It is important that your resume highlight your accomplishments, identify your strengths and abilities, provide an outline for an interview, and be tailored to the position and/or industry you are pursuing.

RESUME ORGANIZATION: SECTIONS

The following are sections commonly included in resumes. Click on the section name to read specific advice on what information to include and view samples. These are typical headings but not the only ones you can include. Use them as guidelines in developing a first draft of your resume.

Standard Resume Components:

• Name/Contact Information
• Objective
• Education
• Work Experience

Optional Resume Components:

• Summary of Qualifications
• Professional Affiliations
• Community Service and Activities
• Honors and Awards
• Skills
• References

Name/Contact Information:

Begin your resume with your basic contact information with your name at the top of the page. Please be sure your address, email and phone are current as this is where the employer will reach you to arrange an interview.

What to include:

• Your name (should be the most prominent feature on the page)
• Local and/or permanent address (where an employer can send you mail)

Resume Tip # 2

Your name should be the largest item on your resume and is typically 20-30 size font. You may also want to arrange your contact information underneath in a way that resembles a page header that can be used on other business correspondence like cover letters, thank you letters, etc.

• Local, permanent and/or cell phone number (where you are prepared to accept employer phone calls)
• Your e-mail address (one you will check regularly)

What not to include:

• Photographs, hobbies, personal interests, or other personal information such as
  age, height, gender, race, or marital status.
• Inappropriate email address (i.e. beachblondie42@yahoo.com or
  squirrelchaser98@hotmail.com)
• Phone number linked to an inappropriate voicemail message. Make sure to check
  what people are hearing when they call you!
• Remove the hyperlink from your email address when you type it in, otherwise
  it prints in blue ink.

Objective:

Usually located just under your contact information, the objective is a concise, positive statement about your work goals. An objective statement is optional to include in your resume. If you know exactly the job for which you are applying, write it specifically to the position description and insert the job title and company/organization. Conversely, if you are aiming at a diverse group of jobs, consider leaving the objective off the resume and explain your career interests in the cover letter instead. If you are somewhere in between and you want to include an objective statement, the following guidelines may help:

What to include:

• Job title or job category (Public Relations Specialist, pharmaceutical research)
  
• Place (geographic preference if there is one)
  

Resume Tip # 3

Don’t forget that your objective is a concise statement of your career interests and goals which are explained in greater detail in your cover letter which accompanies each resume you send. To read more about cover letters, please click here.


• Type of job (part-time, full-time, summer, internship)
  

What not to include:

• A lengthy sentence outlining job skills and past experiences
  
• Any reference to already seeking advancement before you get the first job (To obtain a position at ABC Co. with the possibility of advancement…)
  
• Total vagueness. If your objective is vague, you might want to think about leaving it off altogether.

Possible section titles:

• Career Objective
• Objective
• Position Desired
• Professional Objective

Education:

This is the section where you outline your particular degree program(s), what school you attend /graduated from, and the year you graduated/are graduating. There is some optional information you may include depending on your field such as GPA, relevant coursework, and accomplishments. This section is typically located near the top of your resume for new graduates.

What to include:

• The name of the university, city, and state
  
• Your degree and major, date of graduation (month & year) or expected date of graduation (click here for the list of MU degrees so you have the exact degree title!)
  

Resume Tip # 4

Do you know the exact name of your degree program? Click here to get the precise wording of the degree you are earning in your major.

• Minor and/or areas of concentration
  
• Optional: GPA, cumulative and/or that of major if it reflects well on you (typically a
  3.0 or higher)
• Optional: Relevant coursework that you feel will add to your qualifications
• Optional: Other colleges you have attended where you obtained a degree
• Optional: Accomplishments (i.e., financed 80% of education through..., consistently
  worked 20-25 hours per week while full-time student, graduated in four years, etc.)
• Optional: Study abroad including name of school, location (city and country), and time overseas
  

What not to include:

• Abbreviated terms. Make sure to spell everything out (i.e. Bachelor of Arts in Communication instead of BA in Comm.)
  
• High school information if you are seeking a post-secondary education or training. Freshman will have to include such information.
  
• Incorrect degree information. Make sure to look up your degree online to get correct wording
  
• Every class you ever took in the degree program. If relevant, you may include several classes but don’t let it overwhelm the page.
• If you have transferred several times, just include the school from which you are graduating/graduated from.
  

Possible section titles:

• Academic Background
• Academic Training
• Degrees Earned
• Education

Work Experience :

This section is typically the largest part of the resume, depending on the extent of your experience. It will provide details of your employer, the positions you held, and your achievements.

What to include:

• Job title, employer name, city and state, and dates of employment (list most recent jobs first and work backwards in time).
  
• Describe each job in a way that clearly highlights relevant skills. This can be done through several short concise statements that begin with a past tense action verb and are set apart from the rest of the text by bullets. You should also use high impact adverbs and qualifying adjectives (click here for list of action verbs and adverbs)
  

Resume Tip # 5

Unsure of your job title? You should contact your supervisor to discover the name or select a job title that captures the level of responsibility for the position you held.

• Detail your experience as it relates to the position or field of interest and put the
  most important and relevant duties first. For some additional info about
  “Transferable Skills” to include in the Work Experience, click here.
  
• Quantify when possible (e.g., supervised a staff of 10, increased sales by 15%, handled up to $15,000 daily, etc.) .
• Use alternative headings, if necessary, to separate experience that is most directly related
  to your objective. Examples include: Computer Experience,
  Sales Experience, Financial Experience, or Writing Experience.
  

What not to include:

• Paragraphs. Your history should be in bulleted format so the employer can quickly scan your work history.
  
• Short, vague statements. Be as specific and descriptive as possibly while still being concise.
  
• Personal pronouns such as “I”, “we”, “me”. It is implied that you did these things so start bullets with verb.
  
• Negativity. Everything should come across as positive and productive, even if you didn’t like your job.
  

Possible section titles:

• Employment History
• Career Highlights
• Professional Experience
• Career-Related Experience
• Internships
• Clinical Experience

Summary of Qualifications :

The summary of qualifications can appear near the top of your resume and summarizes your education, experience and/or skills. The summary of qualifications, like the objective, gives your resume focus and direction. It can be used instead of an objective or may be used to compliment and support an objective.

What to include:

• Statement(s) of breadth or depth of experience
  
• Relevant educational background
  

Resume Tip # 6

For many undergraduates a Skills section is a better option to identify desirable attributes rather than a Summary of Qualifications since many students lack extensive work or related experience.

• Skills practiced and/or developed
  
• Tailored statements that parallel your skills or experience directly to the job listing
  

What not to include:

• Irrelevant information. Make sure the qualifications listed match well with the job
  for which you are applying.
  
• Vague information. Be as specific as possible.
  
• More than five bullet points, generally. You have the rest of your resumeto explain in
  greater detail…remember, it is a summary.

Possible section titles:

• Summary of Qualifications
• Qualifications Summary
• Professional Highlights
• Professional Qualifications
• Competencies

Professional Affiliations :

You may create a separate section that highlights some of your memberships and connections with professional groups, especially if you have been an active member.

What to include:

• The name of the organization spelled out in its entirety.
• Leadership positions you have held within the organization.

Resume Tip # 7

Think about joining associations as they are a great way to network with professionals in the field. Many professional associations have student memberships at low or no cost!

• Optional: Years of your membership (2006-2007).
• Optional: Committees you have served on.
• Optional: A brief description of the organization if not
  recognizable to most employers.

What not to include:

• Abbreviated terms. Make sure to spell everything out (i.e. American Psychological Association instead of APA)
  

Possible section titles:

• Professional Affiliations
• Associations and Memberships
• Certification & Licensures
• Professional Activities
  

Community Service & Activities :

If you have volunteered or have been involved in campus organizations, you should include that information on your resume. Employers are looking for well-rounded candidates who are engaged in the campus and community around them. Someone who has worked on the Homecoming Committee, organized a Blood Drive, served in student government or mentored a youth is familiar with problem-solving, creativity, leadership, and perseverance.

What to include:

• The name of the not-for-profit or student organization.
• Dates of involvement.

Resume Tip # 8

Volunteer work is a great way to get experience in your field if paid positions or internships are not readily available. Some employers support volunteerism as a part of their company mission. See if the companies you are applying to have similar causes you support and emphasize that connection.

• Service Learning course names or projects.
• Leadership positions you held in student groups.
• Optional: Use bullet points to detail your duties and
  accomplishments if you had major involvement as a student leader or volunteer.
• Optional: A brief description of the organization if not
  recognizable to most employers.

What not to include:

• Abbreviated names of groups. Make sure to spell everything out.
• Controversial political and social organizations that are unrelated to your career path.

Possible section titles:

• Volunteer Experience
• Volunteerism
• Leadership Experience
• Volunteer Work
• Extracurricular Activities
• Campus Involvement

Honors & Awards:

Academic achievements are noteworthy on a resume and typically include monies awarded for your academic achievement (scholarships, grants, fellowships), campus honoraries and organizations (Honors College, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, etc.), recognition on the job.

What to include:

• The name of the honorary or organization spelled out in its entirety
• Full names of academic scholarships.

Resume Tip # 10

If you have been recognized in honoraries, with scholarships, and on-the-job, please cluster similar information together.

• Employment Award name and dates.
• Optional: Years of your membership.

What not to include:

• Abbreviated terms. Make sure to spell everything out (i.e. Omicron Delta Kappa instead of ODK)
• High school honors and awards.

Possible section titles:

• Academic Recognition
• Scholastic Achievement
• Academic Awards
• Awards & Recognition

Skills:

Some job seekers want to share their unique skills and abilities with employers. The skills section can appear anywhere on the resume and should experience and/or skills. The summary of qualifications, like the objective, gives your resume focus and direction. It can be used instead of an objective or may be used to compliment and support an objective.

What to include:

• Concise descriptions or phrases of your unique skills
• Skills that are relevant to the position for which you are applying.

Resume Tip # 11

Skills can be easily incorporated into your Work or Related Experience sections. Bullet points should include descriptive explanations of your duties and the skills you acquired and developed. To view a description and a list of transferable skills, please click here.

• A minimum of 6 skill sets so the section does not look sparse!
• Consistent structure and language (do not jump between adjectives and nouns
  when describing your skills)

What not to include:

• Generic skill sets that all candidates should possess (time management, organizational skills, etc.)
• Long sentences that are too wordy or too narrowly define your abilities.
• Attributes that are necessary for the position.

Possible section titles:

• Competencies
• Professional Aptitudes
• Skills & Abilities

References:

References are a key element of the materials you should provide an employer during your job search, but they do not belong on your resume. Your references should ALWAYS be on a separate sheet of paper whether the employer requests them when you send your resume or after an interview.

What to include:

• References can be listed in a variety of ways, either in a column format (list) or left to right across the page (may use Table formatting option or Columns formatting option).
• List the name, title, address, phone number, and email addresses of each reference.

References Tip

When contacting a potential reference, first ask if the person is willing to provide a positive recommendation for you. If they agree, please provide them with an up-to-date resume so they can speak knowledgably about all of your experience.


• Be sure to put your name and contact information at the top of the page in case
  your reference sheet gets separated your resume (or just copy and paste the
  header from your resume).
• On your resume you may indicate that references are available upon request, but this is not necessary (it takes up space and references are expected; you are
  stating the obvious).
• Make sure each of your references has agreed in advance to write reference letters or answer phone calls concerning your candidacy. References should come from professionals at work or school and must be able to address your performance and professional abilities. Never list personal character references.

Good Example: