Resumes: Why Are They Important?

A resume is defined as a brief written account or summary of personal, educational, and professional qualifications and experience, as that prepared by an applicant for a job. Resumes are your own personal “marketing tool” designed to grab or attract the attention of a potential employer. A resume should interest a potential employer in getting to know more about the product (you)!

A resume is important because:

• Every employer whether it is for full time or internship opportunities will expect to see one. Many graduate school applications also require a resume
• It’s your chance to make a first impression!
• Decisions on whether or not to interview will be made based on this document
• It allows an employer to see how your experience and skills might fit into an organization

Categories your resume may include:

*Contact Information *an Objective *Education *Awards/Honors *Work/Internship Experience *Skills, *Languages *Volunteer Work *Activities *Athletic involvement *Special Projects/Presentations *Professional Association Memberships/Special Conferences attended *Certifications *Interests

RESUME DO’S!
To be most effective resumes should:

• Be clearly formatted, organized and easy to read.
• Be no more than one page in length if you are a current college student or recent graduate.
• Start with a blank Microsoft Word document and set your own tabs and spacing.
• Accentuate your skills, abilities, education, knowledge, accomplishments and experience.
• Use key words, action verbs and/or numbers where appropriate to describe your accomplishments in order to make an impact.
• Prioritize categories and job responsibilities in order of importance. The most important information should be listed first.
• List items within section in reverse chronological order (most recent first).
• Use bullets, bolding and italicizing where appropriate.
• Represent yourself accurately (including work experiences, dates, club memberships). Your credibility is the biggest thing you have.
• Allow enough time to complete your resume. It typically takes 2-3 drafts.
• Have your resume critiqued by a Career Professional before submitting to employers.

RESUME DON’TS!

• Do not use a Microsoft Word Resume Wizard Template to do your resume.
• Do not use “I” in a resume.
• Do not use too many different font styles or sizes. Be consistent!
• Do not include references as part of the resume itself. This should be included as a separate page/
• Do not include salary requirements
• Do not include photographs.
• Do not include personal information such as age, race, health and marital status.
• Do not include high school information on your resume if you are a college junior or higher status.
• Do not exaggerate or misrepresent yourself in any way!