RESUME RESOURCE

Your resume helps tell your personal and professional story and highlights your key skills, experiences, and accomplishments.  A typical resume is 1-2 pages in length, while more experienced professionals may have 3-4 pages.  It is best practice that you tailor each resume to each job you apply for. 

In addition to basic demographic information (name, email, phone number), your resume should include the following components:

Profile Summary

The profile gives a concise summary of your top skills and experiences as they relate to the position you are applying for.  This section should be three to four sentences and outline how your background reflects the job description.  Use action verbs such as “Proven”, “Skilled at”, “Recognized as”, and highlight your accomplishments. Here is an example:   

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Dedicated project management professional with 5 years experience in technology security services.  Reliable, personable, and adept at managing sensitive situations. 

Skills

You will want to highlight your top 15-20 skills that are relevant to the job posting.  This section should reinforce and expand upon the profile summary and connect directly to the job posting. Start with your most marketable skills.  Look at the job description and identify relatable skills and add these to your list.  Next, include skills that reflect your personality (also considered soft skills) and add value to your application.  Finally, add any technical skills that enhance your profile and relate to the position.  Here are some suggestions:

• Creativity

• Interpersonal Skills

• Critical Thinking

• Problem Solving

• Public Speaking

• Customer Service Skills

• Teamwork Skills

• Communication

• Collaboration

• Accounting

• Active Listening

• Adaptability

• Negotiation

• Conflict Resolution

Education

The placement of the education section can depend on the industry.  For jobs in the education industry, this section should figure prominently at the top of your resume with any relevant certifications and licensures.   Make sure you include the degree title, the degree field, institution, and the city and state; you do not need to include the dates of graduation. .  See below for example:

Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Business Administration. University of Minnesota. Minneapolis, MN.

Experience

There are numerous ways to include experience on your resume, but by far the most common is a chronological listing of experiences.  Start with your most recent experience and include the position title, organization name, and dates of employment (months are not required).  Summarize your job responsibilities in a three to four sentence paragraph and then highlight (bulleted list) your greatest accomplishments in each role. Use quantifiable terms if possible (35% increase in client engagement, 40% increase in sales).  Continue listing additional relevant experiences within a 10-15 year span.  Check out this example: 

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Tom Swenson

Project Manager

Salem Technology Services, Toledo, OH,  2016–2021

• Plan, direct and co-ordinate activities of multiple projects ranging in value from $100,000 to $250,000 in the areas of IT and Systems Integration 

• Define project scope, objectives, staffing, resources and deliverables

• Develop project plans that identify key issues, approaches and performance metrics