Creating a Resume
Find samples of résumés by freshman, sophomore, junior and senior students here.
Remember:
- Recruiters read many résumés. Tailor the content to the position.
- Use the writing process to explore, analyze and select significant, relevant information.
- Design a layout that makes the content easy to read.
- Visit the Writing Center and work with a tutor to develop a résumé.
Working through the stages of the Writing Process will lead to an effective résumé:
Discovery
- List your professional and personal strengths.
- Consider all experiences. List academic, intern, work, volunteer experiences and significant course/research/extracurricular projects.
- List transferrable skills from those experiences.
Organize & Draft
- Assume the reader's point of view
- Select & categorize your information to highlight your strengths (Relevant Experience, Leadership).
- Sub-titles are flexible. Use labels to reveal your capabilities (Research/Programming Languages).
- Within each category prioritize according to significance/chronology.
- For each entry, include your title, the firm or organization, location, dates and especially your skills, advancement, responsibilities.
- Choose your priority for each entry. Start with firm or job title, club name or position?
Revise
- Critique the resume from the reader's point of view.
- Is all relevant information present?
- Add, delete or reorganize material.
Edit Format & Style
- Clear objective and contact information
- Sub-titles relevant to the content
- Easy-to-locate information
- Specific, significant responsibilities, skills
- Active verbs & confident tone
- Error-free entries
- Consistent format
Back to "Essays, Labs, Letters, and Resumes"
