Résumés
You can use optimal résumé to:
- Design high-impact resumes based on your major and career goals
- Easily create resumes in several formats, including Word® Compatible, Plain Text, and HTML
- Manage up to 5 unique resumes
- Include your résumé in your own professional website, which you can update, deactivate, and reactivate as your career progresses
A résumé gets you the job, right? Wrong! A résumé primarily gets you in the door. It is your marketing tool.
Categories that Must be included on a résumé
Name, one address, phone number and e-mail. Add a second address if you are getting ready to move, but include dates you will be residing at each address.
Education includes degree, institution, location of institution, G.P.A. (if > 3.0), and date of graduation.
Experience arranged in reverse chronological order with the most recent dates first.
Categories that Should Not be included on a résumé
Demographic data such as Height, weight, age, marital status, sex, race, health, picture of yourself, *social security number, *salary, reasons for leaving previous job.
* Some demographic data are required for Federal or International resumes. Contact us for more information.
Categories that Could be included on a résumé
Objective concisely describes what kind of job you are seeking.
Leadership/Activities include student government, fraternities, sororities, sports, bands, clubs, and organizations.
Honors, Awards, Foreign Languages, Research Projects, Publications.
Computer Skills includes the software packages that you are able to use. For example: Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
Additional Headings for résumé
- Your résumé should have a visual appeal that is easily read. Use a clean font (such as Arial) with 11 - 12 point type. Be consistent with formatting - always place information in the same place within each entry.
- Proofread your résumé to ensure there are no spelling, typographical, or grammatical errors.
- Choose a good quality 100% bond paper in a conservative color such as white or off-white.
- Organize information to have maximum impact on the reader - use reverse chronological order because your most important and applicable experiences, education, etc. are likely to be most recent.
- When describing your experience use actions words to create more powerful sentences.
- Results sell - include quantifiable measurements and stress actions that resulted in accomplishments. Avoid filling up the résumé with a laundry list of functions and responsibilities. Instead, grab the employers attention with specific projects, skills that you used, and initiatives that you took.
- Speak the employer's language. Include industry specific jargon, computer experience, trends, required skills that you have experience with.
- Include a targeted cover letter addressing the specific requirements in the job description.
- Avoid "I", "responsible for" and "duties included" before each description.
Résumé Worksheet (pdf)
The following resumes were created with Optimal Resume.
Résumé 1 (pdf)
Résumé 2 (pdf)
Résumé 3 (pdf)
Federal Job sample résumé (pdf)
Scholarship résumé 1 (pdf)
Scholarship résumé 2 (pdf)
Student Affairs sample résumé (doc)
Curriculum Vitae (pdf)
Curriculum Vitae 2 (pdf)
Additional Examples:
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