UMD Career Services

Resume Writing

A resume is an important communication tool in the job search process. It is a concisely written summary of your personal, educational, and work experience intended to:

• Introduce yourself to a prospective employer.
• Organize the relevant facts about yourself in a written presentation.
• Focus attention on your qualifications and accomplishments and demonstrate why you are an attractive candidate for the position being sought.
• Obtain an interview.

There are a number of ways you might write your resume, all depending upon who you are, what you have to offer, and what kind of position you are seeking. The three types of resume formats most frequently used are:

Chronological resume

lists your qualifications (education and experience) and other relevant information in reverse chronological order.

 

Functional resume

focuses on a summary of the functions you have performed (merchandising, counseling, etc.) and plays down dates of work history. The functional resume often is used by people without experience directly related to their current objectives, people with several career changes and people re-entering the job market.

 

Combination resume

uses elements of both the chronological and functional resumes.

Resumes may vary in content as well as form, appearance, style, and layout. It is important to remember that a resume is a personally written document that allows for individual creativity. It should present a positive image to the potential employer. By positioning the most important information about your experiences and qualifications first and devoting the most space to them, you highlight your strengths.

The following suggestions are provided to assist you in drafting your resume. There are several acceptable styles for organizing material in your resume. Although the names of the categories may vary, the following information should be included:

• Basic Identification: Name, present and permanent addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, and home page address if you have one and want an employer to view it.
• Objective: A brief statement indicating what you want to do. It is a critical part of your resume; everything that follows should support the objective. If you have more than one objective, you may want to tailor separate resumes to fit each one. Although some employers do not place importance on having an objective, many do. An objective indicates that you have thought about what you want to do, that you have some idea of what you are getting into, and that you have some direction or goal.
• Education: List institutions where you have completed, or soon will complete, some level of education, in reverse chronological order. High school is usually not listed. Indicate degree(s), date(s) of graduation, major and minor fields, honors, and related course work. List your grade point average if it is 3.0, or higher, on a 4.0 scale. If you list your grade point average, list the scale, too. If only your major or last two years grade point average is 3.0 or higher then list it and specify what it is.
• Experience: List and briefly describe, in reverse chronological order, your relevant experience. Experience may include paid and volunteer positions, full and part time work, and internships and should emphasize skills, accomplishments, and knowledge, using action verbs. Indicate your job title, name of organization with city and state, and dates of the experience. It is advised to include more than one "Experience" section by being more specific such as "Related" or "Professional Experience," "Teaching Experience," "Counseling Experience," "Management Experience," "Field Experience," "Research Experience" and "Additional Experience."
• References: Indicate that references are "available upon request" as a means of bringing closure. If you include your references with your resume and letter, you may say, "References Included" or "References Enclosed." Referring to your references indicates that your resume has come to an end and lets the reader know there is not a missing page. The people you ask to be your references should be familiar with your academic and/or work capabilities. Be sure to obtain permission from the people whose names you intend to offer as references.

The following information is optional and may be included if it will strengthen your resume:

• Special skills (or additional qualifications) - Foreign language proficiencies, special licenses, computer knowledge, travel experience or other skills or qualifications related to your objective.
• Military experience - If you have military training relevant to your objective, include ranks, dates, assignments and specific responsibilities under the "Experience" section; otherwise you may include a separate military section.
• Professional memberships, publications and/or student memberships in professional organizations.
• Activities - Co-curricular and community activities, especially if they are related to your objective, can be extremely important if you have not had much directly related experience. You may want to include uncommon activities to generate interest and make you memorable.