A resume is a concise, informative summary of your abilities, education, and experience. It should highlight your strongest assets and skills, and differentiate you from other candidates seeking similar positions. Although it alone won’t get you a job or internship, a good resume is an important factor in obtaining an interview. Tailor your resume to the type of position you’re seeking. This doesn’t mean that all of your experiences must relate directly, but your resume should reflect the types of skills the employer would value.
RESUME LANGUAGE SHOULD BE:
• Specific rather than general
• Active rather than passive
• Written to express not impress
• Articulate rather than “flowery”
• Fact-based (quantify and qualify)
• Written for people who / systems that scan quickly
TOP FIVE RESUME MISTAKES:
• Spelling and grammar errors
• Missing email and phone information
• Using passive language instead of “action” words
• Not well organized, concise, or easy to skim
• Not demonstrating results
• Written for people who / systems that scan quickly
DON’T:
Use personal pronouns (such as I or We)
Abbreviate
Use a narrative style
Use slang or colloquialisms
Include a picture
Include age or gender
List references
Start each line with a date
DO:
Be consistent in format and content
Make it easy to read and follow, balancing white space
Use consistent spacing, underlining, italics, bold, and capitalization for emphasis
List headings (such as Experience) in order of importance
Within headings, list information in reverse chronological order (most recent first)
Avoid information gaps such as a missing summer
Be sure that your formatting will translate properly if converted to a .pdf