When you are writing a resume, there are a number of resume formats you can choose, including chronological, functional, and targeted resumes. However, regardless of the format of resume you select, there are certain guidelines that most resumes should follow.
Here’s information on what to include in your resume, as well as what shouldn’t be listed on your resume. There are also guidelines for resume length, font and page margins
Your resume should be as concise as possible; two pages is the maximum length, but one page is preferable. Here’s more about resume length and how long your resume should be. If you need to get your resume on a single page, here’s how to tighten it up and gain extra space.
Font and Size
Do not use ornate fonts that are difficult to read. Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, or a similar font is best. Your font size should be between 10 and 12 points although your name and the section headings can be a little larger and/or bold. Here’s how to select a font for your resume.
Page Margins
The standard page margins in word processing programs (1″ margins on the top, bottom and left and right sides of the page) work for most resumes. However, if you need to tighten the margins to reduce the length of your resume, it’s fine to reduce the margins to a 1/2″ on the sides and top and bottom.
Layout
However, you decide to organize the sections of your resume, be sure to keep each section uniform. For example, if you put the name of one company in italics, every company name must be in italics. If you bold one job title, bold them all.
Information to Avoid
Do not include personal information such as birthday, height, weight, marital status, children, etc., unless the position requires it.
Accuracy
Be sure to edit your resume before sending it. Check spelling, grammar, tenses, names of companies and people, etc. Have a friend or career services counselor check over your resume as well. Use this proofreading checklist to make sure your resume is perfect.
Here’s some information that you should be sure to include on your resume:
Identification
Include your name, address, telephone number, and email address in the identification section at the top of your resume, or consider one of these other options for addressing your resume.
Use a professional email address (i.e., johnsmith@gmail.com rather than soccerlover@hotmail.com).
Objective
This section is optional. If you decide to include a resume objective, keep it concise and specific; state your desired job or field, and what you hope to accomplish in that field.
Profile
Another optional section is a resume profile which includes a summary of your skills, experiences, and goals written specifically for a job posting.
Education:
Here’s more information on what to include and how to format a resume education section.
Include the degrees you have received in reverse chronological order (with the most recent degree listed first).
Be sure to include the name of each institution, its location, and your date of graduation (or expected date of graduation).
When applicable, include your major/minor fields, as well as your GPA and any honors, publications, and projects.
Unless you are a current high school student, do not include your high school degree.
Experience:
Here is more information on the experience section of a resume, including what to list, and how to format it.
Include your work experience in reverse chronological order (with the most recent degree listed first).
This section can include jobs, internships, and volunteer work. High school students might also include clubs and sports teams when applicable.
Include the name of the company, the position, and dates of employment.
List roughly three important tasks, accomplishments, or skills gained at each job. Use action verbs to describe your achievements; avoid passive phrases such as responsible for and duties include.
Skills (Optional)
Here’s information on the skills section of a resume.
Include any computer systems with which you are proficient, particularly if they are related to the position for which you are applying.
Include foreign languages with which you are familiar; state both the language and your level of familiarity (beginning, intermediate, proficient, fluent).
List any other skills you have that relate to the job but are not included elsewhere in your resume.
Volunteer Work (Optional)
You can include a volunteer experience section to convey your leadership, communication skills, etc. List the name of the organization, the dates of your volunteer work, and your achievements.
Hobbies and Interests (Optional)
You can also include a section on your hobbies and interests if they relate to the position. For example, if you are applying to work at a sporting goods store, you can include your passion for basketball.
