What is a Résumé?
A résumé is a marketing tool, a personal advertisement, used to help you get an interview. It is a one-page
(sometimes two-page) document that briefly highlights your educational background, experience, and
skills. It is not an autobiography. The most eective résumé must be well written, concise, organized and
clearly focused on a specific job title and address the employer’s stated requirements for the position. The
more you know about the duties and skills required for the job – and organize your résumé round these
points – the more eective your résumé will be.
General Guidelines
Your résumé has 15-20 seconds to catch an employer’s eye and get an interview. Make it count!
Paper
When printing your résumé for submission by mail or in person, use high-quality paper in conservative
colors (white, ivory, or very pale gray). Do not use paper with visible flecks in it.
Header
Utilize the same header on all documents (résumé and list of references). Include your name and your
complete contact information. Be certain your email address sounds professional (e.g., not
“prettypinkprincess@whatever.com”) and make sure your voicemail message is professional. Do not use
your work email address. Put your name at the top of page two on a two-page résumé.
Font & Styling
Use a standard font (e.g., Times New Roman, Arial, Garamond). Avoid casual fonts like Comic Sans. Text
size should be 11-12 points. Your name and section headings can and should be a bit larger. Utilize styling
tools such as bolding, • bullets, italics and ALL CAPITALS carefully for ease when skimming.
Order
Readers lose interest as they read down and across the page. Prioritize information in order of importance,
with the most important text up high and to the left where it is most likely to be read.
Numbers & Abbreviations
Spell out numbers under and including ten; use the numerical form for numbers over and including 11 (as a
general rule), unless they are the first words in a sentence. Spell out abbreviations unless they are
unquestionably obvious.
Format
Formulate bulleted statements rather than using paragraphs of text:
• Use white space between sections of writing as appropriate.
• Keep sentences as short and direct.
• Maintain uniformity, such as either using periods or not using them after all bulleted statements.
• Start each bulleted statement with an action verb. Use present tense verbs for jobs you are still doing,
and past tense verbs for tasks you have completed or are no longer doing.
Information to Avoid
Do not include personal information such as age, height, weight, health status, marital status, number of
children, military classification, photographs, etc. unless it is required for the specific position.
Templates and Sample Résumés
Templates and sample résumés will give you an idea of what the format of your résumé should look like.
However, there is no one right way to write your résumé. You can use a template as a guide, but customize
it to fit your needs. We recommend avoiding Microsoft Word templates.
Overview of Résumés
1