Download Resume Writing

What is a Resume?
A universal job hunting and marketing tool
 A snapshot of your qualifications relevant to a
position or academic program
 A means of introduction or a reminder to
prospective employers, graduate admissions
staff or networking contacts

The purpose of a resume is to get an interview!
Resume Preparation
First Steps:
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Develop a clear career goal and clarify
the objective of your resume
Research jobs or graduate programs and
learn what skills and knowledge are
valued by employers or schools
Identify your qualifications, interests and
skills relevant to a position or program
of interest
Resume Preparation
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Research:
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Research field, employer, and position:
 http://careers.gmu.edu/student/jobhunt/res
earch/index.cfm
Career Library Resources:
 SUB 1 room 3400
Hire Mason:
 http://careers.gmu.edu/hiremason/
 Mason’s 24/7 electronic Jobs/Internships
database
Information Interviews, Networking:
 Mason Career Network
 http://careers.gmu.edu/cn
 User ID: student; Password: jack$$pot
Professional Associations:
 Associations Unlimited
Resume Preparation
Building List of Experiences:
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Past and current jobs or
internships
Volunteer work and
community service
Class projects – refer to
syllabi
Activities and student
organizations - show
leadership positions
Languages and technical
skills
Prioritize information:

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Focus on most important
responsibilities
What is relevant?
Tool - ONET
http://online.onetcenter.
org/find/
Resume Styles
Most utilized formats
Additional format option
Chronological
• Reverse chronological order
• Familiar to employers
• Effective for new graduates
• Focus on job titles work history
Functional
• Highlights transferable skills in
clusters
• Effective for career changers
and those with varied
experiences
• Focuses on groups of
functional skills and related
experience
Combination or Related Experience
• Two or more experience
sections, Relevant and Additional
• Showcases the experiences that
are most relevant
See Moving On Guide resume
samples for each style!
Resume Content
HEADING:
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Name – Put in bold to make your name stand
out
Full address – Current and/or permanent, if
applicable
Phone number – Include number at which you
can be reached during day/evening and a
professional voice mail
Email – Include a professional username
Example:
Georgia Mason
111 University Drive ▪ Fairfax VA 22030 ▪ 703-993-1111 ▪ [email protected]
Resume Content
OBJECTIVE
and/or
HIGHLIGHTS:
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Clear, concise, and tailored to position of
interest
Focus on what you are seeking and what
skills you will contribute, not what you
expect to gain from the position
May include specific title of the position, type
of organization/industry, special interest, and
skills you offer
Example:
OBJECTIVE: An internship in a non-profit agency
with special interest in working with issues of
children and families in need.
Resume Content

EDUCATON:
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List in reverse chronological order
Include name of degree(s), major & minor, institution, location,
city and state, month & year of graduation
Spell out degrees or use proper abbreviations (Bachelor of
Science, or B.S.)
Should include GPA, if 3.0 or higher; relevant courses;
honors/awards; study abroad; training/certification
High School is usually omitted from the resume after first or
second year of college.
Example:
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Biology, Minor in Spanish, Expected May 2011
George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
GPA if 3.0 or above
Associate in Science in General Studies, August 2009
Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale, VA
GPA 3.5
Resume Content
EXPERIENCES:
Include job title, name of organization, location (city
and state) employment dates
Statements describing your accomplishments
Statements are concise, descriptive, and include
numbers to show results if possible
Use action verbs to begin statements (see Moving On
for a list of action verbs)
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Example:
EXPERIENCE
Assistant Manager, February 2009 – Present
Sweetwater Tavern, Fairfax, VA
•
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•
Assist with management of a local contemporary fine dining restaurant
Trained 8 new employees on company database system
Commended by supervisors for customer service skills
Resume Content
SKILLS
ADDITIONAL
CONTENT
OPTIONS:
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Always include level of proficiency:
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Technical skills for example Microsoft Office Suite, e.g., beginner,
intermediate, advanced
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Language proficiency level, e.g., conversational, bilingual, fluent
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Skills relevant to position of interest
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP(S)
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American Marketing Association (student member), Dates
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Golden Key Honor Society, April 2010 – present
ACTIVITIES
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Role/title, organization, dates and major accomplishments
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Student organizations, volunteer activities, and community service may
all apply
Resume Formatting Tips
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PAGE#: One page recommended, two pages max
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FONT: Times New Roman, Garamond, or Arial – 11pt
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MARGINS: 3/4” to 1” Margins
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PROOFREAD: No spelling errors or typos
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BOLDING: Use bold and capitalization to highlight
DON’T OVERBOLD!!!!!!!!!!
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FORMATTING: Be consistent!
Resume Do’s and Don’t’s
Resume Do’s
Resume Don’t’s
DO keep your resume to one
page
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DO use a basic font, like Times
New Roman or Arial
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DO use bold and capitalization for
highlighting important information
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DO be consistent with your
formatting (if you bold one job title,
bold them all!)
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DO pay close attention to verb
tenses
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DON’T have any spelling or
grammar errors
 DON’T make your font size too
big or too small. 11-12 pt is
preferred
 DON’T use the words “I” or “My”
 DON’T include references on
your resume
 DON’T use italics or bold too
many items