Résumé Guidance for Your First Résumé

By drafting your résumé in the beginning of your college career, you will have a solid foundation to continually update your résumé with new experiences. In other words, your résumé will be ready when the time comes for you to apply for part-time or full-time jobs, internships, volunteer opportunities, or graduate school. Keep in mind that your résumé is an exclusive list of skills and experiences related to the position you are seeking. It is NOT an exhaustive list of ALL skills and experiences.

Remember to schedule an appointment in Handshake to review your résumé with one of our Career Services staff members.

First Résumé Builder

Contact Information: Name, phone number, address, email address, website/ online portfolio (if applicable), LinkedIn profile URL:

Objective/Area of Interest: If you are applying for a particular job, list the job. If you are seeking for a job in a particular area, state the area of interest (example: Entry Level Finance Position):

Education: Degree name, name of institution, location of institution, anticipated graduation date. (Only include current colleges/universities you are attending, or degrees you have already obtained. Listing high school experience is not necessary.)

Experience: This can include full-time work, internships, part-time work, volunteer experiences, relevant extracurricular experiences (see articulatingexperiences on page 18), and major related projects. These experiences should be listed in reverse chronological order. Position Title: _______________Start Date: _______ End Date: _________

RÉSUMÉ GUIDANCE FOR YOUR FIRST RÉSUMÉ

Develop 3-10 bullet points describing your experiences. Each bullet point should start with an action verb (see pages 19-20). Use numbers and percentages to describe details of your work when possible. Example: Assisted 20 students with advanced algebra.

Position Title: ________________ Start Date: ________ End Date: _______ Employer Name: ________________ City, State: _____________________

Position Title: ________________ Start Date: ________ End Date: _______ Employer Name: _______________ City, State: ______________________

Additional Skills: Refer to any distinct skills of interest to a potential employer such as foreign language proficiencies, computer skills, and other areas of expertise.

Honors: Include special awards, dean’s list, scholarships, Honors College, honor societies, memberships, living and learning community involvement.

Activities: Include campus/community involvement, leadership and volunteer positions, and organization memberships.