Career Services Office
Résumés
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A résumé is a document that provides an overview of your education, experiences, skills and other relevant information to support an application to a specific job. It should be a self-promotional document that presents you in the best possible light, with the purpose of obtaining a job or job interview. Résumés have no set format, although general guidelines apply.
There are many different opinions about the best way to write a résumé. In reality, there is no single "best" way, and the information presented here is intended to reflect the guidelines that are most widely accepted. Ultimately, the organization and content of your résumé is a personal decision and should be presented in a manner that will best highlight your skills and abilities. When constructing your resume, be aware that there are three important components to keep in mind: relevance, self-promotion, and visual appeal. Each of these elements will be discussed later in further depth.
Purposes of a Résumé
The main purpose of a résumé is to help you demonstrate that you have the skills and experiences necessary to be successful in the job to which you are applying. A résumé is an advertisement for yourself, and hopefully it will convince the reader that they should invite you to interview for a particular position. A résumé also forces you to focus your job search and identify your targeted employers, as well as to review and prioritize your accomplishments and communicate them to potential employers.
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