Station #1: Resume Headings appear in this order.
• Identifying Info at Top
Contact information (OK to leave off address)
Link to LinkedIn profile
• Objective/Profile/Professional Summary
• Education (most recent school first) *
• Experience (most recent job first) *
• Skills
• Awards/Achievements
* For those with several years of relevant work
experience, Education if often listed at the end.
Station #2: Include Objective/Profile/Summary
• Optional but can really help “brand” you as a professional
• Focus on what you offer and can contribute
• Include the type of job you seek or field of interest
• Keep it clear and simple
• If possible, include words from job posting
Sample Objective: Recent college graduate seeks a social marketing
position within the financial services industry. Skilled at search engine
optimization and social media use.
Station #3: Make sure Education section is correct.
Include Mason first! i.e., current/most recent school
George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
B.S. in Business Administration
Concentration:
Graduation Month/Year
Optional to include:
• Previous institutions/degrees (e.g., Associate of Science from NoVA, study abroad)
• GPA if 3.0 or higher
• Academic awards
• Relevant coursework
Do NOT include:
• high school
• dates you attended school (e.g., September 2017 – present)
Station #4:
Experience section
Home Deport, Fairfax VA
July 2018 - present
Service Representative
• Verb/details about task #1/professional skills used
• Verb/details about task #1/professional skills used
• List in chronological order with most
recent position first.
• Include full-time positions, part-time
positions, internships, and significant
volunteer or leadership experiences.
• Include company name, company
city/state, position title, and jobrelated tasks/professional skills used.
• Describe most relevant
activities/tasks first.
• Use VERBS to begin your
descriptions
Station #5 Skills section
• Any coding, software, database skills
• Microsoft Office (specify Excel)
• Language abilities
• Graphic design software/platforms
• Any certifications
• Can include skill level (e.g., novice,
intermediate, advanced, expert).
• Avoid including soft skills here. Better to
“demonstrate” soft skills in your position
descriptions and cover letter.
Station #6: If You Have No/Limited Experience…
Under Education section:
• Relevant coursework
• Relevant course projects
• Honors, awards, specific scholarships
Under Experience section:
• Short- or long-term volunteer activity
• Academic or technical competitions
• Club involvement
• Caretaking or home-based responsibilities
Station #7: Resume DON’Ts for U.S. Companies
Do NOT include:
• Sentences that begin with “I”
• Phrase: “References Upon Request”
• Photo
• Salary information
• Date of birth, age, marital status and social security number
• ”Hobbies” section
Info source: https://aba.careerbank.com/jobseeker/resources/articles?article=3
Station #8: Use Verbs!
• Make sure all job descriptions begin with verbs.
• Eliminate phrase “Responsible for” and replace with verb.
• Use past-tense verbs for previous jobs (communicated)
and current tense for current position (communicate).
• Strengthen and vary your verbs (Google “resume verbs”).
• Use verbs that highlight your professional skills.
Station #9: Optimize Your Word Choice
• Mimic the keywords in the job description
(particularly technical skills) as resume software
looks for keywords. But don’t overuse!
• Use industry words if suitable (clients/customers)
• Avoid repeating the same descriptions for
different jobs; best to highlight different skill set.
• Avoid over-used and unhelpful phrases like “gogetter” or “self-starter” or “team player” or
“responsible.”
Station #10: Showcase your Experience
• Include any accomplishments (preferably quantifiable).
• Highlight any formal or informal supervisory or
leadership experience.
• Include positions that are most relevant to the position.
Better to have two-page resume with relevant positions
vs. three-page resume with every single job.
• Avoid overly-long lists of job responsibilities. Best to
focus on the responsibilities that are most relevant to
the position.
• Include membership in professional associations.
• Make sure you leave sufficient white space on your
resume so it’s easy-to-read.