Lately, I've been applying for a lot of different things- internships, study abroad programs, campus organizations, etc. - that require a resume. I've always kept an updated resume on hand but I always wanted it to look more serious and read more professionally. So over the last month, I've been tweaking things until I got it just how I wanted it. Here are my tips for writing a great resume and some cool designs to inspire you.
Resume Tips
You'll need to include some basic information about yourself. This includes: full name, email address, website (if applicable), mailing address, phone number. You can also include a head shot if possible (I don't do this, but some applications require one). Then list your education. Just list college and graduate school, unless your high school has a great alumni network, and then list that too. Next, you can write a personal statement or objective that "sums you up" in a sentence or two. I only include this when I'm not writing an additional cover letter. Think of a personal statement as an "elevator pitch," meaning what you would say to convince employers to hire you if you could only talk to them 90 seconds (the length of an elevator ride). Next, list your work experience and awards/distinctions. List these in order of importance, not necessarily by date. Important information to include here are the official title of the job/award, a brief description, the date and the organization/company. Then, list your skills. Proficient in photoshop? Microsoft excel? Include that here. Also include any conferences you went to that taught you important- perhaps less tangible- skills (i.e. leadership conference). Conclude with references of people (professors, employers) that the resume reader could potentially contact for more information. Make sure to talk to these references so that they aren't surprised if/when they receive phone calls about you.
Before sending off your resume, proofread it twice and then ask someone else to read it. Seriously. Nothing says "don't hire me" like typos!
And a word on formatting- less is more. A few tasteful accent colors and you name in a cool font should be enough. Your resume doesn't need to be full of fancy diagrams- let your work speak for itself!
Here are some resumes with functional and fun formats:
Good luck!
xoxo