RESUMES – Do you have what it takes?

Resume A brief account of one's professional or work experience and qualifications, often submitted with an employment application.

Great Resume A brief and professional account that documents your skills in a way that helps convince an employer that your skills are applicable to the job you are applying for.

Keys to a Successful Resume

ANALYZE THE JOB DESCRIPTION

Break apart the pieces of the job description to establish what the employer is looking for in a candidate. Creating a targeted resume will increase your chances of securing an interview. To produce a targeted resume, you will need to decide which skills, attributes, and experiences will be appropriate for the job for which you are applying. Focus on the information that most closely relates to the job description.

ORGANIZE YOUR THOUGHTS

Resumes are usually formatted using categories. Possible category headers include Education/Training, Work Experience, Honors, Volunteer Opportunities, Travel/Extracurricular. Work experience is usually listed in reverse chronological order unless you want to highlight a particular job, accomplishment, or promotion. Other categories can be listed in order of relevance to the job description. Use terminology common to the field you are pursuing and make sure to write out all technical terms and abbreviations.

CREATE DESCRIPTIVE PHRASES

One of the keys to a great resume is keeping descriptions informational but short. Use appropriate action words to most accurately describe your experiences and attributes. Avoid diluted phrases such as “in charge of” and “responsible for.”

ENSURE RESUME IS POLISHED

A great resume is free from misspellings, incorrect punctuation, and grammatical errors. A polished resume shows that you care about details and also indicates the time that was invested in making a positive first impression.

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