HOW TO WRITE A RESUME EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO

							               HOW TO WRITE A
                  RESUME
       EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

Southwest Minnesota State University
Career Services, BA 156
www.SMSU.edu/CampusLife/CareerServices
           What is a Resume?

   Resumes introduce you to the prospective
    employer and provide a summary of your skills,
    experiences, accomplishments and education
   Resumes motivate the employer to call you
   Resumes get you the interview…the interview
    will get you the job
      Employers spend 15-30 seconds on the resume —
      Make your time count!
     Resumes are not an Application


   Resumes are typically one page
   Showcase skills
   Should not tell the whole story
   Focus on the career and company
   Help you get a foot in the door
   Use action verbs—not full sentences
    (No “I” “Me” “They” Statements)
       Format Do’s and Don’ts
           Do                              Don’t
   Use the Chronological         Focus on what you want
    Format                        Provide Personal
   Use 12-14 Font for             Information or Reference
    Heading Info; 10-12 Font       Information
    for all other info            Use fancy fonts, multiple
   Use Times New Roman            fonts or fonts smaller than
    or Arial Script                10 point
   Use Resume Paper              Use template resumes
   Use Action Verbs &
    Quantitative Examples
           How to get started

   Open up a word doc
   Change from “Normal” to “No Spacing”
   Change the margins
   Select font
     Arial 10 pt or Times 12 pt are the most common




Use Black type (you can change later)
Single space with double space between
sections
          Sections in a Resume

 Heading                   Internship
 Objective                 Volunteer

 Profile/Qualifications    Work

 Skills/Strengths          Honors/Awards

 Education
         Contact Information

                 Name
                 Street, City, State, Zip
                 Telephone/Cell
                 Email address (Professional)



Tip: You can abbreviate the State not Street, Avenue, Lane
EXAMPLES
EXAMPLES
                Objective

   Purpose is to help the employer
    understand what career you want

   Be careful not to be too general
EXAMPLES
Profile /Qualification Section


   4-8 sentence overview of professional
    experience, education, skills, and
    projects

   Start each statement with an Action Verb
Action
Verbs
EXAMPLES
EXAMPLES
          Education & Training


   College/University      GPA
   Major/Minor             Specialized Courses
   Specialization          Specialized Projects
   Concentration           Licenses
   Graduation Date         Certifications
EXAMPLES
EXAMPLES
       Work Experiences

   Include present and past jobs in reverse
    chronological order
   List only relevant work experience
   Don’t go back more than 10 years— Focus
    on your college experiences instead of High
    School
         Work Experiences

What to include…

•Responsibilities & Accomplishments
•Action Verbs
•Key Words that describe the position
•Quantitative Examples (as appropriate)
EXAMPLES
          Other Sections

   Internships
   Activities
   Volunteer Experience
   Leadership
   Sports
   Study Abroad
   Honors/Awards
   Computer Skills
         Importance of Brevity

      *Try to keep your resume to one page*

When is it ok to go to two pages?
 Experiences directly related to the position you are
  seeking
 If the first page matches the needs of the employer,

  they will read the second page
                 Need Help?

   Schedule an appointment
       Career Services is located in BA 156
       Reach our office at 507-537-6221
       Hours: Monday-Friday 8am-Noon; 1PM-4:30pm
   Fast 15-Walk In Hours-Wednesdays; 1-4pm
   Resume on Run-Thursdays; 12:00-12:30pm
   Mustangjobs.com—Resume Web pages