Writing A Winning Résumé

Tips for Success

Ashley MillerDirector of Career Services

What is a Résumé? A Résumé is a brief history of your

accomplishments that you prepare for potential employers.

Your résumé should be designed with ONE thing in mind. To get you job interviews

What a good Résumé does: A resume introduces you to potential

employers. It tells them:That you are a well qualified candidate for employmentThat you deserve an interview

Once you’re introduced, your résumé serves as:

A guide for you and the interviewer to discuss your background.

A reminder to the interviewer about who you are after the interview is done.

A Good Résumé is: Clear:

It presents the facts in a clear and easy to read style. Dynamic:

Use action verbs to highlight your past experience. Neat:

Don’t forget! Appearance counts. Your résumé should show that you are proud of yourself and what you’ve done.

Headers

A Heading. This should include:

Your full name Your complete address

(permanent and present if you are a college student) Phone number where you can be reached.

Be sure this number corresponds to a PROFESSIONAL sounding voicemail.

Personal e-mail address This should be a professional email. For example

Good: Jane.Smith@lindsey.edu Not Good: LilG1992@gmail.com

Header Examples

Objective Simple and to the point A Job Objective

An objective: Allows employers to determine what type of position you are looking

for. If you do include a job objective, avoid being vague but also don’t be so specific that you eliminate yourself from other related positions. Good objective: A sales position in a growing retail organization. Poor objective: A challenging position that uses my education and creativity.

Education and Training Education and Training

This section may include: Names and locations of schools or programs Dates of attendance Degrees, certificates or licenses awarded Major GPA (grade point average)

if 3.0 or above. Coursework related to the job you want Honors, awards, scholarships or elective offices

Education and Training

Certifications CPR & First Aid Certifications Board Certifications

List month, year and board certificate number, if known

Include national boards and their parts if you have them

Professional Licensure Indicate state and license number only Date is not necessary

Relevant Experience Use Action Verbs

Start off with an action verb whenever possible. Verbs such as supervised, planned, developed,

and created tell precisely what you’ve accomplished.

Avoid using the same set of words multiple times however, if needed consult a thesaurus to add variety to your resume.

Relevant Experience What is a “Relevant Experience”

This can include full or part time, seasonal or volunteer work, your practicum sites & work study Be sure to provide:

Names and locations of current/former employers Dates of employment Job titles Duties and major accomplishments using action verbs

Relevant Experience Formatting Sample

What if I don’t have any relevant experience? Sell your “Relevant Coursework”

Writing Math Any Major Courses Foreign Languages

Activities and Special Skills Activities and Special Skills

You might also want to mention: Interests and activities that showcase job related skills

ex: leadership and organization. Special abilities

ex: specific computer skills or knowledge of a foreign language.

Activities and Special Skills Athletics

Treat your athletic team just as you would a full-time job on your resume

Additional Sections Professional Organizations

Even student memberships Military Service

Branch, Discharge Status, Honors and Awards Bibliography

Any publications Professional Development

CEU Credits List Name of the Course, Year & # of Hours

Additional Sections Examples

Résumé Format Chronological Form

Job experience is arranged listing most recent job first.

Advantage: This form gives a clear

picture of where you’ve worked and what you’ve accomplished. It’s logical and easy to follow.

Setting the Right Tone Use Familiar Terms

Use appropriate language in regard to the job for which you are applying.

Be sure your resume descriptions are clear and easily understood.

Setting the Right Tone

Avoid Wordiness Use keywords and phrases instead of complete

sentences. Eliminate the pronoun “I” from your résumé. Be direct.

Poor: I staged an extensive campaign to cut costs and increase overall profits from fund-raisers by 10% in the course of one year’s time.

Good: Increased profits from fund-raisers by 10% in one year.

Other Tips for Writing Résumés Do’s

Be honest. A skillful interviewer will be able to spot any

exaggeration or false information. Also, employers often verify information in résumés and applications.

Keep it brief. Most job-seekers should be able to limit their résumé

to one page. Write your own résumé.

You know yourself better than anyone else does.

Other Tips for Writing Résumés DON’Ts Don’t use gimmicks.

Photographs, unusual formats, loud-colored paper, etc. This may attract the wrong kind of attention.

Don’t include salary requirements. If you’re asked for this information, put it in your

cover letter. Don’t include unnecessary personal

information such as race, religion, age, political affiliation, etc…

Putting on the Finishing Touches Design an Attractive Layout.

Leave a 1’’ margin on all sides. Use capital letters, boldface, bullets, and indenting to

emphasize important information Don’t use smaller than a size 10 font in the body Don’t go over a size 16 font for your name in the

header

Putting on the Finishing Touches Proofread Carefully

Check spelling, punctuation, grammar and word usage.

Have someone with good proofreading skills look over your résumé, too.

Make High Quality Copies Go to a professional printer to have the résumé

printed or copied on a high-quality photocopier.

How can I have my Resume Reviewed? Create an initial draft Call 270.384.8065 and make an appointment Email millera@lindsey.edu, or

careerservices@lindsey.edu Electronic Review

Electronic Resume Review

Visit the Career Services Office Online

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