Direction
You must think about the direction you are heading in for your career. You also need to be knowledgeable about the needs of employers in your fields of interest. Take the time to investigate your options, strengths, and interests. Talk to your professors, your parents, and professionals. Visit the Career Resource Center in Academic & Career Advising for specific career references. Prior thought about direction will guide how you write your resume and the content you include.

Skills
Equally as important as direction, knowing what your skills are will assist you in writng your résumé. Jot down thoughts about what you feel skilled in, as well as identify some strengths you possess. These might be acquired through direct experience (internship, work) or personal characteristics (leadership) or general skills (communication skills, attention to detail, time managagement, analytical skills, teamwork).

In addition, you need TIME. Students generally make AT LEAST two revisions to their original draft résumé before achieving the desired result.

• Avoid using templates. They are not designed for recent graduates nor are their formats ideal. Type from "scratch".
• Do not exceed 1 page. Do not waste an employer's time with information that can be incorporated into a cover letter and / or an interview.
  Note - Possible exceptions include: Education majors; individuals returning to school after a previous career; and individuals with extensive experience that would substantiate two pages.
• Print on specific paper. Office stores carry paper usually entitled "Resume Paper" or "Business Paper". Use ONLY white or ivory colors. Print in black ink on a good quality printer. In addition, print cover letters and reference pages on the same paper.
  Note - Exceptions: Graphic Design and Art majors. Employers will be expecting to see your creativity so feel free to use colored ink and paper.
• Do not incorporate graphics, borders, clip art, or "fanciful" font types. Use no less than 10-11 pt font size, depending on font type. Customary font types include: Times New Roman, Arial, Garamond, and Palatino Linotype. (Exception: Art Majors).
• Margins can be adjusted to accommodate space. In most instances, top and bottom margins can be reduced to .5". Left and right margins can be reduced no less than .5" but ideally should remain around .7". **Margins can be adjusted using the "page setup feature" under "file" on the toolbar.
• Be consistent in how you place information. Follow the style throughout your resume. Check and double check for spelling, grammar, and typos!

• Name of High School (exception: 1st & 2nd year college students looking for an internship)
• High School activities (exception: above and /or shows additional experience relating to field of interest)
• Marital Status & Date of Birth
• Social Security # (exception: unless applying for a federal job)
• Statement "References Available Upon Request" (this can be excluded, as it is an optional requirement)
• References - Use a separate sheet

1. Contact Information

   Name: ALL CAPS, bold, and at least 16 pt font (remaining information should be between 10-12 pt). Current address & phone(s). Appropriate professional email.
   
   Make sure you can be reached at this information You can also separate addresses to include "school address" and "permanent address".
   
   Examples (not using 16 pt font):
   

   JESSICA DOE
   229 Main Street, Keene, NH 03431
   (603)234-5678 / (603)801-5555 (cell)
   jdoe@ksc.mailcruiser.com

   College Address 229 Main Street Keene, NH 03431 (603)234-5678/603)801-555 (cell) jdoe@ksc.mailcruiser.com

   JESSICA DOE

   Permanent Address 299 River Street Somewhere, NY 12345 (914)222-5555

   JESSICA DOE
   College Address: 229 Main Street, Keene, NH 03431 (603)234-5678 / (603)801-5555 (cell)
   Permanent Address: 299 River Street, Somewhere, NH 12345 (914)222-5555
   jdoe@ksc.mailcruiser.com

2. Targeted Goal
   
   Focus your résumé. Tell the employer what you seek. Several headings can be used: "Objective", "Teaching Objective", or "Interest". Headings should be in Bold and ALL CAPS. State in the fewest words possible. Your resume should support this focus statement.
   

   Examples:
   

   OBJECTIVE: To obtain a position as a case manager in a public agency for at risk children.
   OBJECTIVE: To obtain an internship in ___________ to further apply my coursework.
   TEACHING OBJECTIVE: To obtain a position teaching in a public setting, grades 1-5.
   

3. Education

   • List the degree earned or the degree in progress. Spell out the degree EXACTLY as it will appear on your diploma. Refer to the College Catalog for exact name. Bold your degree.
   • If specialization, list underneath the degree. If education major, list your second major underneath with title "Dual Major". Include anticipated date of graduation.
   • Include GPA if above a 3.0 (not rounded). Include Dean's List. List minor, if completing one. Include the full name of school with city and state.
   • If completed another degree, list after current institution. If completed a national or international exchange, list after current institution.
   
   
   Example:
   

   EDUCATION:

   Bachelor of Science, Health Science Option in: Substance Abuse Minor: Psychology Keene State College, Keene, NH International Exchange: College of York, York, England

   Anticipated May 2007 GPA: 3.56; Dean's List Spring 2006

4. Relevant Coursework:

   • An optional section. Use it to demonstrate experience gained from coursework and theory. List courses that show relevant experience, as well as additional skills such as: communication, teamwork, and writing. List up to 12 courses. use correct titles. Ideally, list using a table or column format.
   • If you have a lot of direct, relevant experience, feel free NOT to use this section.
   
   
   Example:
   

   COURSEWORK:: Course #1 Course #4 Course #7 Course #10

   Course #2 Course #5 Course #8 Course #11

   Course #3 Course #6 Course #9 Course #12

5. Internship/Practicum/Research/Senior Project:

   Consider any of these categories after "Education" and / or "Coursework" categories. Be sure to include some detail. If "Internship" or "Practicum", follow format under "Experience" (next section). If "Research" or "Senior Project", follow example below.
   
   Examples:
   

   Organization & Administration: "Title." Conducted extensive research on the subject of fire extinguisher safety. Designed and developed a safety training manual with 5 separate sections for employer and employee use. Spring 2007.
   
   Senior Project: "Title." Utilized professional literature to examine the effects of the media on teen body image. Researched topic, conducted a survey of 100 teens, ages 15-18, and evaluated results. Presented to class of peers and faculty. Fall 2006.
   

6. Experience
   
   The experience portion of your résumé may be divided into categories by type of experience, depending on focus statement. For example: Teaching Experience, Sales / Marketing, Major Recitals, Performances, and Laboratory Experience. General categories can also be created: Relevant Experience and Additional Experience. Group your experiences accordingly, remembering the focus statement. This section is used to highlight relevant skills learned through experience versus coursework. (Experience may be paid or unpaid; using the term "employment" implies payment).
   
   Under experience: include job title, company name, city, state, and dates of employment. In addition, list what you did, what you learned, and what you accomplished.
   
   Example:

   		Customer Services Representative United Central Bank, Wabingo, Ohio	March 2005 to May 2006
   	Provided accurate, detailed information about financial services available. Used excellent memory skills to learn customers' names and generate repeat business. Earned reputation as a valuable and cooperative co-worker through attention to fairness and willingness to help when needed.

   Unrelated employment may have headings such as "Additional Experience" or "Employment to Support Education". This type of experience should be used to document your work ethic, transferable skills, and personal qualities.
   
   Example:
   

   	Job Title, Company Name, City, State	dates
   	Maintained accurate records for monthly reports Consistently achieved the highest safety rating. Used mechanical ability to maintain equipment and improve production efficiency. Through persistence and attention to detail, found solutions to shipping problems.

7. Additional Categories
   

   Other categories to include can be any / or all of the following: Leadership, Activities, Professional Memberships, Honors / Awards, Travel, Sports, and Additional Information (to group several unrelated pieces of information).
   
   These categories can show additional skills and personal qualities. Dependent on space, you can simply list the information or describe it in detail. There are several ways to list this information. The example below is just one method.

   Example:

   LEADERSHIP / HONORS:
   Keene State College, Keene, NH
   Gamma Gamma Gamma (2004-present)
   

   • President (2006-2007); Write a brief sentence explaining what you did in this position.
   • Vice President (2005-2006); Write a brief sentence explaining what you did in this position.
   • Social Chair (2004-2005); Write a brief sentence explaining what you did in this position.

   Varsity Soccer (2005-present)
   

   • Captain

   Geography Club, Member (2005-2006)
   Academic Excellence Conference
   

   • "Title" - short description of research. (2005)
   • "Title" - short description of research. (2006)

8. Skills
   
   

   Have a category that lists tangible skills. These include computer and language abilities plus any technical skills relevant to your focus statement.
   
   This section might be located in a different place for certain majors. See "Résumés by Major" for specifics.

   Example:
   SKILLS:
   • Knowledge of: Adobe, Quark Express, Word, Excel, C++, PowerPoint
   • CPR & First Responder certified
   • Fluent in French and Spanish

Additional Resource

Action Verbs