GUIDE UNDERGRADUATE TO RESUMES
Show your resume to 10 different "experts" and you `ll probably come back with 10 different opinions. As you may already know, there's no one right way to design a resume. But there are plenty of wrong ways! Since employers only spend about 30 seconds skimming your resume, you'll want to make sure that you best market yourself. The following guidelines will assist you in creating a document that is easy for employers to read. General Specifications Limit your resume to one page unless you have significant full-time work experience. Use 3/4 inch to 1 inch margins (left, right, top, and bottom). Use an easy-to-read 11-12 point font throughout the body of the document. Write in past tense for former jobs, present tense for current jobs. Heading Center your name at the top of the page in bold using a larger font than the body of your resume. Your address, phone number, and email address are located beneath your name. You may choose to list your current address or both a current and permanent address. If multiple addresses are used, please indicate which one is current and which one is permanent.
Example:
Samantha Sample
1234 Knox Road, Apt B College Park, MD 20742 301-555-5555 [e-mail]
Objective or Qualifications Summary (not recommended) An objective is a target statement that precedes the body of information in a resume. Because most undergraduate students have similar objectives (to find an internship or full-time job in their major field) it is not recommended that you include an objective unless you are seeking a position that does not match your major or previous experience. A qualification summary is usually a short paragraph of three or four bullet points that highlight specific skills and experiences that market your abilities. Most undergraduate students do not have significant work experiences to justify a summary section. We do not recommend using one without specific guidance from the Office of Career Management. Education Example: As a college student, the most important Bachelor of Science, Marketing Expected May 2009 criteria you have to University of Maryland College Park, MD share with employers Robert H. Smith School of Business GPA: 3.8 is your degree or pursuit of a degree. Therefore, the education section should come before any work experience or other section. Do not list your secondary school or high school. If you have attended multiple colleges, you only need to list those that you received a degree from (i.e. if you were awarded an Associate's degree). You may list other schools if you have significant activities or work experiences at that institution to draw upon. Each educational entry should identify: - Name of institution and degree received/currently pursuing - Location of institution (town, state abbreviation) - Date of graduation/expected date (do not list years attended) - Optional: GPA if 3.0 or over Coursework should generally not be listed on your resume. When knowledge and skills essential to a particular position are not demonstrated through work experiences but have been acquired in courses, relevant coursework or projects can be included. To be effective, however, this section should be kept brief. You may choose to list study abroad or other educational experiences that you have pursued. Activities organizational and memberships can be listed in this section or under a separate heading later in your resume. Office of Career Services, Robert H. Smith School of Business 2009
Work Experience The work experience section should make up the bulk of your resume. It is your chance to share the skills and abilities you have developed in past employment. List work experiences in reverse chronological order (most recent first). Include part-time and summer jobs as well as relevant volunteer experiences. For each job list your major duties and tasks using action verbs to create interest and to demonstrate achievement. Do not state "responsible for." Try to emphasize the skills you used to achieve job tasks. Whenever possible, highlight accomplishments and achievements. You do not need to list all Example: of your work activities, College Park, MD 10/04 - 5/06 just the ones that are Hard Times Caf Server relevant to the type of Provided customers with quality service while working in a fastposition you are seeking. paced, high pressure environment Each experience entry Assisted with training of new staff members in company policies should identify: - Name of employer - Dates of employment (month and year for each position) - Location of employment (town, state abbreviation) - Position title - Bulleted list of major tasks and accomplishments in order of importance Extracurricular Activities/Leadership Experience/Awards (optional) Employers are interested in your experiences both in and out of the classroom. This section will allow you to share with the employer opportunities you have undertaken to round out your college experience. Activities should be Example: listed as a bulleted President: American Marketing Association 1/04 - present list. If you have held Led open house event for over 100 students leadership positions in Recruited a number of companies to speak for meetings and events a student club or Developed a new fundraiser that generated $8,000 for organization organization be sure to include your title and the dates you held this position. You may wish to describe leadership experiences in a format that mirrors your work experience section. Skills/Computer Skills/Languages/Interests (optional) Skills sections should always be concrete. Do not list non-concrete skills such as: team player, motivated, hard worker, etc. Assume that employers know you have basic computer literacy. List specific programs that you have used extensively or special programs that you have a working knowledge of. Languages should indicate skill level (fluent, proficient, knowledgeable). Interests are generally Example: not needed for a re Computer: Microsoft Word, Bloomberg sume. If you choose to list hobbies or inter- Languages: Fluent in Italian, proficient in German ests, you should use Interests: Skiing, mountain biking, traveling only one line to do so. References Do not include references in the body of your resume. Do not state, "References available upon request." Employers assume that you will be willing to provide them at a later date. Do prepare a separate list of references for distribution to employers. Include each reference's name, title, company/university affiliation, address, email, and phone number. Office of Career Services, Robert H. Smith School of Business 2009