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Resume Purpose, Design and Mechanics
The purpose of a resume is to market yourself to employers by succinctly summarizing your education,
experience and skills, ultimately aiming to convince employers to invite you to interview. When
conceptualizing your resume, think of it as a marketing tool rather than a simple work history, as it is
intended to promote you as the perfect candidate for the opportunity at hand.
Resume writing is an art, not a science. There is no one correct way to formulate a resume, but there
are some best practices and standards the Career Center recommends.
1. Specific: All applications should include a specific resume for the particular opportunity.
2. Formatting: Margins should be between .5 to 1.5 inches. Use the open whitespace to allow the
reader’s eye to rest. Fonts should be easy to read and be between 10 and 12 point size.
Recommend fonts include, Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, or Verdana are good choices.
3. Online Presence: Given the networking and job seeking that is done online now, individuals
should consider creating a Visual CV, or some other online presence, in addition to a paper
resume (e.g., www.visualcv.com).
4. Objectives vs. Profiles: Resume objectives are OUT (with a few exceptions). Professional
Profiles are IN. The focus should not be on what the applicant wants, but what the employer
needs, and should relay one’s value in relation to those needs (see section on “Using a Profile vs.
an Objective”).
5. What is your personal brand? Your brand represents the snapshot of your key value and skills
to an employer. How can that be incorporated into your professional profile on the resume?
(See section on “Creating your Personal Branding Statement”).
6. Consistency: Keep the formatting consistent throughout your resume. For example, if you
choose to bold a job title, make sure you bold every job title. Also make sure that all of your
bullet points, section headers, dates, etc. line up neatly.
7. Accuracy: All job search materials must be 100% error free. Be sure to carefully read through
checking grammar, spelling, and punctuation. It is a good idea to have at least 2-3 others
proofread it as well.
8. Use Action Verbs: Utilization of action verbs is still a very good thing! Strengthen your bullet
points by beginning each with an action verb that previews the skill to be exemplified in that
setting. This allows a potential employer to more easily scan your resume for what they are
seeking.
9. Length: For an experienced professional two pages is not uncommon, and is OK! For less
experienced, one page is preferred. However, there is no hard and fast rule.
10. Relevance: Given the targeted nature of resumes today, what’s most important is making sure
the most relevant experience and information for that opportunity is included.
11. Sections to consider: Volunteer/Community Involvement, Awards, Certifications/Special
Trainings, Professionals Affiliations/Organizations, International Experiences, Relevant School
Projects or Internships.