Resume Writing Recommendations
On January 28, 2004 the FMA held a Resume Workshop in preparation for the Evening of Networking resume book. Rick Shrout from the Office of Career Services here at UAH gave our members some great insights for composing a good resume. Some of the main points of his presentation included the fact that today most employers are only accepting resumes online, but that job fairs are nonetheless the best way to meet employers. He continues by saying that a resume is someone’s calling card that helps you market yourself. Some of the pointers he gave to compose a good resume are listed below:
Have your name and address at the center of the page If your current address won’t be the same after graduation, add a permanent address. Put your phone number, but do not write out the word "phone" next to the number. Make sure you’ll be in a quiet place if an employer calls and have a clear and serious answering machine message. Do not write out the word "email" next to your email address. Also make sure your email address is not “funny.” Do not use your UAH email address (as you will graduate and it will not be accessible later) and make sure you check the mailbox you provide. If a company scans your resume make sure to: o Not underline words. Lines are fine but underlines usually cut out letters during scanning. Use a font size between 10 and 14 Use common fonts such as Arial and Times New Roman (Arial is preferred).
o o
o Stay away from Italics. o Don’t fold your resume. o Have your left and right margin be ½ inch, and your top and bottom margins .55 inch.
Mr. Shrout continued by talking about some of the major sections of a resume. Here is a fairly comprehensive summary of what was said:
Objective. Have an Objective section only if the job you are looking for is not related to your major. If you are responding to an ad, tailor your objective and resume to that ad. It is preferred not to have an objective in a resume book. Education. List the degree received and from which institution. Make sure to put the expected graduation date if you have not received your degree yet. Put your GPA only if above a 3.0. Projects. Give a basic and brief description (not many details) of major projects you have worked throughout your academic career. This is important experience and gives an employee a feel of what you know. Computer Knowledge. List major types of software you are familiar with and include specific programs such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Don't just write Microsoft Office. Employment. List the position and the time spent. The more related the past position is to the job you are applying for, the more details you should provide (but keep it brief). f you have participated in internship programs, title this section Experience, not Employment. Honors and Activities. Do not put any honor or activities from when you were in high school. List the clubs and organizations of which you are a member, and if you have a role explain it. If you list any honors, make sure it is clear to the employer why a certain honor is in fact an honor.
Mr. Shrout also briefly talked about writing a cover letter or a letter of application. You should write a cover letter for every job you apply. A standard cover letter is usually about half a page long and has three main paragraphs. The opening paragraph should address the reason why you are writing (example: in response to such ad is such paper). The second paragraph should explain why the company hiring should consider you and why you fit the requirements for the job. In the last and closing paragraph you should request an interview and include your salutes.