1. 20 resume tips in 20 minutes careers.southernct.edu Resume 20/20

2.  Your resume is often the first impression an employer has of you  Use high quality white, off-white or beige watermarked resume paper, no need for bright colors  Do not staple or fold your resume. Use a full size envelope if you are mailing a hard copy Presentation careers.southernct.edu

3.  Your resume should be attractive and appear balanced on the page  Always have a second pair of eyes review your resume Make it Neat careers.southernct.edu

4.  Keep your font size between 10-12 points, but consider that for some font styles, 10 may be too small  Use a basic font and keep consistent throughout the resume  Adjust the font size to get more information on a page or to fill up an empty page Super-size Me? careers.southernct.edu

5.  Use bolding, italics, capitalization or underlining to draw the readers eye to valuable information But remember… Too much can cause a RANSOM note EFFECT Make Important Info Stand Out careers.southernct.edu

6.  Your resume is a formal document, avoid using abbreviations  Use a professional e-mail address. Avoid using cute or suggestive e-mail addresses It’s a Formal Document careers.southernct.edu

7.  Omit all personal pronouns (i.e., I, we, you, he, she, they, it)  KISS Keep It Simply Stated  Tailor your resume for each position, and be sure to include key words from the job description You Have 30 Seconds careers.southernct.edu

8.  Use brief phrases that begin with action verbs to describe job responsibilities AccomplishedAdministered Compiled Completed Developed Established MaintainedManaged Organized Operated PreparedProvided Careerservices.com Take Action

9.  Focus on accomplishments, not just duties and emphasize results you have achieved by including numbers  Supervised 10 volunteers  Developed and managed campus club budget of $50,000  Authored 3 health and safety manuals  Completed a 15 week team project; researched and presented ways to improve campus parking Careerservices.com Mission Accomplished

10.  Honest information on your resume is a clear indication of your integrity, and employers can verify a high percentage of the information Careerservices.com Be Honest

11.  Common errors on resumes include the use of the word manger instead of manager, so spell check AND carefully proofread your resume Careerservices.com I Never Make Mistook

12.  Submit your resume in whatever method the employer requests (e-mail, pasted or uploaded into a web form, etc) Because formatting is often lost in translation be sure to have an electronic resume that is all left aligned and does not use any special formatting conventions. Before sending it to an employer try sending it yourself and others. If you are attaching the resume to an e-mail also paste a copy of your electronic copy into the body of the e-mail in case there is a problem opening the attachment. E-Applying careers.southernct.edu

13.  Don’t use gimmicks. Your resume will demonstrate to employers how you will represent the organization once employed. Instead of gimmicks impress them with your networking skills to get yourself noticed. In settings (such as conferences or professional organization meetings) where a resume would be cumbersome try a networking business card. On a Greasy Pizza Box? careers.southernct.edu

14.  Follow-up to ensure your resume was received. Be persistent but not a pest.  Cast your net far and wide; apply for numerous positions and consider a wide geographic area. Want more? Attend Job Search 20/20 for more tips on how to find a job. Ask your career counselor for a full schedule of events, or schedule an individual appointment. careers.southernct.edu ….And Finally

15. Center for Career Services Southern Connecticut State University Room 102, Schwartz Hall (203) 392.6536 www.careers.southernct.edu For More Information