Building a Professional Résumé

Academic Advising and Career Development

What is a résumé?

• Marketing brochure
• One-page professional document
• Ideal length for college student or recent graduate
• Identifies your skills, qualifications, accomplishments

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• Targeted to each position
• Employers screen résumés in less than 30 seconds
• Relevant skills and abilities should stand out

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Résumé Tips

• Good visual appeal – attractive, professional layout
• Avoid using templates
• White or ivory quality bond paper, using laser printer
• Easy-to-read font (10-12 points)
• References on separate page
• Consistent formatting
• Bullet point size, type, indentation
• Font patterns (type, bold, italics, spacing)
• Error-free
• Even one typo can be cause for rejection

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What is a résumé?

“Your résumé should be built around the intersection of your

greatest strengths . . . and an employer’s greatest needs.”

Résumé Content

• Heading

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• Education

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• Experience

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* Note: objective statements are not usually effective

Heading

• Includes name, phone number, email
• Use a professional email and check frequently
• Consider: jonesj@unk.edu or jamesjones@gmail.com
• Avoid: broncofan@hotmail.com or fungirl@aol.com
• Establish a professional voicemail message and check voicemail frequently
• Physical address is becoming optional

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• Clean, simple format
• Name should be slightly larger than other text

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• Give minimal space to this section

Heading Examples

Education

• As a current student or recent graduate, “Education” near top of résumé
• Name of college and location (do not include high school)
• Degree (Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, etc.)
• Anticipated/Expected Graduation Date (Month/Year)
• Major, Minor, Emphasis, Endorsements
• GPA if above 3.0 (may use cumulative or major GPA)
• Optional
• Honors and Awards
• Relevant Coursework or Research Projects
• Study Abroad / Exchange Programs

Education Examples

Experience

• Include paid or unpaid work, internships, practicum, leadership roles, etc.
• Include name of the organization, position title, location and dates
• Follow with bulleted description of relevant accomplishments for this job target
• Use correct tense (i.e. if current experience, use present tense)
• Use keywords from the job description
• Use concise, powerful, action-oriented content (avoid simple list of job duties)
• Focus on transferable skills
• Quantify!

Experience – Common Issues

• Burying the best experience towards the bottom of your résumé – instead, use rule of relevance

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• Describing tasks, rather than skills & accomplishments

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• Listing skills with no context

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Experience – Rule of Relevance

Rule of Relevance: the more an experience relates to the work you are seeking, the sooner you mention it and the more detail you provide

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• Consider organizing experience into different sections, i.e. Professional Experience and Additional Experience

Experience�Which “sells” this person more effectively? �

How do I showcase my skills?

Experience Example

Relevant Experience

Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center Kearney, NE

Recreation Aid June 2018 – Present

• Manage a recreation center in a facility for youth in the juvenile justice system, utilizing behavior

modification techniques to ensure appropriate behavior

• Work with up to 20 youth at a time, allowing them to participate in various recreational activities
• Develop organizational skills through coordinating tournaments in various sports

Health and Human Services Kearney, NE

Youth Mentor January 2017 – May 2017

• Met weekly with a middle school student who was having social and academic issues at school and at

home, helping him to stay on task at school

• Took student to various after school activities in order to teach social skills

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Additional Experience

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Famous Footwear Kearney, NE

Sales Representative August 2017 – May 2018

• Strengthened communication skills through interactions with customers
• Assisted with customer complaints, enhancing problem solving skills

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Additional Sections (Optional)

• Community Service
• Leadership
• Activities, Honors, Awards
• Professional Affiliations
• Additional Relevant Training
• Research, Presentations, and Publications
• Military Experience
• Language Proficiencies

Cover Letter

With all of the other qualified candidates, why should we hire you?

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Cover Letter - 3 Paragraphs

Paragraph 1 – Grab attention (without gimmicks) and give the employer a reason to want to read on – tell why you’re writing

Paragraph 2 – Highlight your qualifications and connect to the organization’s needs

(Use key words)

Paragraph 3 – Refer to the enclosed resume and indicate interest in an interview. Thank them for their time and consideration.

Get Help!

What can we help with?

• Résumé critique – send to careerserv@unk.edu
• Cover letter critique
• Mock interview
• General job search advice