Resume Writing
- What is a Resume?
- Resume Internet Resources
- Basic Principles
- What information should be included on my Resume?
- Suggested Action Verbs
- Resume Sample #1
- Resume
Sample #2
Preparing an Activity List for Your College Application
Information on these WebPages was adopted from the UMD Career Placement Services, WebPages, The Blake School Counseling Handbook, and Creating Your High School Resume.
What is a Resume?
A resume can be an important communication tool in the college application process. Often times, there is little space provided to state your experience and accomplishments. When using a resume, you may write on your application “Please see enclosure”.
A resume is a concisely written summary of your personal, educational, activities, and work experience intended to:
- Introduce yourself to a school.
- Organize the relevant facts about you in a written, logical, easy to read, easy to understand, and visually pleasing presentation.
- Focus attention on your qualifications and accomplishments and demonstrate why you are an attractive candidate.
There are a number of ways you might write your resume, all depending upon who you are, what you have to offer, and what kind of school you are seeking. The three types of resume formats most frequently used are:
- Chronological resume - lists your qualifications (education and experience) and other relevant information in reverse chronological order.
- Functional resume - focuses on a summary of the functions you have performed and plays down dates of work history. the functional resume is often used by people without experience directly related to their current objectives.
- Combination resume - uses elements of both the chronological and functional resumes.
Resumes may vary in content as well as form, appearance, style, and layout. It is important to remember that a resume is a personally written document that allows for individual creativity. It should present a positive image to the potential school. It is important to keep the college admissions officer in mind, as he or she may be the sole reader. By positioning the most important information about your experiences and qualifications first and devoting the most space to them, you highlight your strengths.
Internet Resources
- JobWeb
Your guide to resume writing, including what is a resume?, how to prepare and effective resume, action words, sample resumes, resume tips, and more articles and resumes. - Princeton
University Career Services
Resume essentials, what to include and resume samples. - Owl:
Online writing lab
A user friendly site, including help with tailoring your resume to your audience, developing content, organizing your sections, and designing your page. - JobStar Central Resume samples, choosing the right resume for you, resume tips from Yana Parker.
- The
Damn Good Resume
Yana Parker’s hot tips on resume writing. - Career
Journal
An intriguing article “How to Get Employers to Read Your Resume”.