The Resume
What is a resume?
A resume is a dynamic and evolving document summarizing your education and experience related to the type of employment you are seeking. The goal of a resume is to demonstrate to potential employers that you would be valuable to their organization and to ultimately generate a job interview.
Resume Formats
There is no single prescribed resume format. It is best to develop a resume aimed at the job for which you're applying. It should reflect you and highlight your unique experiences and qualities.
The three most popular resume styles are:
Other resume formats include:
- Federal Government Resumes (Sample)
- Two-Page Resumes (Sample)
- Electronic Resumes
- Scannable Resumes
Get your resume critiqued by a career counselor!
Bring your resume to the Career Center during walk-in hours - every Monday through Friday, from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM in the Career Center @ Lory Student Center in room 116 LSC. You may also contact The Career Center at (970) 491-5707 for an individual appointment or to schedule a group presentation.
Helpful Hints
Research has shown that an employer spends approximately 30-40 seconds reading a resume. Important tips to remember when developing an attractive, easy-to-read resume:
- Font - Use standard non-serif fonts such as Courier, Arial, or Times New Roman in a readable font size (no smaller than 10 point and no larger than 12 point).
- Margins - Have a good text/white-space balance, and centered on the page. Use ½-inch to 1-inch margins for top, bottom, right, and left.
- Style - Highlight important facts and headings by bolding, underlining, indenting, capitalizing and/or using bullet points to attract the reader's eye.
- Action Verbs - Use action verbs to begin statements describing skills and responsibilities.
- Length - Be concise; a one-page resume is often adequate unless you have extensive experience that is applicable.
- Paper - Use white or off-white resume paper only.
- Errors - Be grammatically perfect and free of typographical errors.
| Resume Dos and Don'ts | |
| Do | Don't |
Create a neat, well organized, and easy to read document.
Tailor your resume to each position you apply for.
Begin statements describing your skills and experience with action verbs.
Use buzz words from your field.
Proofread. Proofread. Proofread.
Revise. Revise. Revise.
Get your resume critiqued by one of the Career Center Counselors or Liasons.
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Don't include personal information, like your age, a photograph, health or marital status.
Don't use complete sentences. (Use bullet points instead.)
Don't falsifty any information.
Don't staple or fold your resume.
Don't include salary requirements, unless requested.
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