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The basic chronological resume for new grads gives the employer an easy-to-understand timeline. Your educational and work experiences appear in reverse order with feature sections displayed on the right of the page.

Resume Basics (PDF)

 

Name and Contact Information

Name
Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
Email Address

 

Objective or Summary

If you decide to include this on your resume, make sure to keep it short and tailor it toward a specific position or organization.

 

Education

Degree, Major, Name of Institution / Location, Graduate Date and Relevant Coursework

Whether or not to include your GPA can be tricky. A rule of thumb is that if your GPA is 3.0 or higher, then include it. If not, discuss your options with one of our staff in Career Services.

 

Experience

Name of Organization, Title/Experience, Location and dates

Description of the experience (what you did and how you did it - accomplishments). Internships and co-op assignments, volunteer projects, full-time and part-time jobs can all go in this section. Sometimes a new grad resume will feature "Relevant Experience" to highlight experiences that are specifically related to the job you're applying for.

  • Make it easy to read and understand
  • Use action verbs to describe what you did
  • Include keywords that match those found in the job description
  • Highlight your 'soft skills'
  • Quantify your accomplishments using numbers and facts

 

Skills

In general, this section is used to identify specific abilities such as proficiency in computer software, language skills, etc.

 

Activities

This section is optional but it could be very important to provide evidence of your key skills. Activities like holding an office position for a student organization, taking part in a theatre production, playing on a sports team are all ways to show the employer that you have sought-after skills - leadership, teamwork, communication and more.

 

Honors/Awards

Include those that are relevant to the job - demonstrating achievement and evidence of your skills.

 

A New Approach to Traditional Resumes

Imagine putting together a resume that includes:

  • Active hyperlinks to lead employers to samples of your work, photos, videos and projects
  • Touches of color or unique fonts
  • Images, graphs and text boxes
  • Social media and networking tools

Recruiters, HR managers and employers are often overwhelmed by large numbers of resumes that cross their desk in response to a job posting. Studies show that hiring managers spend less than 6 seconds reviewing a resume.

A good many of these resumes all look alike with the same buzzwords. In today's 3D world, a flat presentation of the job applicant's skills just doesn't cut it.

Read more about our New Approach to Traditional Resume (PDF)

Build a Resume that Employers Want

A resume is an essential tool for any job search. Your resume's job is to prompt the hiring manager to call you for an interview. Since each job and organization is different, the resume that opens the door to an interview with one company may not get you an interview with a different organization.

There is no "perfect'" resume, but you can build an effective one that is customized for each job. Your resume has to showcase what you have to offer, so think about your experiences and identify the skills you used. Then, determine the best way to present them.

Our staff in the Office of Career Services can help you get started and then review your resume before it goes out.

Learn more about how to Build a Resume that Employers Want (PDF)

Market Your Resume to Employers

Hiring managers are flooded with resumes for each job opening. How can you ensure your resume makes the cut? Here's some advice from hiring managers.

 

Do the Basics

  • Proofread for spelling, grammar and tone (ask friends to read yours)
  • Use a simple, easy-to-read typeface
  • Follow instructions in the job posting. If they ask for information such as references or writing samples, include them.
  • If applying by email, include your cover letter in the email.
  • If applying online and there is no space for a cover letter, put it in the comments section
  • Don't let the informality of email or text seep into your communications with potential employers

 

Organize your resume for the employer

  • Put information in a logical fashion
  • Keep descriptions clear and to the point
  • Customize your resume for each specific job and employer
  • Emphasize your skills, experiences, abilities and qualifications that match the job description

Learn more about how to Market your Resume to Employers (PDF)