to write an effective resume, think about your target audience.  Who is the reader?  What’s important to him/her? What would make you the perfect candidate? Career Counselors can help you determine possible career paths and skills needed for those careers utilizing a variety of resources.

Brainstorm ALL of your experiences.  Consider your accomplishments, including work experience, volunteer, internship, research, study abroad, co-curricular and classroom activities.  Also consider computer skills, foreign language ability, certifications, presentations, publications, professional association memberships, honors, travel, and skills.  Then try to relate those experiences to your current aspirations.

Common Resume Sections

Heading, Objective, Education, Experience, Honors, Activities, Skills, Additional. Other headings: Leadership, Professional Memberships, Volunteer Experience, Publications and Research. 

Heading (Identification)

Begin with your contact information: Full Name, Permanent Address, School Address, Telephone Number(s), Email Address, website (if applicable).  Make sure that all contact information is current. Sample Heading (boxes provided for this document to highlight examples – you would not include your sections in a text box on the actual resume):

Objective

Although optional, objective statements show employers the position and industry you are targeting.  You can include skills relevant to the position.  Focus on the skills you offer, not what you hope to gain from the position.  Some recruiters prefer to see objectives on a resume but others do not.  Avoid using an objective that does not clearly define your focus.  Remember:  Using an objective is optional.  Sample Objective Statements:

Seeking an internship in finance in the northeast. (Include location to target a specific geographic region if you are certain you want to live there and if it will work in your favor with an employer).
 

Seeking an analyst position that requires quantitative ability, research skills, and an understanding of financial markets. 

Education

In this section, include any information about your degree(s), including where and when you graduated; date(s); major, minor, or concentration; and certification(s). Degrees should be listed in reverse chronological order beginning with the most recent.  Including the GPA is optional.  A 3.0 or above is a good rule to follow.  If you include your GPA in your major and your overall GPA, list the highest one first. If you studied abroad for a semester or longer, include the name of the school, its location, and the dates you were there.  Optionally, you may include courses you studied or the focus/concentration of your program. Sample Education Section:

 

Note: Honors, awards, courses, or activities may each have a subsection in this area or their own separate sections, depending on how relevant it is to your job focus.

High School Information

Juniors and seniors should limit high school information on a resume unless: You received a significant award, your high school activities are very relevant to your career objective, and you are networking with an alumnus/a from your high school.

Experience

This section may include a variety of activities.  It is not limited to paid work experience:

• Paid or unpaid internships and work study positions                        
• Part-time or full-time employment                 
• Independent study
• Extensive volunteer opportunities
• Co-curricula activities (Greek organizations, Professional Societies, Clubs, SGA)

The structure of the experience section depends on the types of positions you seek.  Use this section to highlight the opportunities in which you have demonstrated leadership, initiative, or competence in an area.  Be factual in your descriptions but include information that enhances the job description.  Analyze each experience in terms of your responsibilities and outcomes.  Most importantly, include information most relevant to your potential employers. 

Example – “Responsible for planning all events” could be described as:

“Planned 15 events for staff and clientele including formal dinners, social engagements, and professional development activities”

Example – “Sales assistant in a brokerage firm involved in research” might be written as:

“Research client accounts valued in excess of $250,000”

 

Attempt to quantify your accomplishments by using numbers, dollar amounts, and percentages  (20 DAYS, $7665 and 56%).  This helps the reader to evaluate the scope of your duties.  Stress your achievements.  Begin each description using action verbs and incorporate present tense verbs to describe current positions and past tense verbs for previous positions.  List your experiences in reverse chronological order (most recent to least recent).

For each position include:

Name of organization, your job title, location of the organization (city, state), and dates employed. Using month & year, Aug. 2010 - Dec. 2012 can be more effective than  “Fall 2012” since employers do not think in terms of semesters.  Describe your skills and accomplishments, such as contributions to the organization, and how your work helped to increase profit, funding, motivation, efficiency, and productivity. Consider what problems you faced and what solutions you found. Do not list every position that you have ever had.  List the most relevant experiences for a particular employer. If you desire a one-page resume and you need more space, try the “paragraph” format, using commas, semi-colons, or periods to separate each description.

Example of Reverse Chronological Style:

EXPERIENCE

 

MOSTCHOICE.COM                                                                 Sandy Springs, GA

Internet Strategy Director                                                                       Summer 2012

• Directed successful program of marketing, advertising, and business-to-business integration increasing traffic and revenue by 10%
• Analyzed cost/benefit structures of multiple advertising possibilities in order to maximize effectiveness of advertising budget 
• Researched and wrote financial articles on strict deadlines and with space limitations 

L & M Associates                                                                           New York, NY

Assistant Editor                                                                             Aug. 2010 - Dec. 2011

• Compiled and proofread copy for yearly publication of a European travel agency
• Developed diverse written descriptions for European properties and resorts meant to stimulate sales
• Assisted editor with all aspects of production, from inception to distribution

Activities

Co-curricula activities, such as professional associations, Greek organizations, athletics, SGA, College Council, student organizations, honor societies (like Psy Chi or Mortar Board), can be listed separately from your experience section.  Identify leadership roles that you held in these organizations.  If you have too many to list, choose the activities that have the strongest connection to the type of job you seek. 

You can present these activities in much the same way that work experience is formatted:

You may also choose to list activities without detailed descriptions:

Providing information about your political or religious organizations, or personal interests may be uncomfortable to discuss in an interview.  If so, leave them off.  If you choose to list those activities, emphasize relevant skills developed.

Skills

These sections can enhance your prospects for employment.  These categories are optional and may allow employers to easily pinpoint your areas of expertise.  Special qualifications and skills include:

• Computer Skills (languages, hardware, software)
• Foreign languages you can read, speak, or write
• Certifications (such as specific examinations passed)
• Presentations or publications (at national conferences or in refereed journals)
• Honors (May be listed in a separate section or with your education)
  • Dean’s List, scholarships, awards
• Relevant Coursework

References

Place your references on a separate page. Generally, employers ask for three references.  Use faculty, staff and employers as references, not personal acquaintances. Include the name, title, company name, address, email and phone number for each reference. Leave off the phrase, “References available upon request.”

Information  To Omit

Do not include personal information such as: Photographs, graphics, or images, social security number (unless applying for a U.S. Government position), date of birth, height, weight, health, and marital status

 

 

 

 

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