Resume Basics
The resume is a powerful marketing tool that determines whether you make it to the next round or not. It provides prospective employers with a one page snapshot of who you are – your accomplishments, experiences, education, qualifications, and ultimately, your value as a potential employee. Employers typically receive hundreds of resumes for a single job or internship position. Therefore, it is vital to understand the conventions and practices of writing a compelling resume.

If you have never written a resume, download the Resume Worksheet.

Formatting Tips Your resume should be easy to comprehend within a short time frame – proper formatting can help you achieve this. Here are some basic formatting guidelines:

1. Keep your resume to one page.
2. Keep things visually simple – avoid using more than one font and font size (with the exception of your name and contact info).
3. Emphasize titles or company/organization names using italics or bolding.
4. Be consistent in formatting. For example, if you choose to indent “dates worked” or “dates involved” information, make sure you apply the indentation to all of them. Likewise, if you choose to italicize your position titles, italicize all of them.
5. Allow for sufficient white space. Make sure the page isn’t too crowded.

For additional formatting suggestions, check out these sample resumes.