Promote yourself effectively Provide insight about your skills and capabilities Be organized
Important Information There is information that is critical, optional, and not necessary on your resume. Here are a few of each. Critical Contact Information: include your name, appropriate addresses, email, and phone number(s) Education: Include all degrees, name of the school, city, state (no street address), month and year the degree was/will be earned Coursework: Include major specific courses or courses that make you unique Experience: This includes paid and volunteer experiences Computer Skills: Basic and career specific software Optional Awards & Honors: Any cool stuff you got for being you Activities: Involved in something? Put it here Interests: Not involved in much? Put interests that show your passion for your career field Not Necessary Personal: Anything personal such as appearance or political in nature References Available Upon Request: Unless your resume is really short! DONT USE MICROSOFT RESUME TEMPLATES: These look like everyone elses resume
Formatting Your Resume Making your resume look nice is just as important as what is on the page. Dont get left behind by not taking the time to be the resume on the top of the pile instead of the bottom. One page long Use even margins (no smaller than .5) Use a readable font such as Arial, MansSerif, Times New Roman, or other simple font. Use bold, ALL CAPS, underlining or italics to highlight job titles, degrees, or other important facts
The Hardest Part The hardest part of resume writing is turning your summer job as a lifeguard into interesting sounding descriptions. Follow these samples and tips to getting your descriptions right the first time! From Burger Flipper to Sales Co-op - Cooked hamburgers for customers VS - Prepared orders in a fast-paced environment with little supervision From Babysitter to Research Engineer - Watched children while parents were gone VS - Monitored activities, meals, and wellbeing for children ages 1 to 3
Both of these examples take the emphasis off the exact detail of the job and put it on the transferable skills. Those are skills that you can use in any job and field. When reviewing your experiences consider what were the underlying skills that you were using such as organizational, interpersonal, computer, analytical, or other such basic skills. Dont forget examples like these. From Involved Student to Any Co-op Alpha Beta Fraternity, Member VS Alpha Beta Fraternity, Membership Manager - Promote membership in organization and maintain accurate database of current and former members
When writing all these descriptions make sure the statement begins with an action verb such as those listed below. Make sure to use the proper tense of the verb as well. Old jobs need to be in the past tense and current positions in the present tense.
Sample Action Verbs Accomplished, Analyzed, Assisted, Audited, Balanced, Communicated, Completed, Constructed, Coordinated, Corrected, Developed, Enhanced, Established, Evaluated, Facilitated, Handled, Implemented, Improved, Increased, Initiated, Integrated, Managed, Marketed, Modified, Organized, Oversaw, Performed, Planned, Presented, Programmed, Reconciled, Repaired, Researched, Resolved, Reviewed, Selected, Supervised, Trained, Translated, Updated A GOOD RESUME ONLY GETS YOU AN INTERVIEWBUT A BAD ONE WONT GIVE YOU A CHANCE!
Mistakes to Avoid Here are the top ten mistakes that students tend to make on the first draft of a resume. 1. Forgetting critical pieces of information such as Coursework 2. Being inconsistent with formatting and content 3. Not describing work experiences in a clear and thorough manner 4. Not having someone look it over 5. Using a template from Word or other program 6. Using I in your descriptions 7. Forgetting to include relevant information from high school such as volunteer or extracurricular activities 8. Misspelling words or using abbreviations when not necessary 9. Making stuff up or lying 10. Forgetting to include courses that are currently being taken or will be taken before co-op begins
Still Need Help? CAPS &Co-op is available for walk-in appointments Monday through Friday 1 PM to 4 PM Co-op is located at 526 E. 14 th Street, next to Pineapple House Phone: 610-499-4045 Email: coop@widener.edu
Office of Cooperative Education Michael B. Smith mbsmith@mail.widener.edu 856-123-4567 Local Address: Permanent Address: One University Place, Box 168 512 Green Hill Drive Chester, Pennsylvania 19013 Cherry Hill, New J ersey 08367
EDUCATION:
Widener University, Chester, Pennsylvania Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, May 2014 Overall G.P.A- 3.4
George Washington High School, Cherry Hill, New J ersey High School Diploma, J une 2010
RELATED COURSE WORK:
Engineering Techniques, Computer Aided Design, Statics, Electric Circuits/Lab, Fundamentals of Engineering Materials & Design, Analysis of Linear Electric Systems/Lab, Dynamics, Mechanical Measurements I, Thermodynamics, Mechanics of Deformable Bodies, Fluid Mechanics, Calculus I, II, & III, Differential Equations, Physics I & II, Chemistry I & II
WORK EXPERIENCE:
Richardson Grocery, Vineland, New J ersey Customer Service Representative, September 2010- present - Assist customers with any questions or complaints - Operate Register and prepare food in caf
Alvern Gardens Apartments, Bridgeton, New J ersey Lifeguard, Summers 2008-2010 - Supervised up to 50 swimmers to ensure safety - Maintained cleanliness and orderliness of pool and pool grounds
LEADERSHIP and ACTIVITIES:
Widener Student Government Association, September 2010-present Widener J azz Ensemble, November 2010-present Widener Soccer, September 2005-November 2005
COMPUTER SKILLS:
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, AutoCAD, C++
Use bold or all CAPS for section headings and make sure the headings line up
Coursework is REQUIRED for all co- op students. List most recent courses first
Spell out the entire degree. Month and year only for graduation
If you choose to write out the state name, it must be consistent throughout the resume
Make sure to check the email address you list on a regular basis and make sure employer emails dont end up in the SPAM folder
Your name should stand out- bold and 14 to 16 size font
Only list phone numbers that you have professional sounding voicemail
GPA can go on the resume if it is above a 2.8
Any experiences that have transferable skills Start all descriptions with an action verb Never assume that employers will know you have computer skills. List important software for your field.
Beyond the Basics! Some important tips for making your resume ROCK! If you are still working the job, these verbs should be in the present tense Be sure to remove the blue underlined hyperlink from the email address