Business & Economics
Resume Information |
The purpose of a resume is not to get a job! Its purpose is to get an interview! Your resume is the one step in your job search over which you have total control. It is your personal career marketing document. Based upon the strength of that one page of information, you will either be selected for an interview passed over.
Contact Information
When writing your resume, remember less is more! Provide one e-mail address and one or two phone numbers. (Please be sure your e-mail address and voice mail message are are both professional!)
Education
When writing this section of your resume, include your education beyond high school. Make sure to list your major, emphasis, and GPA (especially if it is above 3.0). It is also a good idea to include your expected graduation date.
Work Experience
List your most recent employment and work backwards. Describe your duties in bulleted points beginning with pertinent action verbs. Have more bullet point for your more recent experiences. In your bullet points use an action/result format. Make sure to manage your verb tenses (present tense for current employment, past tense for past employment).
Leadership/Volunteerism
These sections can be either separate or combined depending on your available space. Use the same format as your work experience section. Include in this section: memberships in student organizations, volunteer work, positions of leadership in school, church, or civic organizations.
International Experience
If you have any international experience it is a good idea to add it to your resume. Make sure you include the location of your experiences, the organization you were a part of and the dates you were there. Include living abroad, studying abroad, and mission trips. You may format this section like your education section or your work experience section, depending on how much space you have.
Optional Sections
You may wish to add additional sections in your resume such as: career objectives, summary of qualifications, honors, or references. For security reasons, never list your reference contact information directly on your resume. Employers will ask for a list of references later in the process.