« Students & Alumni « Resumes and Cover Letters

The Resume Writing Process

Step 1…Write a Rough Draft

Brainstorm by identifying your strengths (things you could promote to an employer). You may want to list jobs, activities, volunteer work, etc, and then list specific tasks and responsibilities under each.

From each task/responsibility, identify skills which were used or developed in that position. These skills can eventually be used as action verbs in descriptions, and also to help identify strengths.

Edit your rough draft to preferably fit a maximum of two pages of typed text. A final resume of one page is recommended for most new college graduates although many education majors use two pages.

Do not utilize a template or wizard to create your resume -- they are known to create future editing challenges.

Step 2…Proof It

Have your resume proofed by one or two persons you trust as having expertise in resume development and your career field (Career Services staff member, faculty member, a professional in your field). Limit your proofing to one or two persons to avoid being overwhelmed by the variety of methods used to create resumes.

Step 3…Make Revisions & Edits

Make your edits, proof for any remaining spelling or grammar errors, and produce your final, polished resume. Save your resume in several places (ie. on your computer and portable media).

Step 4… Print It

Print the final copy of your resume on quality paper. With high competition for positions, your resume must look professionally prepared. If you need access to a printer, you can visit our Career Resource Library and use our laser printer (remember to bring resume paper).