TIPS & HINTS


There are no absolute requirements in the preparation of your resume, but there are generally accepted guidelines to follow. Here are some tips and hints to help you with your creation:

  • A one page resume is considered ideal for college students and recent graduates. There are a few cases where a two-page resume is necessary - check with a CEL counselor to find out if two pages are right for you.

  • Be consistent in your choice of font and layout. Times, Garamond, and Helvetica are compact fonts and allow for more information to be presented on one page. Don't use smaller than 10 point font.

  • Don't crowd your resume; aim to have half of your page be white space. Your resume should appear uncluttered and be visually attractive.

  • Use bold, bullets, italics, and underlines to highlight but, beware of looking cluttered. Highlights should be used consistently and sparingly.

  • Be factual and 100% honest.

  • Do NOT use personal pronouns (I, we, my) in your resume. Start statements with action verbs.

  • PROOF YOUR RESUME! Your resume should be free of spelling errors and have perfect grammar and punctuation. Keep in mind that the resume is an example of your written communication skills!

  • Print your resume on a laser printer. Use 20# bond resume paper in basic colors (white, off-white, cream, beige, or gray). If sending a cover letter and reference page, make sure they are printed on the same paper as your resume.

  • Be e-friendly if submitting electronically. Make sure your resume translates well with other platforms and browsers. Test by sending "practice" emails to friends to see how the information appears on their screens.


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