Sections of a Résumé
Since résumés are highly individualistic documents and should be structured to emphasize strengths, choosing the sections to include depends upon the goals of the résumé and the audience. The order of the sections of a résumé may also vary to represent one's strengths and experiences in the best possible light.
Mandatory Sections
Contact information including name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address, should always be placed at the top of a résumé. Make sure that your e-mail address is professional and that all information is current. Never include information about age, sex, race, marital status, or citizenship status on a résumé unless it is an important component of the job for which you are applying. One exception to this might be if you are a citizen/permanent resident with a name or background information that might lead employers to question your status. If this is the case, you may want to state on your résumé that you are a U.S. citizen or that you have permanent residence status.
Education immediately follows the contact information on most résumés of current students or recent graduates. If you have several years of work experience or are concerned about drawing too much attention to your education, you may consider placing this section further down on your résumé. Include the institution name, city/state, degree, and graduation (or anticipated) date. Cumulative GPA's are often not listed on graduate student résumés, although it is fine to include this information if you wish. Including significant honors such as Phi Beta Kappa or magna/summa cum laude under education is appropriate. If you are working on a thesis or dissertation or have published articles that are relevant to the job you are applying to, you may consider also including this information within the education section.
Experience should be the largest component of your résumé, where you describe your relevant experiences since entering college and/or graduate school. Internships, volunteer work, leadership positions, and other professional experiences should also be included in this section. The first line of each experience should consistently detail your position, organization, location and dates. Relevant tasks should be described in concise bullet points. Avoid long phrases and blocks of text that will be difficult for employers to read quickly. Be certain to keep your audience in mind: the experiences listed should relate in some way to the job for which you are applying. Describe your experience in language that the employer will recognize and be certain to choose a format to present this information that will connect these experiences to the job requirements.
Optional Sections
Objective. About ten years ago, everyone had an objective statement on his or her résumé; however, these are seen much less frequently now. Objective statements are useful primarily when distributing unsolicited résumés, particularly if you are unable to include a cover letter or if you fear that your résumé may become separated from your cover letter. When responding to a specific job posting, an objective statement is generally unnecessary as long as you have included a cover letter. These statements could potentially work to your detriment since their specific language could possibly exclude you from other opportunities available within the organization. They also tend to take up space that could be better used to demonstrate skills and experiences. Consider carefully whether to include an objective statement; if you do decide to include one, be careful to use correct terms and phrases and keep it simple (i.e., To obtain a ____ position in a ______ which uses my ____ and_____).
Qualifications Summary or Profile. Many employers like these brief statements, since they tell the employer a little more about you than a simple objective statement. This summary can clarify the skills and abilities you will bring to an organization, especially if your background is not an obvious match to the position. Sample qualifications summary: "Excellent verbal and written communication skills, honed from several years of teaching undergraduate students. Proficient using software packages such as Microsoft Access, FrontPage, SPSS, and SASS. Strong organizational, marketing and leadership qualities, as demonstrated by previous teamwork experiences."
Activities may be included as a separate section on your résumé, or these activities may be incorporated into other sections of the résumé. If you have an extracurricular or volunteer experience where in which you utilized skills relevant to the position for which you are applying, such as management or leadership experience, consider including it under your experience section. If you participated in an activity but were not highly involved, you may consider listing it as a bullet point under education or not including it at all. Remember to keep your audience in mind when deciding which activities to include. If you were part of an organization whose name would reveal personal affiliations (such as religion, ethnicity, political affiliation, or sexual orientation) you will have to decide for yourself whether presenting this information will be helpful to your résumé. If you feel that the skills you gained from these activities will make you a better candidate, then including this information may be important. Except in situations where advocacy work and personal information have a direct bearing on a particular job, however, it is usually best to avoid direct mention of your age, marital status, sexual preference, health information, race, religion, and ethnicity within your résumé.
Honors and awards may be included on a résumé, but they do not generally require their own section. As a graduate student, you have probably received a multitude of awards, and you do not need to list all of them to prove that you are an intelligent and hard-working applicant. You may consider choosing your top few honors and including them in your education section, listed as bullets under the degree in which you received them. Unless you are a listing an extremely prestigious and widely known honor, be certain that you provide a context (e.g.: awarded to the top graduate English student in a department of seventy-five students) since most employers will otherwise not know what this award represents.
Computer/ Technical Skills should be included as a separate section on your résumé if you are applying for a technical position. If you are not applying for a technical position, you may also consider incorporating these skills into the bullets of your experience section. Since most graduate students are familiar with standard word processing programs and Internet browsers, it is generally not necessary to list these unless they are specifically indicated in the job requirements. Computer languages such as SAS and C++ often have great value in the workplace, so highlighting proficiency with these makes sense unless you prefer not to use them in your next position. Familiarity with programs such as Excel, PowerPoint, and Access should be mentioned, as should skills with HTML, Dreamweaver, and similar programs.
Language skills may be included on your résumé, particularly if they are relevant to the job to which you are applying. Proficiency in foreign languages does impress employers. Be certain to designate your level of skill (e.g.,: fluent in Spanish, reading proficiency in German and Latin, basic skills in reading and speaking French). International travel (such as study-abroad programs) might also be mentioned in this section, if pertinent to the position sought. These items might also be listed in your education section if they do not warrant their own separate section.
Unnecessary Sections
References should not be included in your résumé. If the job listing asks for your references, put them on a separate sheet of paper with your name and the title "References." Avoid adding the line that states "References are available upon request" to your résumé. It only takes up space, and if an employer wants references, he or she will ask you for them later.
Publications and Dissertation information. On a résumé, list only those publications, dissertation topics, posters, and presentations that are directly relevant to the position you are seeking. However, you can include a phrase under your teaching or research experience indicating your publication experience, such as "Co-authored and published three articles in professional journals." "Conducted independent research leading to publication," or indicate at the bottom of your résumé that a list of publications is available upon request.
Other extraneous information should be excluded from your résumé. This might include very old information, jobs that are irrelevant (such as waiting tables or bartending), and salary history. Hobbies and interests are generally not included on résumés since they can be construed as unprofessional; however, if you have an interesting and audience-appropriate hobby, it can sometimes be a good icebreaker. Use your best judgment to determine what skills the employer is seeking and what is appropriate to include, and make decisions accordingly.