Resume Builder

Your resume and cover letter are often the first and only impression an employer will have of you prior to an interview, and the basis by which you will or will not be selected for an interview. Your resume should reflect your qualities, experience, and talents that are most relevant to the position for which you are applying.

THE WINNING RESUME:

• Is 100% honest.

• Presents your most important data first.

• Emphasizes your assets and avoids information which might eliminate you from consideration.

• Utilizes white space in a format that is consistent and visually attractive

• Is brief, concise, and easy to read.

• Avoids the use of personal pronouns.

• Is free of grammatical and spelling errors.

• Is limited to a maximum of two pages

Format/Layout

• Your resume should be brief, well organized and neatly printed on 8 ½” by 11” white or off-white resume paper.

• The resume format you choose should highlight your strengths and underplay your weaker areas.

• Use either the Chronological or combination format

Chronological:

• Is the most common format

• Is especially good for a person with a strong history of directly relevant work experience

Combination:

• Organizes your most relevant experiences into skill areas

• Provides your employment history in a brief format

• Works very well for career changers, gaps in employment, or little or no work experience.

Both formats usually include the following information.

Personal Information

• The only required information is your name, address, telephone number(s), and email.

• No other personal information should be included on a resume.

• Note: Use a professional greeting on your answering machine and a conservative email address for job search purposes.

Career Objective

• Stated  beneath your personal information, preferably including the position title.

• Should be brief and concise.

Education

• Include name, city and state of high school and anticipated date of graduation.

• Include GPA (optional)

• Career Technical Pathway, AP/Honors courses that pertain to your future position.

• You may include awards, special training, relevant courses, internships, and extracurricular activities, if they have added to your relevant experience.

Work Experience

• Describe your most recent job experience first.

• Include internships- both paid and unpaid.

• Include your job titles, the company name, city, and state, and dates of employment.

• Provide more detailed information about your experience that most relates to the work you are seeking.

• Use strong, descriptive action verbs to describe your responsibilities and accomplishments.

Activities and Interests

• Include memberships, offices held in clubs, or organizations, community involvement, and anything else that is related to your career objective.  List the length of service.

Additional Information:

• Include qualifications on equipment, certifications, licenses, languages spoken, computer skills and other relevant skills that are relevant to the position you are applying for.

References

• Do not list references on a resume!

• On a separate sheet of paper, list three to five employers or instructors. Make sure you ask permission to use them as a reference.

• List each person’s name, title, phone number, and email.