Resume Writing Tips

  • Arrange categories/sections in order of relevance, presenting your most marketable information first.
  • Use brief, descriptive phrases instead of complete sentences.
  • Select action verbs that effectively illustrate your skills and experience.
  • Do not use personal pronouns such as I, me, my, their, we, our, us.
  • Focus on results, accomplishments, and skills that demonstrate you have the qualifications to be successful at the job. Highlight higher order skills, such as planning, analysis, initiative and innovation, as opposed to just listing daily tasks, such as answering phones, filing, serving food, or faxing.
  • Quantify whenever possible. Include the number of people on the teams you have lead, the amount of money your event may have raised, the profit generated from your project or sales, the percentage increase in membership under your directions, etc.
  • Print the resume in black ink only and use a high quality text printer.
  • Limit resume to one page, if an undergraduate. If you are an undergraduate with significant work history, please see an advisor, as it may be possible for you to go to two pages. Often a second page is essential for extensive work and relevant details for the Master or PhD level students. Be sure to place the most relevant experience on the first page.
  • Make sure that the resume is concise and easy to read.
  • Use a consistent font throughout the resume. Fonts such as Times and Arial are professional in appearance and easy to read. The text in the body of the resume should be 10-11 point. Headings can be 12 point, with your name between 14 and 16 point.
  • Have several people review your resume to check for spelling, grammatical errors, and readability.

Common Resume Concerns

GPA – What if your GPA is low?

  • Focus on a particular part of your GPA that might be more appealing.
  • For example, list your major GPA, or GPA for the last 30 or 45 hours of coursework completed, if it is higher.
  • By not including it, the employer may assume your GPA is worse than it actually is, and may not even read your resume.

Lack of Experience

  • What if your work experience is lacking?
    • Focus on skills you have gained through other activities such as class projects and student organizations

References

  • Before you put anyone on your reference list, be sure to ask each individual if they are willing to give you a reference and give each one a copy of your resume.
  •  References should not be listed on your resume, but rather on a separate sheet of paper.

Almost all positions require references, just as all professional programs typically require letters of recommendation. For those students just beginning this process, it is important to build relationships with faculty and staff who can serve as references for you. Most recruiters will ask for 3-5 references. A good reference is someone who has observed or supervised you in a classroom or other professional setting and can speak about a variety of your skills. People who are family friends, family members or peers do not make good references as their opinions of you are often seen as being biased due to their close personal connection to you.

Link to Sample Resume  careercenter.tamu.edu/TexasAMCareerCenter/media/Career-Center/TAMU_CG.pdf

(Courtesy of Texas A&M Career Center)