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YOUR

RESUME

A resume is one of the most important elements of your job search, and will need to be updated periodically

throughout your career as you gain new skills and experience. Your resume will serve as the first impression

potential employers will have of you. Employers spend an average of less than 60 seconds reviewing any resume.

For these reasons, it is essential for your resume to project a clear and concise picture of your skills, professional

qualities, achievements, and goals

The tips below will help you begin constructing your resume. They are meant solely as guidelines, and you should

always check with your career services office and follow their recommendations.

Functional (Skill-Based)

The functional resume emphasizes skills and attributes

that can be applied to a variety of employment

situations. Your skills are broken down into categories

that quickly communicate to employers what you

can do for them. This format is useful for candidates

without direct employment related experience, or for

those who wish to work in fields unrelated to their

academic background.

Combination

For many candidates, a combination of elements from

the chronological and functional resume formats works

best.

Targeted

Some candidates prefer to focus on specific job “targets”

and tailor a different resume for each target. With this

format, your skills can be redirected with each resume

to hit each target most effectively.

Stand Out

Be cautious if you choose to use a resume wizard or

template; they tend to generate resumes that all look

alike. Individualize your resume, but be sure not to

overdo it. You want your resume to be distinctive, but

always remain streamlined and conservative for easy

readability.

Structure of Your Resume

The overall structure you choose for your resume will

depend on what suits your employment history and

experiences best. The following are the most widely

recognized resume formats:

Chronological

This is the most common resume format, and probably

the easiest to prepare. The chronological resume

emphasizes employment and/or experience history,

listing these elements in reverse chronological order.

(In other words, your most recent experience is listed

first.) This format is especially useful for new graduates

or those with limited work experience.

Elements of the Resume

Contact Information

List your name, address, telephone number(s), and

e-mail address. Make sure your e-mail address sounds

professional or neutral. If necessary, set up an alternate

screen name to use for business contacts exclusively.

Above all, make sure that any potential employer can

easily contact you! Other personal information such as

religion, age, marital status, etc. should not be included.

Objective/Summary of Qualifications

There are differing viewpoints as to whether an objective

will help or hurt your chances in the job market.

The

College of Business recommends that you use an

objective when you are writing your resume.

If you

decide to use an objective, state the type of position

you are seeking. Also, consider including in your

objective how you will benefit the employer‑not what

you are seeking from the employer. An alternative to

an objective is a summary of

qualifications. The summary

of qualifications simply includes

skills/traits that you can bring to an

employer.

Educational Background

List names and locations of educational institutions

attended, degree(s) awarded with completion dates,

majors and minors, and anticipated or actual dates of

graduation.

Employment History

List employment experience in reverse chronological

order, including any summer/part-time jobs and

internships. Use action words to describe your

achievements, and be sure to indicate when and how

increases of responsibility occurred.

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