Crafting a resume can be daunting task. It’s not always clear how to start or what it “should” look like. Ultimately, the design and content of your resume is up to you, but these suggestions will help keep your information organized and easy to understand:
- Keep it brief: Resumes are typically one page or less, however if you need to go over a page try to fill the second page as much as you can. Bullet points are a very effective tool for managing your space, and we recommend that you use them!
- Keep it consistent: Use the same font style throughout, and structure your sections similarly to each other.
- Update your contact info: Make sure that any email/phone/linkedIn page is up-to-date, and preferably avoid using your university email especially if you are close to graduation. You will eventually lose access to this email.
- Focus on your skills: Each bullet point that you write should showcase a skill that you have and how you used it, whether it was at a previous job, during a class project, or while you were doing volunteer work. The recommended structure of these bullet points Action Verb + Skill + Task = Result. This structure is detailed further on our website and in our office.
- Reverse Chronological Order: It’s helpful to list your jobs and education starting with the most recent.
- Only list technical skills in your Skills section: Try to avoid listing things like “organization” or “communication” in your skills section, as these are what we call soft skills. They are hard to quantify, and are usually already shown in your bullet points anyway. Instead, think about any technical proficiencies you have (software, equipment, tools, etc.)
These are just a few ways you can make your resume better. More details and tips on building your resume can be found on the NDSU Career and Advising Center website!
