Resume Fundamentals
Marketing Your Brand
Your resume can be your most critical marketing tool, playing a key role in making or breaking your job search.
Because reviewers often spend no more than 30 seconds reviewing your resume during an initial screen, clearly
stating the value you can bring and tailoring content to meet their needs are critically important.
The ultimate purpose of your resume is to spark enough interest to get an interview with the company by:
− Highlighting your knowledge, skills and strengths that are relevant to the job you are pursuing.
−
Summarizing your personal accomplishments.
−
Emphasizing your career direction and objectives.
Your goal should be to make your resume visually appealing, readable, compelling, concise and informative.
Resume Formatting and Writing Tips
−Choose Arial or Times New Roman as your font.
−
Select a font size that is at least 10 point but not larger than 12 point.
−
Avoid spelling errors, typos and poor grammar.
−
Assure that content is accurate and factual.
−
Keep consistent indenting, margins and alignment—never use margins less than ½-inch.
−
Use regular round bullets. Decorative bullets often do not upload correctly.
−
Use tabs to align text. Do not use tables or the space bar to align text.
−
Remove hyperlinks from email addresses and websites.
Important Things to Remember
Resume Building is a process—not a one-time event.
Your resume is a reflection of you, so you must be comfortable with its content and any questions about it.
Keep track of your accomplishments!
Resume Writing Guide
As you get started building and creating your resume, here is an outline of what to include in each section.
Name/Address
· Your name should be in bold all capital letters and should be the largest point size on the page.
· If you have a name that may make it difficult for reviewers to determine your gender (e.g., Marshall, Mason, Pat),
it is acceptable to put a “Mr.” or “Ms.” in front of it.
· Do not abbreviate—for example, “Ave.” for Avenue—unless space restrictions make it mandatory.
· You may combine a cell phone number and email address on the same line. You may also list the street address,
city, state and zip code on one line.
· List your LinkedIn url AFTER you have edited it.
Experience
This is the most important section of your resume! Companies will judge your fit for their organizations by
assessing whether your knowledge, skills, past experiences and results meet their current needs.
· Place your full-time jobs in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent job.
· List your divisional employer when working for a multi-division corporation. If the corporation you worked for is
not easily recognizable, feel free to add information regarding its size, revenue, parent company, etc. (example: a
$3 million manufacturer of widgets).
· Highlight increases in responsibility, measurable accomplishments and promotions, wherever possible.
· Keep industry jargon to a minimum.
· List dates in years only, except in the case of internships. List internship date as “Summer 2012.”
· Provide a bulleted list of your accomplishments using detailed, action-oriented, results-focused statements.
· If an accomplishment bullet does not clearly define a skill, think about revising the bullet.
Education and Training
· List university names and degrees received in reverse chronological order with most recent listed on top. Do
not use abbreviations.
Certifications
Community Activities and/or Professional Associations
Create Compelling Accomplishment Bullets
When writing your accomplishment bullets, focus on the knowledge and skills you need to convey for the job you
want, not the job you had. Always ask yourself what the recruiter will find valuable, NOT what you find to be
valuable! Below are a few steps to help you write powerful bullets.
Step 1: Document your work history: List all tasks for which you had responsibility. To help you
generate ideas, review job descriptions and annual evaluations from previous positions. Keep these notes, as they
are also helpful in preparing for interviews.
Step 2: List actions and results: Use the SOAR framework to reword your accomplishment bullets.
Situation – Concisely identify the project, problem or situation you were working on.
Obstacle – What was the challenge or obstacle inherent in this situation?
Action – Focus on business language and tasks that are meaningful to the reader and use specifics
wherever possible. Use action verbs that easily identify the skills you used.
Results – Quantify results in business terms such as: increased revenues, reduced cycle times, etc. If the
result isn’t quantifiable, list the intended goal (e.g., in order to increase customer satisfaction).
The goal is to answer the question “How did your actions impact the business?” Follow these guidelines for writing
compelling accomplishment bullets:
Begin with powerful, past tense action verbs followed by results.
Try not to repeat the action verbs in consecutive bullets.
Quantify as often as possible.
Refrain from using pronouns (e.g., I, we, my).
Use objective language rather than subjective language.
List bullets in order of importance or chronologically if necessary for logical interpretation.
Overall, does the language convey leadership and teamwork simultaneously?
Accomplishment Before
Questions to Ask
Accomplishment After
Worked to improve inventory
system for product lines.
− What tasks did you perform?
− What was the goal?
− What were the results?
Designed and instituted a spare
parts inventory system for eight
product lines which reduced
material costs by 15%.
Evaluated ethnic marketing
opportunities and designed
business plan.
− What was your role?
− What results did opportunities produce?
Led initiative to evaluate ethnic
marketing opportunities and
designed integrated business plan
to increase share and loyalty
among ethnic groups.
Trained international sales
personnel on sales system.
− Did you only conduct the training or did you
actually determine the need?
− Did you design the materials & curriculum?
− What countries were involved?
Analyzed skills gaps of worldwide
sales personnel in moving to new
tracking system; developed and
delivered training to 350
employees across 25 countries.
Step 3: Know the knowledge and skills required for your career area of interest: After
doing your research, tweak your bullets to match the information that you have gathered about the key knowledge
and skills required for your career area of interest. When you are applying for a specific position, review the job
description and include on your resume the bullets that best match the requirements, job responsibilities and
qualifications.
Tailoring Your Resume to the Job
It’s important to customize your resume so that your knowledge, skills and qualifications best match the specific
requirements of each individual job for which you apply. Starting with the job description, follow this approach for
each position profile or job posting:
Assess the Position
1. Read the job posting and write down the top five responsibilities. You may need to “read between the
lines” to create your list. If, for example, the position reports to the vice president or has staff in various
locations, responsibilities will include providing support to the vice president and creating ways to
increase teamwork among the staff.
2. For each responsibility, describe all of the associated tasks—anything that the person holding this
position will actually do on a daily/weekly basis.
3. List the specific knowledge and skills the person holding the position must have to complete these tasks
and manage the responsibilities of the job.
4. List the personal attributes that the position requires. Attributes are personality traits that describe your
behaviors and how you perform, such as proactive, organized, perceptive, sense of humor and
diplomatic.
Describe the Ideal Candidate
After you have assessed the position, think about the qualities that would make a candidate the perfect “fit” for the
position, including:
− Ideal Work Experience
− Ideal Education
− Ideal Knowledge/Skills
− Ideal Personal Attributes
Write the “Ideal” Resume
Based on these qualities, tailor your resume to ensure you’re highlighting the most relevant and compelling aspects
of your past experiences and skills for the specific role:
1. Dissect your work experience into the kinds of responsibilities, tasks and skills shown on the position
posting.
2. What educational experiences or professional training relates specifically to the job requirements?
3. What extracurricular activities have resulted in learning, developed skills or strengthened personal
attributes that are tailor-made for this job?
4. Prioritize your work experience, education and other activities according to those apt to be perceived of
most value by the interviewer.
5. Use the wording or phrasing from the job posting, if accurate and appropriate from your background.
Key Knowledge and Skills by Function
While your first resume may be more general, you will begin to tailor it as you become more focused. Think like a
recruiter! Remember, recruiters are looking for specific competencies related to a specific position. Your results-
based resume should reflect these competencies, knowledge and skills. The following is a list of general MBA and
function-specific competencies that you should try to include in your resume.
Essential MBA Skills
• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Problem-solving and analytical skills
• Initiative
• Adaptability to change
• Interpersonal and communication skills
• Strategic thinking and planning abilities
• Global orientation
• Ability to leverage technology
• Time management and project management skills
• Prior history of results and progressive experience
Function-specific Skills Based on Concentrations and Key Functions
Corporate Finance
• Quantitative skills
• Basic understanding of accounting and financial management principles
• Ability to interpret numbers and draw conclusions from results of various financial strategy changes
• Ability to handle a wide variety of tasks
Investment Banking
• Strong quantitative and financial skills
• Team player
• Handle multiple tasks/multiple bosses
• Ability to analyze diverse information and formulate recommendations quickly
• Ability to synthesize large amounts of data into small manageable chunks and then communicate these
chunks both in writing and verbally
• Willingness to take risks, deal with uncertainty and accept occasional failure
• Ability to perform well under pressure
• Ability to take criticism lightly
• Aggressiveness, strong internal motivation and ambition
Consulting/Strategy
• Evidence of solid intellectual capacity
• Ability to elicit information from others and to synthesize that information into a cohesive story
• Strong listening skills
• Ability to communicate with all levels of management, from line managers to the CEO
• Ability to see the big picture
• Solid business judgment and desire to tackle complex business problems
• Creative/conceptual ways of thinking
• Ability to determine key issues from confused and incomplete information
• Project management skills
• Professional presence
• Ability to assess situations and devise solutions
Marketing
• Ability to motivate others not under your control
• Strategic thinking
• Multi-functional team experience
• Tolerance of ambiguity; flexibility
• Creativity
• Quantitative/research skills
• Coordination/project management skills
• Presentation skills
• Ability to recognize key factors in extensive data
• Passion
• Knowledge of marketing principles and experience marketing something
Operations/Manufacturing
• Ability to work with a wide variety of people
• Basic understanding of the supply chain and a production environment
• Preference for a variety of tasks
• Quantitative skills
• Ability to coordinate with departments and individuals not under your control
• Ability to initiate and implement major projects
Human and Organizational Performance
• Strong presentation, communication and interpersonal skills
• Mentoring/coaching experience
• Management skills
• Analytical skills
• General business understanding
• Basic understanding of change management and organizational processes
• Analytical and quantitative skills
• Ability to understand how business results ultimately tie to human performance
• Basic understanding of the HR generalist role
Sample Resume Bullets
The collection of resume bullets listed in this section not only gives you an idea of how to present your
accomplishments on your resume, but it also provides you with a glimpse of what types of projects and work you
could be doing during your summer experience.
Consulting/Strategy
Analyst, Strategy and Operations
− Conducted competitive analysis evaluating pricing zones and ad zones and identifying key competitors in
various markets for a Fortune 500 retail client; results to be used for benchmarking items comprising 75% of
chain-wide revenues.
Associate, Strategy and Operations (Financial Shared Services: Retail Client)
− Designed framework of Key Performance Metrics to evaluate the associates and devised reporting structures
for leadership in the form of scorecards giving a concise view of financial operations.
− Presented best practices for Service Level Agreements for shared services centers and the various pricing
models used therein to client executives and department heads.
− Identified key activities to be performed by Shared Services Center to realize cost savings of up to $2 million
and made recommendations for designing the global financial operational process for the client.
Health Care Consultant
− Analyzed workflow and developed Value Stream Process Maps in a cross-functional team to implement
improvements; streamlined patient flow in OR by employing pull system; reduced prepped wait by 35%.
− Constructed a strategy for a health care provider based on physician productivity to dissolve uncompetitive
OB/GYN practice; resulted in savings in excess of $1 million.
Financial Services
Associate -- Private Banking
− Created asset allocation draft proposals for clients and prospective clients.
− Prepared investment product/service presentation materials for relationship managers.
− Presented product overviews and pitches to firm executives and product specialists.
− Monitored global investment markets through attending daily equity research overview.
− Attended Private Banking training program covering managed equity, fixed income, private equity,
equity overlay strategies, trust and estate planning, and legal and compliance.
Research Associate, Small and Mid-cap European Equities
− Applied value and activist investing strategies at $300 million hedge fund managed by European investor David
Marcus.
− Evaluated potential investments by interviewing management teams of European small and mid-cap companies.
− Recommended investments in two French logistics companies based on in-depth research of the Central
European logistics industry.
− Created and designed a pitch book, including valuation, recommending the break-up and sale of a Swedish IT
company for which the portfolio manager is Chairman of the Board.
− Conducted due diligence and created pitch book for the first target of a potential private equity vehicle.
Investment Analyst
− Developed hedged equity strategies by means of self-made quantitative models incorporating market and
fundamental ratios using tools like Compustat, Capital IQ and Excel.
− Constructed a portfolio monitor and developed trading screen in Excel to visualize dynamic long/short/mixed
positions with minimum required upside/downside characteristics and high expected return potential.
− Fundamentally researched/analyzed companies based on historic ratios and potential future cash flows to
compare intrinsic value to market value and identify potential catalyst or trigger.
Corporate Finance
Financial Analyst Intern
− Created a projection of 2008 commercial membership to estimate demand for three newly proposed health
coaching delivery methods. Worked with special project and financial consultants to develop a plan estimate
to produce $650,000 in increased revenues.
− Built a flexible and integrated Excel model to estimate pricing for new health coaching services.
− Interviewed various groups throughout company to establish structure and cost estimates for the new health
coaching programs.
Corporate Financial Planning and Analysis – Graduate Intern
− Rebuilt and enhanced Shares Outstanding projection model to more accurately represent three-year
projection of earnings per share numbers.
− Analyzed and presented management with EPS scenarios under varying share repurchase programs.
− Collaborated with investor relations management to draft Q2 earnings call summary and press release.
− Used variance analysis to determine changes in year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter R&D expenditures.
Associate – Finance Development Program
− Improved the budgeting and forecasting planning process by initiating a new process to determine market data
more accurately.
− Analyzed historic market size and share data to forecast future sales and determine budgeting requirements
for multiple business units.
− Evaluated research capabilities of various market research firms and negotiated services and costs
based on a limited budget.
HOP
Human Resources Associate
− Analyzed employee satisfaction survey data for an organization of 1,200 people and presented
recommendations to leadership team including the General Manager, Director and team leaders.
− Created new recruitment strategy that shortened the recruiting cycle by 15%, optimized resources
and provided more effective ways to identify and select top candidates.
− Developed accountability model for an organization of 350 people to assist with the coordination, delivery and
measures of success for current and future leadership development training programs.
Global Human Resources
− Mapped out a communication and training plan to increase productivity through added transparency
in the company’s pay-for-performance strategy, impacting more than 3,000 managers and associates.
− Collaborated with more than 100 leaders and line of business teams to gather data and assess project barriers
to ensure senior leadership buy-in and optimize project outcomes.
Marketing
Associate Brand Manager, ABC Division
− Managed the execution of a national television and online direct response campaign. Controlled a $200,000
budget, developed inventory forecasts and administered supply logistics. Analysis provided
a framework for future campaigns.
− Examined consumer trends and historical performance to delineate competitive analysis; identified unique
opportunities for brand and supported implementation by authoring integrated marketing plan.
− Researched website monetization and presented concept on user-defined products to CFO and marketing
division.
Global Brand Communications
− Led the creation and launch of a global public relations campaign spotlighting key business achievements of
ABC Company. Secured coverage in more than 70 print and online publications.
− Conducted focus group and analyzed results to provide recommendations to agency for the corporate
website redesign.
− Designed and implemented a creative global strategy to increase insight into the youth consumer market to
ultimately secure a larger market share.
Business Development, Health Care
− Analyzed historic market characteristics of competing products’ usage and reimbursement rates in order to
develop and implement market rollout strategy focused on targeted consumer.
Operations
Assistant Manager,Store Operations
− Originated, conceptualized and proposed to the CEO a competitive bidding process projected to
lower company-wide maintenance costs by $4.4 million and reduce workload in the field by 2,080
days annually.
− Led the planning, data gathering, analysis, scope and recommendation phases of a three-month project to
understand and explain the 54% growth of maintenance expenses across approximately 8,300 stores.
− Identified and recommended a process enhancement expected to improve labor efficiency around vendor
invoicing by $242K annually.
Corporate Sponsorship MBA Program
− Created web portal for tracking and implementation of new Advanced Product Quality Planning initiative;
developed status tracking method; modified and created supplemental forms for project documentation.
− Compiled data and created presentations reviewing the past five years and projecting the future
five-year plan for the annual Profitability Review with COO.
− Analyzed all cost reduction projects greater than $5,000 for Tennessee, China and Mexico plants for the
annual Financial Review; verified cost savings and project implementation date; categorized the cost savings
projects to the appropriate accounts.
Real Estate
Intern
− Underwrote the proposed sale, including Argus runs and preliminary investment memorandum, of
a $35 million industrial portfolio, a $10 million office building and a $45 million industrial portfolio.
− Performed feasibility studies and market research for six proposed developments including competitive
analysis, sales calls and research on demographics, traffic, zoning and utilities.
− Maintained the Nashville Operating Budget requiring monthly updates to reforecast management fees,
development and construction fees, leasing commissions and operating costs.
Real Estate Development
− Conducted market research and feasibility analysis to evaluate potential property acquisitions.
− Created pro-forma financial models for multiple developments to forecast profits and assess risks.
− Pitched opportunistic investment proposals and development sites to the firm.
Resume Action Verbs—By Skill Sets
Refer to this list of strong action verbs when writing your resume bullets.
Communication Skills
Addressed
Consulted
Mediated
Referred
Advertised
Contacted
Moderated
Reinforced
Answered
Conveyed
Negotiated
Reported
Arbitrated
Convinced
Observed
Resolved
Arranged
Corresponded
Outlined
Responded
Articulated
Critiqued
Persuaded
Simplified
Authored
Debated
Presented
Solicited
Briefed
Defined
Promoted
Suggested
Clarified
Directed
Proposed
Summarized
Communicated
Discussed
Publicized
Synthesized
Compiled
Documented
Recommended
Taught
Composed
Drafted
Reconciled
Translated
Condensed
Edited
Recorded
Transmitted
Conferred
Elicited
Recruited
Wrote
Management Leadership Skills
Accelerated
Coordinated
Executed
Instituted
Recommended
Administered
Decided
Expanded
Launched
Reduced
Advanced
Decreased
Expedited
Led
Reorganized
Analyzed
Delegated
Generated
Managed
Replaced
Anticipated
Determined
Governed
Merged
Restored
Appointed
Developed
Handled
Motivated
Reviewed
Approved
Directed
Headed
Navigated
Scheduled
Assigned
Doubled
Hired
Organized
Secured
Attained
Eliminated
Hosted
Originated
Selected
Authorized
Emphasized
Implemented
Overhauled
Streamlined
Commanded
Enforced
Improved
Oversaw
Strengthened
Consolidated
Enhanced
Incorporated
Planned
Supervised
Contracted
Envisioned
Increased
Presided
Controlled
Established
Initiated
Prioritized
Converted
Exceeded
Inspected
Produced
People Skills
Adapted
Counseled
Managed
Resolved
Advised
Critiqued
Mediated
Simulated
Advocated
Cultivated
Mentored
Staffed
Assessed
Demonstrated
Motivated
Stimulated
Championed
Developed
Persuaded
Supervised
Clarified
Diagnosed
Prevented
Supported
Coached
Directed
Recruited
Taught
Collaborated
Educated
Referred
Trained
Communicated
Enabled
Rehabilitated
Tutored
Coordinated
Encouraged
Represented
Volunteered
Planning and Administrative Skills
Activated
Consolidated
Orchestrated
Routed
Amended
Coordinated
Ordered
Scheduled
Approved
Corrected
Organized
Solved
Arranged
Corresponded
Planned
Standardized
Catalogued
Decentralized
Prepared
Submitted
Categorized
Deployed
Procured
Supplied
Centralized
Developed
Projected
Systematized
Charted
Distributed
Provided
Transformed
Classified
Engineered
Purchased
Updated
Coded
Estimated
Recorded
Validated
Collected
Executed
Registered
Verified
Compiled
Exported
Reorganized
Connected
Filed
Reserved
Conserved
Formalized
Reviewed
Research and Investigative
Analyzed
Critiqued
Observed
Surveyed
Assessed
Detected
Organized
Systematized
Clarified
Determined
Proved
Tested
Collected
Diagnosed
Researched
Verified
Compared
Discovered
Reviewed
Computed
Evaluated
Searched
Conducted
Examined
Solved
Correlated
Experimented
Studied
Technical Skills
Adapted
Constructed
Fabricated
Printed
Restored
Applied
Converted
Fortified
Programmed
Solved
Assembled
Debugged
Installed
Rectified
Specialized
Built
Designed
Maintained
Regulated
Standardized
Calculated
Determined
Manufactured
Remodeled
Studied
Computed
Developed
Operated
Repaired
Upgraded
Conserved
Engineered
Overhauled
Replaced
Utilized
Quantitative and Analytical Skills
Adapted
Compared
Estimated
Measured
Strategized
Analyzed
Concluded
Evaluated
Observed
Targeted
Applied
Consulted
Examined
Prospected
Assessed
Critiqued
Hypothesized
Questioned
Calculated
Defined
Identified
Reviewed
Clarified
Determined
Improved
Solved
CommunicationSkills
Addressed
Consulted
Enlisted
Mediated
Referred
Advertised
Contacted
Explained
Moderated
Reinforced
Answered
Conveyed
Expressed
Negotiated
Reported
Arbitrated
Convinced
Formulated
Observed
Resolved
Arranged
Corresponded
Illustrated
Outlined
Responded
Articulated
Critiqued
Influenced
Persuaded
Simplified
Authored
Debated
Informed
Presented
Solicited
Briefed
Defined
Instructed
Promoted
Suggested
Clarified
Directed
Interacted
Proposed
Summarized
Communicated
Discussed
Interpreted
Publicized
Synthesized
Compiled
Documented
Interviewed
Recommended
Taught
Composed
Drafted
Lectured
Reconciled
Translated
Condensed
Edited
Listened
Recorded
Transmitted
Conferred
Elicited
Marketed
Recruited
Wrote
Creative Skills
Adapted
Created
Fashioned
Integrated
Promoted
Architected
Customized
Formulated
Introduced
Revised
Combined
Designed
Founded
Invented
Revitalized
Composed
Developed
Generated
Marketed
Shaped
Conceived
Displayed
Identified
Modified
Solved
Conceptualized
Entertained
Illustrated
Originated
Transformed
Condensed
Envisioned
Initiated
Performed
Crafted
Established
Instituted
Planned
Management
Leadership Skills
Accelerated
Coordinated
Executed
Instituted
Recommended
Administered
Decided
Expanded
Launched
Reduced
Advanced
Decreased
Expedited
Led
Reorganized
Analyzed
Delegated
Generated
Managed
Replaced
Anticipated
Determined
Governed
Merged
Restored
Appointed
Developed
Handled
Motivated
Reviewed
Approved
Directed
Headed
Navigated
Scheduled
Assigned
Doubled
Hired
Organized
Secured
Attained
Eliminated
Hosted
Originated
Selected
Authorized
Emphasized
Implemented
Overhauled
Streamlined
Commanded
Enforced
Improved
Oversaw
Strengthened
Consolidated
Enhanced
Incorporated
Planned
Supervised
Contracted
Envisioned
Increased
Presided
Controlled
Established
Initiated
Prioritized
Converted
Exceeded
Inspected
Produced
Planning and
Administrative Skills
Activated
Consolidated
Formulated
Orchestrated
Routed
Amended
Coordinated
Generated
Ordered
Scheduled
Approved
Corrected
Implemented
Organized
Solved
Arranged
Corresponded
Imported
Planned
Standardized
Catalogued
Decentralized
Incorporated
Prepared
Submitted
Categorized
Deployed
Inspected
Procured
Supplied
Centralized
Developed
Laid out
Projected
Systematized
Charted
Distributed
Logged
Provided
Transformed
Classified
Engineered
Maintained
Purchased
Updated
Coded
Estimated
Mapped
Recorded
Validated
Collected
Executed
Mobilized
Registered
Verified
Compiled
Exported
Monitored
Reorganized
Connected
Filed
Obtained
Reserved
Conserved
Formalized
Operated
Reviewed
Technical Skills
Adapted
Constructed
Fabricated
Printed
Restored
Applied
Converted
Fortified
Programmed
Solved
Assembled
Debugged
Installed
Rectified
Specialized
Built
Designed
Maintained
Regulated
Standardized
Calculated
Determined
Manufactured
Remodeled
Studied
Computed
Developed
Operated
Repaired
Upgraded
Conserved
Engineered
Overhauled
Replaced
Utilized
Quantitative and
Analytical Skills
Adapted
Compared
Estimated
Measured
Strategized
Analyzed
Concluded
Evaluated
Observed
Targeted
Applied
Consulted
Examined
Prospected
Assessed
Critiqued
Hypothesized
Questioned
Calculated
Defined
Identified
Reviewed
Clarified
Determined
Improved
Solved
Guidelines for Electronic Resumes
Because many companies now use computerized Resume Management Systems, your resume will need to be in a
format that can be scanned or submitted through the company’s website. When you submit your resume with
these systems, it is immediately processed into the system before anyone sees it. The systems do not read fonts,
graphics or other aesthetic features, and they left-justify every line. Consequently, you will need to create an
electronic version of your resume so that you—not the system—will be in control of how it is presented.
Remove any special formatting that exists in your original word processing document. (The easiest way
to do this is to save it as a text-only file with a new name and then re-open it.)
Do not use bold, italic, graphics, boxes or formatted bullet points. (These will not transfer to plain text
format.)
Instead of bullets, use asterisks or dashes.
Distinguish your various categories, such as “work experience” or “education” with capital letters, and
double space between each section.
Use separate lines for name, address and email address, so the information doesn’t blend together in one
line.
Use a separate line for job title, company name, location and employment dates.
Use standard fonts such as Arial, Courier, Helvetica or Times New Roman.
Use a font size that is between 10 and 12 point.
Save your document in plain text format, or as a “text only” file.
Many electronic resumes are scanned to find key words; consider adding a “Key Skills”
section to your resume that would include typical key words that employers use for
that particular job.