Resume Components
How to Write a Resume | Office of Career Services

They typical resume has several components. Which ones you use depends on what you are marketing and who is going to read it.

Identification
A necessity. Include name, address, home or cell number and email address. Do not use a work phone number. Be sure that all of your contact information is appropriate for use by the potential employer and that you are checking it regularly.

Objective
Provide basic information about what type of position you are seeking. Be clear and concise. Keep it simple and broad enough not to rule out any opportunities that might interest you. Focus on what you have to offer the employer, not what you are looking to gain from the position.

Highlight of Qualifications
Provides a quick reference of your strengths. Briefly state your achievements and the range of your experience. Use a bulleted formatted or a brief narrative. If you use bulleted lines, use no more than 4 or 5. Focus on tangible skills, avoid the soft/generic skills.

Education
List all institutions where you received a degree or obtained relevant training. List the name of the organization, city, state, degree (full name) or training received and when you obtained it. Additional honors or coursework may be included in this section. GPA can be included if over a 3.0. If you financed your education by working, this is an appropriate place to include it.

Licenses or Certification
This is important if it is a required component of your field. List full name of the certification or license and when they were obtained. If it is in process it is appropriate to list them and indicate that they are “pending” or “applied for” and when you anticipate receiving the approval.

Experience
Describe your employment, internships, co-ops, clinicals, practicums, field experiences, and volunteer jobs in this section. Use reverse chronological order. Include start and end dates (month and year), name of organization, location (city, state), position title, description of duties, accomplishments, and skills developed. Include action works and quantify information when possible.

Skills
Focus on tangible skills that you have used in the past. Common skills include computer/technical skills or language skills. Avoid including the softer skills such as communication, leadership, etc. Save those for the cover letter or interview.

Volunteer Work, Extracurricular Activities, or Professional Memberships
List any career-related activities or those activities where you developed transferable skills. Focus on those activities that you were most involved in or where you held leadership positions.

Honors or Awards
Avoid listing every award received. Focus on those that are significant and relevant. If the name of the award does not explain its significance, include a very brief explanation of what the award was based upon.

References
Create a separate sheet, with your contact information, for references. Only give them when requested. “References available upon request” is not necessary. List the name, contact information, and connection to each reference. Include only professional references. Always ask your references for permission to include them.