Resume 101 The Citadel Career Center The Basics

Resume 101 The Citadel Career Center

The Basics A student resume gives a potential employer an easy-to-understand timeline. It includes: 1. Header 2. Objective (optional) 3. Education 4. Relevant Skills 5. Work Experiences Extras depending on participation: 1. Leadership & Volunteer Work 2. Honors & Activities

First Impressions Matter • Problem solving skills • When examining resumes, employers say they are looking for key evidence of: • Experience • Work ethic • Leadership skills • Written communication • Analytical, technical & computer skills

Format Matters • Most career related professionals agree – format is probably ONE OF THE MOST (if not THE MOST) important part of your resume! The format must be: 1. Formatted so items are easy to find 2. Look nice enough to scan quickly If the format is not correct it will probably never be reviewed by the person who is doing the hiring

How to Format • Make everything easy to find by offering a clean, well-organized, easy-to-read resume 1. Help employers find critical information quickly! 2. A student resume is usually in reverse chronological order 3. Include the necessary items first. Then look for space to add extras 4. Be mindful about what you put in bold or italics 5. Make sure formatting is consistent across the whole resume 6. Check for spelling and grammar mistakes

Header • Name: Use full name to avoid confusion with nicknames • Address: Use full address (City, State, Zip) – can be permanent or school • Phone Number: Ensure your voicemail is set up • E-mail Address: Use a professional address you will check often • Linked. In: Include a link if your profile is updated and correct

Header Samples

Objective Statement • The jury is still out on this portion! • Ask someone who understands or works in a hiring role if you should include it. If you have one it should: – Be tailored to the specific position or organization – Be kept short, concise and to the point

Objective Samples

Education Section • Education typically appears at the top of the resume for college students or new graduates. Once you have job experience it can move down. • Include: 1. Full Degree & Major (not abbreviated) and Minor or Concentration if relevant 2. Full name of Institution & Location 3. Graduation month and year 4. Study abroad if applicable

GPA • Adding a GPA can be tricky! Discuss whether or not to put it on your resume with someone who knows before you add it (i. e. Career Center, Academic Advisor, Professor, a connection in the company) • Some employers use GPA as a screening tool. If an employer tells you to put it on your resume you must put it on there regardless of what it is!

Education Samples

Skills Section Provide a brief summary of skills related to a specific position • This section is easy to include when applying to multiple jobs through online systems because it can be easily and quickly changed • It is typically provided as a series of bullets or in a column/table format • It may include “Relevant Coursework” or industry specific “Skills” from prior work experience which translates to the job you are applying for

Skills Samples

Experience Section This is a very important section. If done correctly it may make me want to hire you! • List job title, organization name, location, and dates 1. Internships, summer jobs and volunteer work can all go here 2. Action verbs start the bullet and describe specifically and concisely what tasks you completed 3. Include key words that match a job description 4. Quantify your duties as much as possible

Experience Sample

More Experience Samples

Extra Sections • Leadership • Interpersonal skills • Volunteer Work • Organizational skills • Honors • Flexibility • Activities • Adaptability • Teamwork These give employers evidence of: • Problem-solving skills

Leadership & Volunteer Sections • Items to think about: – Holding an office or leadership position – Volunteering in the community – Leadership Day with The Krause Center

Leadership & Volunteer Samples

Honors & Activities • Items to consider: – Excelling in a course or earning an achievement – Study abroad or a cultural involvement – Participating in student organizations or clubs – Collegiate sports or clubs • Include those that are relevant to the job, demonstrate achievement, or provide evidence of your skills

Honors & Activities Sample

Resume Dos 1. Confirm that your contact information is correct – Can they leave YOU a message? 2. Use consistent formatting and fonts – It will show you took the time to make it right! 3. Highlight what makes you stand out by including information specifically requested within a job posting – Applicant Tracking System 4. Save as a PDF to preserve formatting 5. When sending, include your name in the subject line – Can they find YOU in their inbox?

Resume Don’ts • Use personal pronouns (I, me, my, we, us) • Make it so generic it doesn’t relate to any job • Write resume in paragraph format • Include photos/personal info like age, gender, or marital status • List high school diploma if you are a senior (unless you seek employment in the district/area to which you are applying) • Include references on resume • Repeat the same action verbs over and over again

Creating Your Resume for the First Time “Jobipedia has gathered tips and advice from its contributing hiring managers, recruiters, and talent acquisition experts from Fortune 500 companies to develop a resume generator that will create or polish a resume for anyone looking for an internship or entry-level job!” – Jobipedia. org

Steps for Creating a Resume With Jobipedia: 1. You can access the link from The Career Center’s website or by going to jobipedia. org 2. Create or log in to your account 3. Click “resumes” at the top 4. Select which resume type you want to create – Internship or Entry Level 5. Each time you log in your resume draft will be there if you save it!

Career Center Information • 573 Huger St. outside of Sophomore gate • Drop in hours Monday – Thursday, 1: 00 – 4: 00 • Email: careercenter@citadel. edu • Phone: 843 -953 -1617