Tips for How to Create a Resume

Employment Services holds a free resume workshop every week where you can get help from an employment adviser.

The purpose of a resume is to help you get an interview. A resume is the first introduction an employer has to you. In fact, employers will probably spend less than 30 seconds looking at your resume, and they interview only the strongest candidates.

As you create your resume, help the employer see that you can do the job and that you will contribute to the success of their company. Here are some tips to help create a resume that will catch the attention of employers.

What Are the Main Parts of a Resume?

Resumes look different for each person depending on their experience, but every resume typically has the same components.

1. Header. This includes your name, your address, phone number, and email. If you have a LinkedIn profile, include a link to your profile in the header as well.
   
2. Education. List your highest level of education first, including the name of the school, degree, major (and minor, if applicable), and date of graduation (or anticipated date). If your GPA is above a 3.0, include that as well as any other academic honors or relevant projects and coursework. If you don’t have an education or just graduated high school, you can show your in-progress education, highlight ongoing training or credentials/achievements you have earned, or place emphasis on practical skills and work experience.
   
3. Experience. In this section, write down your previous job experience, listing your most recent experience first. If you have a lot of previous job experience, you do not need to include everything, only the job experiences most relevant to the position you are applying for. For each of these experiences, list the job title, name of the organization, location, date, and duties. Start each duty with an action verb and keep it short.
   
4. List your skills. Be sure not to focus on only technical skills but also including your soft skills.

In addition to these resume components, you may also consider including awards and achievements, certificates, hobbies and skills, volunteer work, and language skills. If you do not have a lot of previous work experience, these other sections can be a great way to enhance your resume.

What Should a Resume Look Like?

Resumes are typically condensed to fit on one page to make it easy for employers to read. Your resume should also be grouped by sections with clear formatting for easy scanning. Consider looking at existing resume examples online to know what your resume should look like, especially for the specific field you are targeting.

There is more than one type of resume format, and the format you use depends on what you would like to emphasize in your resume: your skills, your objective, or your past work experience. Click on each type of resume below to learn what they are and when you would use them.

A targeted resume focuses on a particular objective within a specific industry or company. It highlights skills, qualifications, and experience matching a position’s requirements.

This format is most effective when you know the specifics about the position or company.