Resume Components

Your career summary is a brief statement at the beginning of your resume to show your audience you are uniquely qualified for this particular opportunity.  It should be short and catchy – 4-6 key phrases or bullets that sum up your greatest accomplishments as it relates to the job.  Rather than telling the reader what you hope to gain, make it all about them.

Your summary statement may include your experience, education, licenses/certifications, leadership roles, publications, awards, or other significant accomplishments. 

Which should be listed first - your experience or your education?  If you're qualifying for your next opportunity on the basis of your education, that section should be first.  If your experience is more important to the position, list it before the eduation section. 

When listing your education, list each degree, educational institution, city, state, and month and year that the degree was earned or is expected to be earned (in that order) chronologically backwards.

The experience section should list the following information chronologically backwards from your current or most recent position to oldest: your job title, employer, city, state, and dates of employment.  Under each position, list your skills and accomplishments.  Focus on describing past job activities that highlight the skills most desirable to your potential employer.   

As employers often give resumes a very quick glance, bullets are excellent for easy readability.  Compose phrases using key action verbs and terminology used in the job description.  List current activities in strong, present tense, action verbs.  Former activities that have ended should be stated in the past tense. 

Internships and volunteer work can be included in the experience section or listed separately in another section, depending on their significance.  Generally, employers focus on the past ten to fifteen years of experience as the most relevant.  Beyond that, you may elect to give a very brief summary of your work history.

Other possible sections to include on your resume may be: licenses/certifications, training, skills such as languages and computer skills, publications, projects, community service, awards, or professional associations. 

*use bold, italics, underlines, and bullet points to emphasis areas of qualifications.  Be consistent.
*Your font size should be between 10-12 point, and headers can be between 11-14 point font.

Name (Bold, 14-18 point font)
Street Address City, State Zip
Phone Number   Email Address

Summary Statement (Bold, 12-14 point font)

Here you will create your branded summary statement.  Write 3-5 short sentences/phrases/statements summarizing who you are and what you can do for the organization.  Think of this as your sales pitch.  A formula to consider is: Personality/Passion + Skills + Demand.

Education (Bold, 12-14 point font)

Degree Title      Month Year degree conferred
School Name, City, State             
Any specific highlights from your education (GPA, Dissertation Topic, Research, Specialization, etc.)

If you have multiple degrees, use this format and list in reverse chronological order

Experience (Bold, 12-14 point font)

Title of Position        Month Year – Month Year
Organization, City, State

·         Use bullet points or a short paragraph (2-3 sentences) to highlight your accomplishments/achivements

·         Start each bullet point with a strong action verb

·         Be sure to follow the CAR formula (Challenge/Action/Result) in describing your accomplishments and skills

If you have multiple experiences, use this format and list in reverse chronological order.

Additional Sections (Bold, 12-14 point font)

(Consider adding additional sections that will further highlight your qualifications.  Section headers may be: Volunteer Activities, Professional Development, Trainings and Certifications, Professional Affiliations, Honors and Awards, Presentations, Publications, Specialized Skills, etc.)

View resume samples in OptimalResume  for additional formatting ideas.