Resume Components
So everyone knows how to do a resume, right? It's even easier since one of the most popular word processing programs actually provides you with templates into which you can simply pop your information. But how do you know what to put? How do you know which sections to omit?
When you draft your resume, please keep in mind that there are certain vital sections--and some that are not so vital. It's up to you to decide how to best market your talents, all the while keeping your reader's needs in mind.
The info on this page is geared toward the most popular resume pattern: the experiential or chronological resume.
The Basic Information About Resumes
Before you begin drafting, keep these tips in mind:
- Use good quality paper. Splurge on resume or watermark paper with texture.
- Choose paper that is "conservative" in color: white, cream, linen, light gray. Choose bolder colors only if you know they'll be appreciated by your readers.
- Select a font that is easy to read. Skip the fancy script.
- Keep the resume to a single page if you can.
Sections to Include in an Experiential Resume
Every basic resume should include certain sections. Here's a list, but please refer to the sample resumes to see how this information can be set up:
What It Is |
What You Need to Know About It |
Where It Goes |
| Name | should be the biggest thing on the page. be formal: even if your friends know you as "Bubba," don't tell a potential employer! | front & center: first thing on the page |
| Contact info | group together. include everything you need to for as many addresses as you have: address(es), phone number(s), email address(es). | either close to your name or perhaps at the bottom of the page, separated by line from resume proper |
| Objective | it must be reader-oriented: not what you want from the potential employer, but what you can offer the potential employer. use this or a similar structure: Position in [fill in blank] where I can put my skills in [blank] and [blank] to work [doing blank] for clients. exception: if you're going for an internship or a co-op, you can emphasize your desire to learn more about the field. |
after contact info |
| Education section | give all info about schools attended & degrees in process or obtained: school, degree(s; including majors & minors), expected grad date go from most recent back in time good gpas (in major & overall)? put both put high school info on? not a great idea (hey, you're in college now!) |
since you're still in school or will be a recent graduate, put this section next, after contact info. |
| Experience section | give all info about jobs held: employer, position held, job duties, time worked there for job duties, explain not just what you did but what you learned from the experience. this is particularly important if you include a job that is not directly relevant to the job for which you're applying. go from most recent back in time, except for jobs that are particularly relevant to your field or to the job for which you're applying. then you can play with the reverse-chronological order to prioritize according to importance. must you include all jobs held? no! internship & co-op experience can go here, because they do offer you experience--even if it's unpaid in most cases! |
after Education section (however, if you've held a number of jobs that are in your field, you can put Experience before Education!) |
| References | you have several options:
give all info about each reference: name, title, company, address, phone, email standard number: 3 (you can include more if you want, but fewer is not a good idea!) |
last place on resume |
Okay, that seems pretty light, doesn't it? What about Activities? Courses? Honors?
Actually, those are all optional sections! You can include any number of optional sections to flesh out the skeleton of the resume.
Optional Sections You Can Include on Your Resume
There are several optional sections you can include on your resume; however, you don't have to include all of them.
What It Is |
What You Need to Know About It |
Where It Goes |
| Related Courses |
good for informing reader about upper-level major or minor courses set up as list should be set up as a separate section, all on its own with its own title |
right under Education section |
| Special Projects |
think of any projects (solo or group) in which you've been involved that can show your reader you're dedicated to advancing in your field or the subject of your major best source for such projects: upper-level major courses almost the only section that can be set up in paragraph form! |
below Related Courses or, in the absence of a Courses section, under Education |
| Honors | include here honors, awards, scholarships include with each all pertinent information: full title of honor + date |
below Experience section* |
| Activities | include all pertinent information: activitiy, your role or position in it, dates, etc. if the activity might not seem directly relevant to the position for which you're applying (ex: an intramural sport for a marketing position), then you must show its relevance by indicating what you learned from the experience that would help you on the job. |
below Experience section* |
| Special Skills |
most often includes technology skills, either learned in class or self-taught could include languages here: foreign languages, plus even sign language |
below Experience section* |
| Other | Certifications? Presentations? Publications? Organizational Affiliations? |
place according to importance beneath Experience section*
*when you're dealing with placement of any optional section, place in order of importance beneath the Experience section. |
Before you read about how to create a visual design for your resume, it might help to consider some of the things you should NOT put on your resume: age, ethnicity, marital status, and religious affiliation. You don't want to open the door to discrimination of any form!