Writing a Résumé
4
Style of a Résumé
Formaing
Résumés may be designed using a variety of
formaing styles. There is not one correct design,
but certain elements of the résumé have become
standard, while others remain a maer of preference.
The following tips are intended to help you create
a résumé that may serve your needs and represent
your individual qualications.
The format you choose should aract aention
and create interest. Choose appropriate categories
that showcase your most relevant and marketable
information. As a guideline, it is best to place more
relevant experience descriptions closer to the top
of the page in most circumstances. You may use
CAPITAL LETTERS, underlining, bold face, italics,
indentations, and white space to help emphasize
and draw aention to important information, but be
careful not to overload your résumé with these. To
see examples, turn to pages 7-11 of this guide.
Once you have selected a format, be consistent within
categories. The résumé should be easy to follow and
pleasing to the eye. Make sure margins are even (0.5-
1 inch margins recommended), bullets are aligned,
and there is a nice balance of text and white space.
An easy-to-read font (like Times New Roman or
Calibri) is recommended in size 11-12 point. Avoid
using Internet or software templates for your résumé
as these can interfere with an employer’s ability to
read the document when sent via email or an online
application. It is also best to avoid using color or
images unless your desired industry prefers more
creative formaing (for example, graphic design).
Length
The length of your résumé depends on the purpose
for which you are using it. In the private, non-prot,
and government sectors (with the exception of
federal government), the traditional résumé length
is one page. Multi-page résumés may be appropriate
when applying to graduate school programs,
scholarships, federal government agencies, or more
academically oriented positions.
Keep in mind the idea of “quality over quantity,” and
select only those experiences which strongly support
your candidacy for a particular position. It may be
helpful to keep a multi-page master résumé, which
documents all of your experiences. You can save
dierent one-page versions of your résumé targeted
at particular positions when it is time to apply.
Résumés for posting on the Internet
A common job-hunting practice involves
posting résumés on the Internet. There are a few
recommendations to consider before posting your
résumé:
y It is best to keep lines of text to 3-5 lines or less,
including spaces, to ensure readabilty of your
document.
y Employers searching for online résumés typically
use keyword search programs to nd résumés
of interest. If your résumé does not include
these words, it may not be retrieved during
the search process. To select keywords, read
through position descriptions and identify words
that indicate a skill, ability, or knowledge-set
employers appear to be seeking. Use as many
of these words that accurately describe your
qualications. You can also consider specic skills
and qualications necessary for success in the
eld of interest.
y Keep in mind that the information you place in
your résumé will be available to anyone who
wants to see it, so carefully consider whether or
not to include private information, such as your
address and telephone number.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Should I include personal information in my
résumé?
Personal information about age, gender, marital
status, and ethnicity is typically not included
on a résumé. In fact, many employers become
uncomfortable when receiving this information out
of fear they may violate federal equal opportunity
laws. It is important to note that this information
may be necessary when using a résumé to apply for a
position abroad. Other information, such as hobbies
and interests, should only be included if it is relevant
to the position to which you are applying. For
example, a person applying for a sales position with
Nike might list relevant sporting activities.
2. Do I need to write “References Available Upon
Request” on my résumé?
It is not necessary to write this phrase on your
résumé in the United States; however, you can do so
if you choose. Most employers expect that you will
have references available and that they will receive
this information either in an online application form
or on a separate sheet of paper from your résumé
(see example at the end of this guide).