Keep your resume to one page unless you have extensive related experience. Organize headings so that the most important points are first. Invite the readers' attention by using open space, wide margins, and bullets to set off text. Use good quality white or off-white paper.

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Writing an Effective Resume
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Writing an Effective Resume
• Why you are writing
• Organization
• Presentation
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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
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 Include interesting and
unique information
 Attempt best effort to make
a first impression
 No chance to explain if you
do not get an interview
Stand out from the crowd
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Writing an Effective Resume
• Why you are writing
• Organization
• Presentation
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Summary of sections
Name
Address, telephone number, e-mail address
Objective
Education
Experience
Achievements and awards
Skills
Professional affiliations
Publications or projects
Optional
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 Name (bold, not underlined)
 Address
 Telephone number
 Email address
Start with contact information
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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
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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.
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Education in reverse chronological
order
Include schools attended beyond high school
List major and minor(s), supply interesting details
For Poly, put the expected date in parentheses:
ISTC
Mechanical Engineering
(passout: June 2011)
Include special or interesting aspects of your program
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Experience also in reverse order
Dates of employment (2003–present)
Name and location of the company (EME Technologies,
Engineer)
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
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Achievements and awards
 Dean’s list
 Scholarships
 Grants
 Prizes
 Nominations
 Professional societies
 Significant accomplishments
 Committees and leadership roles12

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Use the skills section
 Software programs and proficiency (Word,
PowerPoint, Excel, FrontPage, AutoCad
…)
 Programming languages (include C/C++,
HTML, PHP, …)
 Abilities (based on experience)
 Languages and language ability13

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Writing an Effective Resume
• Why you are writing
• Organization
• Presentation
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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
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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
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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
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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”
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Make lists parallel
Was responsible for staff of ten
Present reports to consultants
New reporting system was developed
Leader of monthly staff meeting
Coordinate monthly review
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Make lists parallel
Managed staff of ten
Presented reports to consultants
Developed new reporting system
Led monthly staff meeting
Coordinated monthly review
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Use brief style like presentations
 Omit articles (a/an, the)
 Use more lists than sentences
 Arrange information in columns
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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
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