NOTE: OptimalResume is not a substitute for assistance
from a counselor and we encourage all students to contact Career Services
Center for a resume critique before distributing your resume.
OptimalResume, a comprehensive, web-based tool, which allows students
to create, present, and manage their resumes. With OptimalResume, students
can create quality resumes in a short period of time. OptimalResume will
guide students throughout the creation of their resume. Students may print
their resume as a Word document; copy and paste a text version; or view
as an interactive resume website which can be sent to employers.
After you login, simply read and follow the directions for each section.
Examples are provided to help you with formatting.
Guidelines for Writing the Entry-level Resume*
It is important for you to understand what a resume is and how it is
used in the process of a job search. It is also important to understand
what it is not!
The resume is a business document that provides a summary of your
education, skills and experience to hiring organizations for use in
evaluating your candidacy for employment. Usually a resume is most effective
when it is submitted for a specific position and is accompanied by a
customized cover letter.
However, candidates who are involved in a job search often create a "generic"
resume that includes a broadly focused career objective and a list of
all career related skills and experiences. This type of resume is used
in the CCU Resume Bank and can be used to contact selected employers,
with a "prospecting" letter, to inquire about unadvertised employment
opportunities that require a Bachelor's Degree, your specific skills and
your willingness to travel or relocate.
A resume is usually one to one and a half pages long. It does not
include high school information or personal information such as weight,
height, race, age or marital status. Employment law protects personal
information, as it could be used in discriminatory fashion. Do not enclose
a picture.
A resume should be laser printed on heavier bond (ask for resume weight)
paper in white, cream or pale gray. The cover letter is usually printed
on standard letter stock in white. The resume and cover letter can be
mailed flat in an 8 ½ by 11 envelope or folded in a standard business
envelope.
A resume is not a life history, and it is not a curriculum vita, sometimes
used for applications to graduate school or employment in academe. Contact
the Career Resources Lab for more information about writing a curriculum
vita.
* Other types of resumes include computer-friendly resumes for use in
resume banks, technical resumes, federal resumes, and executive level
resumes. Contact the Career Resource Lab for information related to resumes
for special circumstances.
