Resume Writing

Step 1: Brainstorm Your Strengths

• Emphasize your strengths you want to use going forward.
• Strengths are what you have a high interest level and high ability level in.
  • If you have an ability to balance your checkbook every month to the penny, but have no interest in working with numbers, accounting isn't something you would consider a strength.
  • Likewise, if you have a strong interest in acting, but are lacking ability in that area, acting would not be considered a strength.
• Use the Accomplishment Development Worksheet (available in the CUI Career Guide) to brainstorm past accomplishments that you may be overlooking.

Step 2: Choose Sections of Your Resume

• There are no right and wrong sections of a resume, but there are headings that market your employability better than others.
  • "Heading"- includes your contact information.
  • "Objective"- explains to the employer what you are seeking (optional if you will be personally delivering your resume to an employer).
  • Unless you have some impressive professional experience, "Education" will be included next.
  • Following your education can be any of the following: "Skills," "Experience," "Awards," "Activities," "Publications," "Community Service," or "Professional Associations."
• Organize your strengths and accomplishments under relevant headings in rank order of the most impressive.

NOTE: Education and employment should always be listed in reverse chronological order.

Step 3: Edit Your Resume

• Keep your resume to one page.
• Go through each section and ask yourself, "Is this relevant?" "Is this valuable to the employer?" "Is anything repetitive?".
• This will help you omit the superfluous information and keep the targeted information.

Step 4: Visit Career Services for a Resume Critique

• Have others look at your resume and ask for feedback on your information.
• People that know you well may remember something that you overlooked or forgot to include.