Resumes & Letters

A visually attractive and well thought-out resume is a powerful job search tool.

Remember, the purpose of a resume is to land an interview. Plan to craft a resume that gets attention and showcases your unique credentials.

"Fabulous recommendations made on my resume. It was wonderful getting that second look. The counselor was extremely helpful."
- KSU Student

What's Included on a Resume?

Each person brings unique qualifications and objectives to the resume writing process. The most effective resumes are designed with a specific type of position in mind and provide the reader with a clear, concise summary of your qualifications.  Resume content should be written and organized to emphasize your strengths and minimize weaknesses.

Get Started

• Begin a rough draft of your resume by listing your jobs, volunteer work, and other activities. Then list your responsibilities and tasks for each role. (Avoid using a resume template/wizard as these can create future editing challenges.)
• With each responsibility, identify the skills that were used and developed as these are qualities you can promote to an employer.

Refine Your Content

• Edit your rough draft to preferably fit on one or two pages, with the most important information at the top based on the requirements of the positions you are seeking.
• Have your resume proofed by one or two persons you trust as having expertise in resume development and your career field.  
• Save the final copy of your polished resume(s) in several locations.

Resume Rules 

• It must be flawless and contain no spelling or grammatical errors.
• Organization must be visually attractive with appropriate spacing and headings highlighted.
• Quantify accomplishments when possible (numbers, dollars, percentages).
• Content must be accurate and honest. A 2.9 GPA listed as 3.0 is not acceptable.  Avoid personal information such as age, marital status, height/weight.
• Print resume on conservative paper (ivory, beige, gray).  White is best for scanning.
• Do not use personal pronouns or complete sentences.  Use action verbs and phrases to describe tasks and responsibilities.
• If two pages, do not staple.  Place your name and "Page two" on the second page.
• Indicate numbers 10 and over as numerical, nine and under as written words.

Submitting Your Resume Online

Many organizations now instruct applicants to first submit personal information online and then upload, or copy and paste, the content of a cover letter and resume to apply for a job. This means that you will need to have the following versions of your documents ready to submit to employers.

• Printed Resume:  This is your typical resume with bulleted lists, italicized text, and formatting designed to highlight content. It is ready to print on resume paper for mailing or handing to contacts and recruiters at job fairs and networking events.
  
  Tip: If submitting your resume via email, convert it first to a PDF format to ensure it appears correctly to the reader.
  
  
• Plain Text Resume: This resume is aligned to the left and contains fewer design features (bullets and asterisks only).  This formatting allows scanning software to accurately translate the content into an electronic format and content can be copied and pasted into an online application in a way that will remain clear and professional to the employer.
  
  Tip: When hiring managers search electronic resumes, they use key industry jargon as search terms.  The more of these key words you use, the higher your resume may appear on the list of desirable candidates.