COMPONENT BASICS COMMENTS Identifying Data Name, street address, email address and phone or message number at the top of the page (include area codes and zip codes). Include personal web page if you want employers to see it. Voicemail message, email address, and website content should be appropriate for a potential employer. Education Name of school, major, degree received, graduation date, projected graduation date, or dates of attendance if no degree was completed. Include any course titles relevant to the targeted position. Honors and grade-point average optional; include if among your strong points. If you attended more than one school, list the most recent fi rst. You don’t have to list all the schools you have attended. Do not list high school. Additional training may either go here or under a separate heading. Experience/Work History Paid, volunteer or military work. Emphasize tasks, skills, abilities, and accomplishments related to the targeted position. Give the job title, employing organization, and dates of employment. Present achievements, contributions, and results or impact e.g., streamlined a procedure or made a cost-saving suggestion). Experience does not have to be paid. The components listed below are optional – use if appropriate for your background and the employers you’re targeting Job Objective A one-line description of the type of position you want. Follows your name and contact information at the top of your resume. Should be specifi c rather than a general statement of your interests. Skills & Abilities or Summary of Qualifi cations Foreign languages, computer skills, offi ce skills, lab techniques or transferable skills not mentioned elsewhere in the resume. Can be combined under this heading or listed separately. Languages State if you are fl uent in a foreign language. If you understand a language but are not fl uent, still mention it. For example: Fluent in Russian, conversational Spanish, or read and write French. Activities & Interests In order of importance or reverse chronological order, list student activities/ organizations, professional associations and committees in which you have participated. List any offi ces that you held with the skills you used. Include activities and interests that show leadership or initiative or that pertain to your career interest. Community Involvement/Volunteer Activities List offi ces held, organizations, projects, and accomplishments. If the setting is political or religious, you may want to use generic descriptions (e.g., Youth Leader for church, Speech Writer for City Council candidate). If substantial, these may be listed under “Experience.” Honors Recent graduates and continuing students can include academic honors such as Dean’s List, honor societies and scholarships. Can be listed separately or as a subsection under Education. Research & Publications Briefl y describe relevant research projects. List published articles, papers or books. Travel Include if your career interest involves travel or knowledge of other cultures. You can also use this as a way of distinguishing yourself if you have signifi cant travel experience. References You do not need to end your resume with the phrase, “References Available on Request,” but this is the best place to state that you have “Portfolio and/or writing samples available on request.” Create a separate page for references. List names, titles and contact information. Always ask permission before using anyone’s name as a reference. Include people who know about your work related abilities, such as former employers, volunteer project supervisors, and faculty. Do not use relatives or friends.