Your resume will be quickly scanned, rather than read. Ten to 20 seconds is all the time you have to persuade a prospective employer to keep reading. A quick screening of your resume should impress the reader and convince him or her of your qualifications and hopefully result in an interview!
A resume is a tailored document highlighting a person’s education, work experience, and skills. It is a summary of qualifications for a job, internship, scholarship, or other opportunity, and should be considered a marketing tool! The top half of your resume could either make or break you. By the time recruiters have read the first few lines, you have either caught their interest, or your resume has failed.
A chronological format is usually recommended for college students and recent graduates. In a chronological resume, items are arranged in reverse chronological order (most recent things listed first) within topical areas. If you have multiple types of experience, you can break them up into different sections (e.g. relevant experience, volunteer experience, internship experience).
A functional resume stresses skills and abilities regardless of where and when they were developed or demonstrated. A resume in this format is not arranged chronologically.
A combination resume uses characteristics of both of these styles to highlight relevant experience.
Carefully choose job references that compliment your resume. A good reference should be someone who confirms the details of your resume and offers positive feedback regarding your work or educational skills and experience. They should ideally have known you for at least one year—preferably three.
Your list of references should include 3-5 of the following:
- Former and/or current supervisors
- Colleagues and/or subordinates
- Former customers/clients
- Former professors
- 9 Contacts from volunteer work or student organizations
References should not be included in your actual resume. Include them as a separate sheet. Do not submit references to employers unless they have been requested.
- One page in length
- Tailored to the position for which you are applying
- Neat, well-organized, and easy to read
- Consistent in formatting, font, and content
- NOT a Microsoft Word Template
- Checked for proper grammar and punctuation
- Appealing to the eye
- Printed on quality, neutral-colored paper
- Uses strong action verbs and power words
- Free of spelling errors
- Updated and current
- Avoids high school information (after your first year in college)
- Avoids “Duties included…” and “Responsible for…”
- Uses numbers, such as percentages or amounts of money
- Has been proofread by at least 3 people (one of them should be your Career Consultant!)
- Avoids personal pronouns like “I” or “my”
Avoid resume templates. The automatic formatting on templates will limit your ability to update. Instead, choose a format that you like and copy it.
Keep it to one page. In most cases, your resume should not exceed one page in length. Exceptions are if you are applying for a teaching position, formatting a federal resume, have a Master’s degree, or at least 10 years of full-time experience.
Format, Format, Format. Only use one font type and size. Font size should be 10-12 point and easy to read. Margins should be between .5 in—1 in. Make things stand out by using bold, italics, all caps or small caps, and underlining. Print your final version on quality white or ivory paper.
Don’t undersell yourself! All of the experiences that you have had in college are important. These include part-time jobs, student organizations, leadership experience, relevant class projects, and more!
Make it your own. There is no exact formula for the perfect resume—include sections that highlight your individual experience. Put the most relevant and recent information first.
Email: You want to present a professional image. Email addresses such as BrewDawg@email.com or sassy@email.edu may have personal meaning to you, but to employers, they represent someone who lacks professionalism.
Phone: The phone number is another chance to present a professional image. Typically, employers will try to reach you at home. Make sure that the greeting is professional and business-like. If you have roommates, make sure that you have a system for getting your messages.
Address: If you only have one address, there is no need for both the “present” and “permanent” to be listed.
Other: Do NOT include information such as marriage status, gender, etc.
An objective statement is most effective if it provides clarification for the reader. For example, if you have a broad major (such as sociology or management), you are seeking an internship, or you are seeking a position that is not closely related to your major, you may consider using an objective.
A good objective statement answers the following:
1. What type of positions you are seeking (internship or entry-level).
2. What type of company/industry/job you are seeking (human resources, operational management, sales).
3. What qualities you bring to the job (your strengths).
- Make sure you know the official name of your degree! The full title of all degrees can be found at www.bulletin.uga.edu
- Know your GPA. Cumulative = classes taken at UGA. Overall = all classes taken anywhere. Major = classes within your college.
- Include GPA if it is over 3.0.
- This can include work experience, internship experience, leadership experience, etc.
- Start all sentences with strong action verbs (link here).
- Use numbers, percentages, and amounts of money to describe job duties. Go beyond the job description—what made you stand out?
- Include experiences that line up with the skills and abilities desired in the job description.
RETURN TO "THE JOB SEARCH" HOME PAGE |