Résumés, Cover Letters, Interviews: Résumés

Resources to help you create a noteworthy résumé, write a cover letter that results in an invitation to interview, and tips on how to do well during that meeting!

Kinds of Résumés

Résumés are meant to show a prospective employer what you have already done and what you can do for him. There are a few basic kinds of résumé and different professions have different preferences. Uses the type appropriate for the job you are seeking.

Chronological: Lists your work history in a reverse time sequence, starting with the most recent experience and working backwards. It contains details like the company name, dates of employment, your role and responsibilities. This is the most common type, suitable for people who have worked in the same field for a long time and is also common for students and recent college graduates

Functional: Is arranged by skills and abilities. Employment history is sketchy and may be listed as a separate section.  This is often used by  those who have a varied employment history or are looking for a career change and by those who have no work experience. 

Combination: Is a combination of a functional and a chronological résumé.  It highlights the most relevant skills and accomplishments first and then gives the employment history.

S
ince the guidelines for résumés for entry level positions often suggest a one-page length, you are probably going to be leaving out a lot of information about campus leadership positions, university recognitions, internships, etc.  One way to provide that information is to include the URL for your ePortfolio so any potential employers can easily view this information.

Be sure to use the appropriate template and style when composing a résumé or CV with help from an experienced career coach in this video on Different Types of Résumés.

Websites

Employers will scan a résumé for about 30 seconds to decide whether to consider an applicant. Some may use an automated scan in order to short list résumés. This site tells how to get your résumé in the ‘for consideration’ pile.

This Résumé Workshop from the Purdue Online Writing Center provides detailed explanations, as well step-by-step processes, for creating an effective résumé.

 

A Résumé Guide from the University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign says your résumé’s impact originates from both the details you choose to include and the way you write about them.

 

Résumé and Cover Letters This libguide from the University of Iowa incudes résumé “action words."

 

This guide from the Enoch Pratt Free Library will walk you through the sections typically found in résumés, ways of formatting your résumé, and Web sites that can help you put together your résumé quickly.

 

Step by step tutorial on do's and don’ts of résumé writing, types of résumé and information to include.

 

Sample CVs and résumés for college students and early career professionals provided by Rollins College.

Videos

Building a résumé starts at the top of the page with personal contact information that should be centered on the page and easy to read. Write a great résumé filled with information pertaining to the job for which it is applied.

Get a résumé noticed by writing a better résumé objective that is concise, personal and relates to the specific job position.

A nationally recognized job search expert gives her résumé writing tips for your job search.

This video outlines how to write a résumé. Brad Bucklin reviews each résumé section in detail, including contact information, objective statement, qualifications, job history, education and achievements.

E-Books

Templates

Microsoft Word has pre-formatted templates for résumé—both chronological and functional.

Open Word and go to New. Select New Résumé Samples or Résumé and CVs. View samples and click Download for the one you like.