In order to succeed in the job-searching process, you must have an effective resume. A resume provides a potential employer with a summary of your skills, experiences, academic endeavors, certifications, research opportunities, and extracurricular experiences.  Most employers only spend between 10-20 seconds analyzing the resume of a potential candidate.  Therefore, it is essential that you have a concise, yet descriptive resume.  In addition, it must be both easy to read and interpret. Your goal is to advance to the next step in the job search process, which is usually the interview!  

A “Chronological Resume” focuses on work experiences, job duties and dates of employment. You list all of your work experiences, titles and responsibilities in chronological order, starting with the most recent position and working your way backwards. Many employers prefer a chronological resume because it gives them a chance to quickly identify your work progression. If you have a solid work history, this resume tends to work in your favor.

A “Functional Resume” focuses on your transferrable skills and abilities, rather than your work experience. You categorize your relevant skills and achievements, and spend the bulk of your resume highlighting specific times in your career when you achieved and exceeded the categorized headings. At the bottom of your resume, you will include a general list of employment sites, dates of employment and job titles. In addition, your educational degrees and certifications are listed at the end of your resume. Functional resumes are most often utilized by people who are transitioning to a new field of work or who have gaps in their employment history.

Contact Information

• Make sure that you give the employer up-to-date contact information. Provide a current phone number, mailing address and a functional e-mail address. Be cautious about using your school e-mail address. If you apply for a job and do not receive a callback, many companies hold on to your resume, some for up to two years. Once you graduate from UNCG, your school e-mail address closes down, so you may want to create a Google- or Yahoo-based e-mail address for your job-search process. Be sure to check this e-mail account regularly.

Objective

• Include an objective that clearly fits the desired job position.  Gear the resume content to that objective. Your objective should include the position that you are applying for, as well as any skills that could serve as a benefit. Avoid vague objectives.  

Education

• In your education section, your academic credentials should be listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent degree first. Make sure that you include the full name of the institution, the accurate title of your degree/major, any minors or concentrations and the date (month and year) of graduation.
• You can also use this space to list additional academic ventures such as international/study abroad experiences, research/thesis information, and your grade point average. General rule of thumb – if your grade point average is below a 3.0, you should carefully consider whether it should be included on your resume.

Employment History

• You should always place your employment history in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent job experience, and working your way back.
• Each job entry should include the name of the company, location of the company (city and state), your job title, and dates of employment. Once you figure out a particular format, be consistent. Make sure that each job entry has the same formatting (company, location, date, and title) as the ones before it.
• When listing your work history, use “action verbs” to describe your experience and transferable skills. Emphasize accomplishments and results - quantify whenever possible. Avoid "Duties included" or "Responsible for."
• As you begin to describe your work experiences, avoid personal pronouns (“I,” “we,” “your,” etc.).

Skills

• Use this section to list any relevant skills that you possess. For example, you can use this section to list your computer skills (such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, etc.) and any foreign language proficiencies.

Additional Sections

• Feel free to include additional sections/categories on your resume, in order to highlight your experiences, interests, and passion for a particular job position. Use these sections to emphasize your involvement in activities, organizations, and leadership positions.
• The possibilities are endless – some examples include: Community Involvement, Membership & Affiliations, Outreach, Presentations, Publications, Relevant Coursework, Service-Learning Experience, etc.
• Be cautious about listing political and religious groups/affiliations on your resume. Make sure that everything on your resume portrays you in a positive light. If you are involved in a group or association that has potentially controversial connotations, think carefully about how an employer might view it.

• As you begin to apply to different job positions, consider changing the sequence of information on your resume to emphasize particular job experiences, skills, or educational/research experience that match the position sought. 
• Avoid using templates for your resume because they typically do not produce the best resume formats. 
• Your resume should not exceed 1-page in length.
• In relation to font sizes and types, Times New Roman, Arial, Palatino, and Century Gothic (10-12 point) are common fonts.  Margins should be approximately one inch on all sides.
• Check carefully for correct grammar and punctuation.  Spelling errors are unacceptable! Always ask 2 – 3 people to review your resume for grammatical or punctuation errors before you send it off to an employer.
• The average resume requires 4-5 drafts before reaching a satisfactory version.  Edit each draft to improve word choice, emphasize relevant experience, and reduce redundancy.  Update your resume frequently as you continue to obtain new employment experiences, leadership positions, skills, certifications, and extracurricular activities.
• Print out the final draft on white or ivory resume paper using a laser printer.

Action Verbs for your resume
How to upload your resume to SpartanCareers
 
View videos on developing and perfecting your resume.

Download sample resumes

• Monday – Friday (12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.) – Meet with a Peer Career Advisor for a resume review in our Resource Library.
• Monday - Friday (2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.) - Meet with a Career Counselor for a 15-minute “Drop In” question-answer session.
• Monday - Friday (8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.) - Schedule a 60-minute appointment/counseling session with a Career Counselor, in order to obtain more information about this subject.

Please note: some items require the Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader, which can be downloaded from the Adobe web site.