When applying for a job, pay close attention to your resume presentation. It can mean the difference between getting an interview, or not. Your resume must be accurate, informative, and represent you in the best light possible.
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Here are some tips for preparing an effective resume:
For recent grads:
Should my resume be one page or two?
Keep it short – one or two pages.
Should the education section go first?
If you are a recent college grad, it should go first. Once you gain experience, it is best at the end of you resume.
Should I include my GPA on my resume?
Yes, and on a 4.0 scale.
What can I put on my resume if I don't have much experience?
For starters, do not overlook or ignore the skills you have gained from jobs you held simply to get through school. You may have also gained valuable experience from:
- Foreign-language study or multiple languages.
- Alternative learning experiences, such as international studies or conducting research.
- Computer skills and experience.
- Experience with a family business.
- Volunteer activities.
- Extracurricular activities. However, be sure to only include activities that are relevant to your career goals.
Should my resume include only paid experience?
Employers are interested in your skills, not whether or not you were paid to learn them. So do not hesitate to highlight non-paying work and volunteer experiences if they gave you new skills.
Should I include pre-college information on my resume?
Generally, no. However, if you won a national award in high school, or accomplished something noteworthy, then you should highlight it, especially if it is connected to your chosen field.
General Tips for Everyone:
- List your skills and strengths first - especially your technical skills. Your strengths must stand out clearly at the beginning of your resume.
- List your qualifications in order of relevance, from most to least.
- Only list your degree and educational qualifications first if they are relevant to the job for which you are applying.
- Quantify your experience wherever possible.
- Begin sentences with action verbs.
- When describing your previous experience, use past tense, even for descriptions of currently held positions.
- Be concise. One or two pages is normally enough.
- Omit personal or irrelevant information, such as:
- social security number
- marital status
- photos
- health
- citizenship
- age
- scholarships
- irrelevant awards
- irrelevant associations and memberships
- irrelevant publications
- recreational activities
- a second mailing address
- travel history
- previous pay rates
- previous supervisor name
- Proofread, proofread, proofread. Make sure your spelling and grammar is flawless.
- Plain, white paper is preferred.
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