3. A Resume Gets You an Interview
•Find out which applicants are suitable
•Choose a small number of candidates to interview
•Same issue for proposals and grant applications
4. Stand Out From the Crowd
•Include interesting and unique
information
•Attempt best effort to make a first
impression
•No chance to explain if you do
not get an interview
6. Summary of Sections
•Name
•Address, telephone number, e-mail address
•Objective
•Education
•Experience
•Achievements and awards
•Skills
•Professional affiliations
•Publications or projects
Optional
7. Start with Contact Information
•Name (bold, not underlined)
•Address
•Telephone number
•Email address
8. Objective
•One or two sentences
•Type of position (part time, full time, summer internship)
•What position would you like to find?
•Emphasize how you will use your skills, not what you
want to gain
9. Use the Objective to Stand Out
• Do not be needy:
Objective: To obtain a position that will allow me to advance my
potential while seeking new challenges.
• Show what you will contribute:
Objective: An entry-level position in mechanical engineering where
strong leadership ability and good communication skills are needed.
Objective: Vice-president of aerospace engineering in an agency where
extensive knowledge of thermodynamics and heat transfer are needed.
10. Education in Reverse Chronological Order
• Include schools attended beyond high school
• List major and minor(s), supply interesting details
• For NYU, put the expected date in parentheses:
NYU Tandon School of Engineering
B.S. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
(Anticipated graduation: May 2020)
• Include special or interesting aspects of your program
11. Experience in Reverse Chronological Order
• Dates of employment (2003-present)
• Name and location of the company (Con Edison, Brooklyn)
• Add specific detail that shows your organization, cooperation, responsibility with
action
• Calling this section Experience allows you to include jobs for which you were not
paid. Include:
• Military service
• Internships
• Volunteer positions
12. Achievements and Awards
• Dean’s list
• Scholarships
• Grants
• Prizes
• Nominations
• Professional societies
• Significant accomplishments
• Committees and leadership roles
13. Use the Skills Section
•Software programs and proficiency (Word, PowerPoint,
Excel, FrontPage, AutoCAD…)
•Programming languages (include Visual Basic, HTML,
PHP, …)
•Abilities (based on experience)
•Languages and language ability
15. Create an Effective Layout
•Try to interest your reader visually
•A clean, professional format with a little style
•Extra white space makes it easy to read – set margins
16. Use Tables to Line Everything Up
CHRISTOPHER LESLIE
222 Nothing Street, Apt. 999, Noplace, NY 00000 • (718) 260-3130 • ChrisLeslie@nothing.com
Experience
Document Specialist
FMCG
0-00 to 0-00
• Prepare color flip-books and presentation materials for financial consultants
• Edit and proofread marketing newsletters and monographs
• Negotiate writer’s needs, English usage, firm style under deadline pressure
• Modify stock images, clip art, and logos to meet writer’s specifications
Paralegal
Anthony Santoni, Esq.
0-00 to 0-00
• Cover light phones and typing part-time
• Prepare and filed legal papers
• Perform consultations and intakes for new cases
Assistant Art Director
That New Magazine
0-00 to 0-00
• Create ads and layouts using an MCS typesetter and a Macintosh
• Conceive and implement design overhaul for TheaterWeek
• Design two-, three-, and four-color covers, inside pages, advertisements
• Efficiently produce five magazines with four deadlines a week
Summer Intern
The Buffalo News
0-00 to 0-00
• Cover for vacationing staff on copy desk and in features department
• Edit copy, proofread, design cover pages for sections on deadline
• Write for book review and feature section
• First intern ever selected from SUNY Fredonia
Intern and Stringer
The Post-Journal
0-00 to 0-00
• Report on three local governments and two school boards
• Write hard news and features
• Take photographs to illustrate stories
• Cover police and court beat when assigned
Peer Tutor
SUNY Fredonia
0-00 to 0-00
• Tutor college students in writing and mathematics
• Train in general program and a full-semester writing tutor program
• Help train new tutors
• Write computer program to analyze usage statistics
Skills
• Advanced knowledge of PageMaker, Word, PowerPoint, Deltagraph, FileMaker
• Working knowledge of QuarkXpress, Adobe Photoshop, WordPerfect, Excel, Outlook
• Basic conversational skill in German; can read and translate French and Ancient Greek
17. Limit Font to Two Choices
•For text: a serif font like Times
•For headings: Arial or Helvetica are good choices to
add visual interest
•Don’t choose non-standard fonts like Comic Sans or
Lucida Handwriting
•Font size should be 11 or 12 point
18. Write Concisely and Vigorously
• A focused, targeted resume is best:
• Avoid the temptation to go more than one page
• Delete obvious information in order to highlight your unique qualities
• Find specific, dynamic verbs:
• Use present (or past) imperatives
• Include each verb only once
• Consult online lists of “resume action words”
19. Make Lists Parallel
Was responsible for staff of ten
Present reports to consultants
New reporting system was
developed
Leader of monthly staff meetings
Coordinate monthly review
20. Make Lists Parallel
Was responsible for staff of ten Managed staff of ten
Present reports to consultants Presented reports to consultants
New reporting system was
developed
Developed new reporting system
Leader of monthly staff meetings Led monthly staff meeting
Coordinate monthly review Coordinated monthly review
21. Use Brief Style, Like Presentations
•Omit articles (a/an, the)
•Use more lists than sentences
•Arrange information in columns
22. Final Thoughts …
•Choose the correct tense and use it consistently
•Do not ask for a particular salary
•Be accurate and honest
•Print it out! Do not attempt to proofread on screen
