1. University of Central Florida
Resume
University of Central Florida
The purpose of your resume is to secure an interview with an employer. As your primary marketing tool, it must make a lasting first impression. Think of it as a snapshot of yourself and your abilities. This workshop will help you begin the process of creating your own resume.

2. Formatting & Appearance
Length should generally be one page unless you have extensive experience or graduate school work
Margins – 1 inch on all sides
Use standard fonts such as Times New Roman or Arial
Type Size: Point
White, beige, or light gray quality bond paper
Use a laser printer for best finish
Employers look at your resume for an average of 15 to 30 seconds. To this end, your resume should be clear, concise and easy to read. Generally, your resume should not exceed 1 page unless you have extensive experience or graduate work. Further elaboration of your experience would be more appropriate for the accompanying cover letter or during the interview. Leave margins from ½ to 1 inch and equal on all sides. Ensure that you have a nice balance between type and white space on the page. Standard fonts such as Times New Roman or Arial are recommended. Font size should be between 10 and 12 points. Consistency is key. When using bullets, underlines, bold typeface, and indentation make sure they are consistent throughout the document. Laser print your resume on white or beige high quality resume paper.

3. Heading Top of the page Your name: large and bold
Address: street, town, state & zip code
Telephone number(s): with professional message
address: professional, check on a daily basis
Website (optional)
The first component of the resume is the heading. The heading contains your contact information. It should appear prominently at the top of the page. Your name should stand out the most; use a large bold font. When listing your mailing address, make sure to include a permanent address in addition to your school address if you anticipate being away during breaks. Consider the impression you wish to covey by having an appropriate, professional address. In addition, your voic may be the first contact a potential employer has with you. Ensure that it reflects the impression you wish to communicate in your job search.

4. 83 Prospect Road  Orlando, FL 32837  (407) 555-8975  CSmith@msn.com
Sample Headings
Mike Jones
1 Meadow Way
Altamonte Springs, FL 32116
(407)
Susan Williams
Current Address Permanent Address
325 Maple St Sycamore Drive
Orlando, FL Miami, FL 36829
(407) (305)
Here are some examples of ways to set up a heading on your resume.
CHRIS SMITH
83 Prospect Road  Orlando, FL  (407) 

5. CHRIS SMITH 83 Prospect Road  Orlando, FL 32837
(407) 
This illustrates proper placement of a resume heading.

6. Objective Short Specific Type of position Specialized skills
Preferred work environment
Tailor to each position
The objective usually is found at the top of the resume underneath the contact information. Your objective should be short, concise and specific. Try to keep it to 10 words or less and indicate the type of position you are seeking, specialized skills related to the position, as well as your preferred work environment. The objective sets the tone for your resume. Everything following the objective should serve to support it.

7. Sample Objectives
Management training internship in a community service agency leading to a career in service to the public
Program development position working with geriatric clients
Paralegal position with opportunity to conduct title searches and other research
Tax professional with a national accounting firm
Special Education position with Orange County Public Schools
Part-time legal assistant position with a law firm focusing on environmental issues
The following are some examples of possible objectives.

8. CHRIS SMITH 83 Prospect Road  Orlando, FL 32837
(407) 
OBJECTIVE Laboratory position in diagnostic microbiology or related field.
This slide illustrates where the objective should be on your resume.

9. Education
Educational institutions or specialized training programs you have attended
Name and location of the institution
Major, minor and area of concentration
Graduation or anticipated graduation date
GPA – if 3.0 or higher
Certifications and/or licensure related to employment goal
Relevant coursework and/or thesis may be included
As you apply for internships or entry level positions, one of your key credentials is your UCF education. So, this information should appear next on your resume. The Education section will include information about the college or colleges attended, which degree was obtained or will be obtained, anticipated or actual date of graduation, and details about your academic program of study, including relevant coursework and GPA (3.0 or higher.)
When lacking significant experience, one way to convey knowledge and skills obtained is through listing relevant coursework. When listing courses, be certain not to provide a laundry list of courses; instead choose the courses that are most relevant to the position for which you are applying.

10. Samples of Education Section
EDUCATION University of Central Florida Orlando, FL Bachelor of Science May Major: Biology GPA: 3.5
Atlanta Community College Atlanta, GA Associates of Science in Biology May GPA: 3.8
EDUCATION University of Central Florida Orlando, FL Master of Social Work May 2003
  Bachelor of Science May Major: Social Work Minor: Psychology
The following are examples of the Education section.

11. CHRIS SMITH 83 Prospect Road  Orlando, FL 32837
(407) 
OBJECTIVE Laboratory position in diagnostic microbiology or related field.
EDUCATION University of Central Florida Orlando, FL Bachelor of Science May Major: Biology GPA: 3.5
Relevant Courses:
Medical Microbiology Molecular Genetics
Microbiology Physiology Immunology
Food Microbiology Virology
This slide illustrates where the Education section should be placed on your resume.

12. Professional Experience
Related employment (full-time or part-time)
Internships (paid or unpaid)
Co-op
Summer jobs
Volunteer/Service learning
Senior projects or academic research
Ideally, the largest section of your resume will be the Experience section. There are a number of ways to present information about your experience. Include all relevant experience such as employment through full time or part time jobs, internships, co-op, summer jobs, volunteer and service learning experiences. Remember that senior projects and academic research can also showcase your skills and may be included in this section.

13. Samples of Experience Washington Mutual Orlando, FL
Accounting Intern May – Aug 2003
Reviewed and corrected accounting entries
Assisted with financial planning input and analysis, and generated reports.
Identified nearly $50,000 in unpaid bills and mislaid funds through accounting audits
University of Central Florida, College of Business Orlando, FL
Graduate Assistant Aug – present
Assist in class preparation, update computer files, internet research, and other organizational
functions
Present workshops on resume writing and interviewing preparation
Provide individual career guidance and academic advising
When listing your experience utilize the following guidelines: list your experiences in chronological order beginning with the most recent first. For each experience, provide the title of your position, the name of the organization, the location, and dates. When describing your job responsibilities, make sure to use bullets and start each bullet with an action verb. You may have had numerous responsibilities or multiple successes, so be certain to prioritize your bullets.
The following are a couple of examples of Experience sections.

14. CHRIS SMITH 83 Prospect Road  Orlando, FL 32837
(407) 
OBJECTIVE Laboratory position in diagnostic microbiology or related field.
EDUCATION University of Central Florida Orlando, FL Bachelor of Science May Major: Biology GPA: 3.5
Relevant Courses:
Medical Microbiology Molecular Genetics
Microbiology Physiology Immunology
Food Microbiology Virology
EXPERIENCE Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta, GA Microbiology Intern May – Aug 2002
• Characterized LaCrosse virus from mosquito field isolates to determine if genetic differences vary geographically
• Extracted RNA from mosquito field isolates infected with LaCrosse virus
• Performed RT/PCR on the isolated RNA
• Purified complementary DNA products
• Quantified DNA product using agarose gel
electrophoresis 
This slide illustrates where to place the Experience section.

15. Additional Components
Skills
Computer
Foreign Language
Industry specific
Professional Memberships
Leadership Activities
Honors
Another area you may wish to highlight is relevant or technical skills. These are transferable skills you may have acquired through experiences including coursework, student leadership, computer usage, and foreign language fluency. As you acquire more skills in a particular area that may become a section itself – such as Computer Skills. There is some flexibility in terms of how you present your technical skills. For example when listing Microsoft Office software products you can list each application: Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint, or cluster these under the heading “Microsoft Office.” If you list a language(s), you must specify your skill level in the language. Keep in mind that if you list a language, it is fair game –an employer can dialogue with you in that language.

16. Samples of Additional Components – add a skills sample
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Counseling Association
National Career Development Association
National Academic Advising Association
HONORS, AWARDS and ACTIVITIES
Florida Bright Futures Scholar
Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society
Big Brothers Volunteer
Additional components/sections that can be included are: professional memberships in organizations, honors, awards, and activities. You may also want to highlight your leadership roles, extra-curricular activities, and volunteer experiences. If relevant, you may wish to include information about your involvement in college athletics.
LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES
President of Student Government Association
Pledge Coordinator for Sigma Chi Fraternity Treasurer for UCF Chapter of the American Society for Microbiology

17. CHRIS SMITH 83 Prospect Road  Orlando, FL 32837
(407) 
OBJECTIVE Laboratory position in diagnostic microbiology or related field.
EDUCATION University of Central Florida Orlando, FL Bachelor of Science May Major: Biology GPA: 3.5
Relevant Courses:
Medical Microbiology Molecular Genetics
Microbiology Physiology Immunology
Food Microbiology Virology
EXPERIENCE Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta, GA Microbiology Intern May – Aug 2002
• Characterized LaCrosse virus from mosquito field isolates to determine if genetic differences vary geographically
• Extracted RNA from mosquito field isolates infected with LaCrosse virus
• Performed RT/PCR on the isolated RNA
• Purified complementary DNA products
• Quantified DNA product using agarose gel
electrophoresis 
Let’s take a look at our finished product – the resume with all the components.
LEADERSHIP President of Student Government Association
ACTIVITIES Treasurer for American Society for Microbiology
Pledge Coordinator for Sigma Chi Fraternity

18. References Separate page that complements resume
Lists professional contacts who have direct knowledge of your skills and qualifications
References may include faculty, former employers, and internship supervisors
Obtain permission from references in advance
Provide them with a current resume and a description of the position for which you are applying
The focus of this workshop has been on what to include in your resume. Additionally you will need to provide a list of references on a separate sheet of paper. For consistency, the heading on the top of your reference page should be the same heading you used on your resume. Since the employer will request this information from you, the phrase “References Available Upon Request” does not need to be included on your resume. List professional contacts who have direct knowledge of your skills and qualifications. References may include faculty, former employers, and internship supervisors. Make sure to obtain permission from references in advance and provide them with a current resume and the job description. Be sure to select those who will speak highly of you and your skills and accomplishments.

19. CHRIS SMITH Dr. Jonathan Hopkins 83 Prospect Road  Orlando, FL 32837
(407) 
REFERENCES Dr. Robert Jones
Chair, Biology Department
University of Central Florida
4000 Central Florida Blvd
Orlando, FL
(407)
Ms. Louise Parker
Research Coordinator
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
101 Peachtree Center
Atlanta, GA 30001
(404)
Dr. Jonathan Hopkins
National President
American Society for Microbiology
1000 Dupont Circle
Washington, DC 58221
(202)
Here is a sample of what a reference page might look like.

20. Additional Resources
Career Services and Experiential Learning is located Ferrell Commons, Rm 185
Walk in resume critique hours are:
M-F 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Fall & Spring semesters)
M-F 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (Summer semester)
For additional guidance on resume writing, please visit Career Services and Experiential Learning. Walk in resume critique hours are also available on a daily basis.
Online resource: Optimal Resume