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Job & Internship Guide • 15-16
COMPONENT
BASICS
COMMENTS
Identifying Data
Put name, full address and phone number at the
top of the page (include area code and zip code).
Can also include personal web page or LinkedIn
profile if relevant.
Voicemail message, email address, and website content
should be appropriate for a potential employer. Don’t
answer the phone during a job search unless you are in an
appropriate environment.
Education
Name of school, major, degree received,
graduation date, projected graduation date, or
dates of attendance if degree was not completed.
Include any course titles relevant to the targeted position.
Honors and grade-point average are optional; include if
among your strong points. If you attended more than one
school, list the most recent first. You don’t have to list all
the schools you have attended nor high school. Additional
education and training may either go here or under a
separate heading.
Experience/Work
History
Paid and unpaid work qualify as experience.
Emphasize tasks, skills, abilities, and
accomplishments related to the targeted position.
Give the job title, employing organization, and
dates of employment.
Present achievements, contributions, and results (e.g.,
streamlined a procedure or made a cost-saving suggestion).
Optional components—use if appropriate for your background and the employers you’re targeting
Job Objective
A one-line description of the type of position you
want.
Follows your name, address and phone number at the top
of your resume. Should be specific rather than a general
statement of your interests.
Skills & Abilities
or Summary of
Qualifications
Foreign languages, computer skills, office
skills, lab techniques, or transferable skills not
mentioned elsewhere in the resume.
Skills and abilities can be combined under one heading or
listed separately. Make sure your list includes concrete
examples of your abilities.
Languages
Mention if you are proficient or fluent in a foreign
language.
If you understand a language but are not fluent, still
mention it. For example: fluent in Russian, conversational
Spanish, or basic French.
Activities & Interests
In reverse chronological order, list student
activities/organizations, professional
associations, and committees in which you have
participated. List any offices that you held, with
the skills you used.
Include activities and interests that show leadership or
initiative or that pertain to your career focus.
Community
Involvement/
Volunteer Activities
List offices held, organizations, projects, and
accomplishments.
If the setting is political or religious, you may want to use
generic descriptions (e.g., Youth Leader for church, Speech
Writer for City Council candidate). If substantial, these may
be listed under “Experience.”
Honors
Recent graduates and continuing students can
include academic honors such as Dean’s List,
honor societies, and scholarships.
Can be listed separately or under Education.
Research &
Publications
Briefly describe relevant research projects. List
published articles, papers or books.
Class Projects
List relevant projects completed in college
classes. List any research, lab skills, or software/
programming languages used.
This shows that you have hands-on experience and is a good
strategy for younger students with limited experience.
Travel
Include if your career interest involves travel or
knowledge of other cultures.
You can use this as a way of distinguishing yourself if you
have significant travel experience.
References/Portfolio
It is not necessary to end your resume with
the phrase, “References Available on Request,”
but this is the best place to state that you have
“Portfolio and/or writing samples available on
request.”
Create a separate page for references, see p 38. List names,
titles and contact information. Always ask permission
before using anyone’s name as a reference. Include people
who know about your work-related abilities, such as former
employers, volunteer project supervisors, and faculty. Do
not use relatives or friends.
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RESUME COMPONENTS
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