Rock Your Resume!

Whether you are working on college applications, applying for part-time jobs, or thinking you may jumpstart your career, a resume is essential. In order to best prepare your resume to meet your education or occupation goals, it is important to discuss a few key aspects that will make your document shine.

First and foremost, consistency and organization are key. While you may be tempted to use a template to get an idea of what information to include on your resume, often templates can lack proper organization and make changing formats difficult. I would suggest using a traditional font, such as Times New Roman, in either an 11 or 12 point size. Please try to remain consistent with this font size, for both your section headers and bullet points.

At the top of your resume, you will include your name and contact information, such as your phone number, e-mail, and address (if you feel comfortable including this). Your name should be the largest element on the resume, perhaps ranging from a 16 - 22 point font, while all other information should again be either 11 or 12. You can decide whether to center this information or justify it to either side.

Another formatting tip would be to consider your margins. Ideally for high school or college students, a resume is one page. If you are having trouble filling one page, or staying only on one page, play with your margins. The lowest the Career Center recommends setting margins to is .5 all around.

When it comes to experience, some of you may feel you do not have enough. If you are feeling this way, you are not alone. Even if you believe your experience may not be directly applicable to what you are now using your resume for, all experiences provide you with valuable, transferable skills that can apply to any occupation.Have you babysat before? Are you in any clubs? Do you have an extracurricular activity or sport you are involved in? Any leadership roles? A summer part-time job? All of these experiences can go on your resume! Try to think of the skills you developed through these experiences. Perhaps you gained organization, communication, and leadership skills in your club. Maybe when babysitting for your neighbors, you developed your ability to engage interpersonally with others.

If you feel proud of a particular accomplishment or achievement, mention this too! You can have sections on your resume including Education, Work Experience, School Involvement, Community Service, Activities and Accomplishments, Skills, and others. This is your document and it should reflect the experiences, skills, and achievements you are most proud of. Ultimately, a resume comes down to personal preference, but do not be afraid to ask for help. If you are looking for more resources and guides, check out the tips the Florida State University Career Center has for resumes here: http://www.career.fsu.edu/students/resumes-and-cover-letters

This information is based on resources created by the Career Center at Florida State University. The Resume Guide and survey of 113 employers at FSU career fairs conducted in January 2017 by the Career Center can be found by following the embedded hyperlinks. Happy Resume Writing!