WRITING YOUR RESUME
The reverse-chronological format resume allows employers to evaluate the candidate
from the most recent experience backward to past experience. When seeking positions,
the job seeker should tailor unique resumes that reflect the individual job posting.
When drafting a general resume, the job seeker should focus on descriptive language
and strong action verbs to enable potential employers to understand the capabilities
of the candidate. General resumes are great for job fairs and forwarding to your contacts,
but to increase your chances of success, we recommend tailoring your resume to each
position or industry you apply for.
Resume & Cover Letter Examples and Guides
A brief overview of resume writing: THE SECTIONS OF A RESUME
Gather information for the following sections on your resume:
The summary links the job seeker directly to the position and the company/organization
by specifically referencing desirable skills, interests, and behaviors (as outlined
in the job description and as evidenced in the details of the resume). A summary is
not required, and the job seeker should be able to write with specificity and relevance
if a summary is included.
Example:
University Junior majoring in English possessing relevant editing skills in both an
academic and business setting. Candidate for Media and Marketing Intern at ABC Company
with experience writing press releases, interviewing and reporting, and blogging.
This section should include degree, major, date of graduation, GPA, and study abroad
programs if applicable. Job seekers may also list merit-based scholarships and honors
earned during college. Other bullet points might include leadership titles and/or
membership status with the associated student organizations and a short list of coursework
that is directly related to the position sought.
A note about GPA: Do not include a GPA if under 3.0. Include a major-specific GPA
if it is stronger than the overall GPA. Always include a GPA if it is a requirement
of the employer.
Example:
University of Dallas, Irving, TX
Bachelor of Arts, History with a concentration in Spanish
GPA: 3.6, Recipient of Provost's and Rotary Scholarships
Study Abroad: Rome, Italy with educational travel through Eastern Europe
President: Student Foundation
Relevant Coursework: Reporting, Introduction to Marketing
This section typically includes computer, language, and science/laboratory skills
when applicable. If a professional summary is used (see above), the job seeker's skills
can be listed in columns at the end of the summary. The candidate should be able
to clearly discuss how they have used and developed their skills.
Examples of skills and aptitudes:
- Research and analysis
- Writing and editing
- Social media analytics (reporting and evaluating)
- Technical writing
- Microsoft Excel / PowerPoint / Word, Presentation
- Negotiation
- Leadership
- Problem solving
- Bilingual (list of languages)
The list is determined by your experience!
This section includes employer, city/state, job title, and dates of employment (month/year
to month/year or season like - "Fall 2015"). Beneath each experience, the job seeker
should bullet the primary contributions he/she made, starting each bullet with a strong
action verb. This section should not be a list of job duties. Instead, the job seeker
should detail process-thinking and problem solving.
Example:
ABC Company, Dallas, TX 05/2020 to Present
Research Intern
- Research topics assigned by organizational leadership using resources from the ABC
archives and from external resources such as xxx, xxx, xxx
- Identified a topic with approval from ABC mentor, engaged in a 12 week research cycle,
and presented findings to organizational leadership.
- Proposed a modification to the record keeping process which would increase ease of
information retrieval. Proposal was accepted and changes were adopted by the ABC
archivist.
In this section record volunteer work and community services you have done
Example:
Habitat for Humanity, Volunteer, 2019 to Present
Use Phrases
The resume should not include full sentences of first-person pronouns.
Use Action Verbs
When creating statements for your resume it is recommended that you use action-packed
verbs to begin each description. The link below will give you a wide variety of verbs
to consider. One way to help you create these statements is to review what you did,
then put it into a strong statement to sell your skills and abilities.
Consider the impact you receive from the second statement versus the first:
Example 1:
Helped the company consolidate debt from customers
Example 2 (Improved):
Customized an online system identifying customer debt and consolidating multiple records
Sample List of Action Verbs to begin statements regarding your experiences.
Finally...
- Keep it to one page by including brief but sufficient information. Can be longer if
an academic setting, if job experience exceeds 10 years, or in other instances.
- Write with consistency and clarity
- Tailor your resume to each position to which you apply
- Emphasize your unique skills
- Include results and accomplishments
- Save the resume as a PDF before emailing to preserve formatting
- Save each copy of your resume with an easily identifiable title. Example: Lastname_Firstname_Company
- Print your resume on high-quality paper
- Keep your resume up-to-date
WRITING YOUR COVER LETTER
Job search letters, including letters of inquiry, thank you notes, academic cover
letters, and cover letters are essential to a successful employment search. The Purdue Owl Job Search Letters site addresses each in detail and provides step-by-step guidance in crafting persuasive
correspondence. An overview of the cover letter and its parts is as follows:
Cover Letter Formatting and Parts
Formatting, Length, Spacing
FORMATTING: The basic format of a cover letter is that of a business letter. Standard margins,
aligned to the left. Indent first line of each paragraph.
Length: Keep to one page.
Spacing:
- Single space your letter
- Leave a space between addresses and dates in the heading
- Leave a space between your heading (contact info) and greeting (Dear ...)
- Leave a space between each paragraph
- Leave at least three spaces between your complimentary close (Sincerely...) and typed
name
- Sign your name in ink between the complimentary close and your typed name
- Your contact information
- Date you are writing the letter
- Address of the company
- Greet the specific person with whom you are corresponding
- State the position for which you are applying and where you heard about it
- Name drop if you have a good connection
- State why you believe you are a good match, including 2-3 key qualifications you will
address in the rest of your letter (that will also match your resume)
- Tailor cover letter for each job application.
- Focus each paragraph on one qualification that shows you are a good match for the
job and organization.
- Give specific examples to prove where you got these skills and how you have used them
before.
- Tell a story; do not just list your skills.
- Refer to your resume; do not repeat it.
- Do not use contractions.
- Close with a strong reminder of why you are a good match for the job and the organization.
- Request an interview in some way.
- Provide contact information.
- Thank the person for reading your material.
- Sign your name and print it underneath.