Tips for Writing an Effective Résumé
By: Lori Chamberlin and Kristin Jastrzebski
To Begin Writing a Résumé:
Inventory Skills and Experience
 Brainstorm- write down a list
o Ask probing questions to help students be specific
 Focus on a few skills and experiences that are relevant to job
 Create categories
o Education, work experience, awards, certifications, volunteer experience,
etc.
Two Ways to Organize a Résumé:
 Chronological (organized by job experience and dates)
Advantages
Disadvantages
Shows consistency and development
(displays a career track)
Highlights inexperience of early-career
job seekers
Provides clear organization al scheme
that is familiar to readers (standard
form)
Hides relevant skill sets by requiring
that they be linked with workplace
Highlights periods of unemployment
Separates workplace from nonworkplace activities
Highlights quick turnover times
Links particular activities with particular Restricts rhetorical choices (forced to
time and place – easy for readers to
include various positions even if
judge
irrelevant)
From WRD Prof. Antonio Ceraso

Functional (organized by skills)
Advantages
Disadvantages
Provides flexibility in terms of
what can be included, and where
May appear dishonest to very
conservative readers
Hides gaps in employment or
inexperience
May fail to provide information
readers may want (dates of
employment, etc.)
Links all relevant skills to job
function, regardless of where and
how they were obtained
Hides career development
From WRD Prof. Antonio Ceraso
Heading Section:
 What to Include:
o Name, address, phone number, email

What not to Include:
o Any information other than the above information
Objective Statement:
You do not have to include, but you should make your decision based on the
advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages of Including Objective
Disadvantages of Using Objectives
Caters to some employer needs (or
rather, some employers want to see
these sections)
Takes up space on the page
May occupy the important page real
estate, thereby de-emphasizing more
Helps provide an instant snapshot of important “points” you want to make
your career focus
May seem obvious
Provides a basis to place you in
unsolicited positions – The HR
Can cost you credibility if not phrased
department can read your objective precisely
and decide that you would be perfect
for position B, even though you
From WRD Prof. Antonio Ceraso
applied for position A




Include only if the statement is specific to the job (you may need different
objectives for different jobs)
Use active verbs
State the expertise that you bring to the job
Keep it concise (no longer than one or two lines)
Education Section
This is a good area to emphasize if you are still in school or if you do not have a lot of
relevant job experience.
 What to Include:
o Name and location of colleges attended
o Date graduated or expected graduation
o Degree (with honors if applicable)
o Minors (if applicable)
o Relevant courses, title of the course
o GPAs higher than 3.0 (include scale)
o Study abroad
o Major projects

What not to Include:
o High School information (if you are in college)
o GPAs lower than 3.0
Experience/ Skills Section:
This is the most important part of a résumé. Here you make an argument through
detailing your job experience/ skills that you are qualified for the job you are applying
for.



If chronological, list positions in reverse chronological order; you need
o Employer’s name
o Position title
o Dates of employment (use to present if still employed)
o Location
o Evidence! Evidence! Evidence!
If functional, list skills in order of relevance to the employer
o Name of skill
o Evidence! Evidence! Evidence!
Writing bullet points
o 3-5 bullet points describing your job/ skill
o See active verb list for specific job/ skill related verbs (see action verb
handout)
o Start bullet points with active verbs (see action verb handout)
o Use “I” test to check for active verbs
Not active verb: “I” Responsible for organizing law case files
Active verb: “I” Organized law case files

Arranging bullet points
o Arrange your bullets in order of importance for your audience
o Employer may not read the whole sub-section
o Readers generally scan the first two points: this is where you should put
the information you consider most relevant to the audience
o In subsequent points, use very strong and relevant active verbs in order to
induce a scanning to pay attention
o Different employers/positions will likely require different arrangement of
points

What not to Include
o Job/ skills that are not relevant
o Vague bullet points
o Bullet points that do not start with active verbs or pass the “I” test
(responsible for)
Job/ Skill Specific Verbs
Management
Communication
Research
Technical
Teaching
achieved
administered
analyzed
assigned
attained
chaired
conceived
contracted
consolidated
coordinated
decided
delegated
developed
directed
encouraged
evaluated
executed
handled
implemented
improved
incorporated
increased
inspired
launched
led
managed
motivated
organized
outlined
oversaw
planned
prioritized
produced
recommended
reevaluated
rejected
reported
reviewed
scheduled
strengthened
supervised
united
addressed
arbitrated
arranged
authored
communicated
corresponded
counseled
developed
defined
directed
drafted
edited
enlisted
formulated
influenced
interpreted
lectured
mediated
moderated
motivated
negotiated
persuaded
promoted
publicized
reconciled
reunited
renegotiated
reported
researched
summarized
spoke
translated
wrote
clarified
collected
conceived
critiqued
detected
diagnosed
disproved
evaluated
examined
extracted
identified
inspected
interpreted
interviewed
investigated
organized
researched
reported
reviewed
searched
studied
summarized
surveyed
systematized
wrote
analyzed
assembled
built
calculated
computed
designed
devised
engineered
fabricated
inspected
maintained
operated
overhauled
programmed
remodeled
repaired
solved
trained
upgraded
adapted
advised
clarified
coached
communicated
coordinated
defined
developed
enabled
encouraged
evaluated
explained
facilitated
guided
informed
initiated
instructed
lectured
persuaded
presented
set goals
stimulated
taught
trained
updated
Financial
Creative
Helping
Clerical or Detail
adjusted
administered
allocated
analyzed
appraised
audited
balanced
budgeted
calculated
compared
computed
developed
estimated
forecast
forecasted
managed
marketed
planned
projected
reevaluated
reconciled
researched
sold
acted
applied
composed
conceived
conceptualized
created
designed
developed
directed
established
evaluated
fashioned
formed
formulated
founded
illustrated
instituted
integrated
introduced
invented
loaded
molded
originated
perceived
performed
planned
presented
produced
refined
rewrote
updated
advised
aided
assessed
assisted
brought
clarified
coached
coordinated
counseled
dealt
demonstrated
diagnosed
educated
encouraged
enlisted
expedited
facilitated
familiarized
guided
helped
inspired
maintained
modified
performed
referred
rehabilitated
represented
supported
upheld
activated
altered
assembled
approved
arranged
catalogued
classified
collected
compiled
described
dispatched
edited
estimated
executed
gathered
generated
implemented
inspected
listed
maintained
monitored
observed
operated
organized
overhauled
prepared
processed
proofread
published
purchased
recorded
reduced
retrieved
screened
specified
streamlined
systematized
Additional Action Verbs
anticipated
experimented
lectured
received
arbitrated
explained
lifted
recommended
ascertained
expressed
listened
reconciled
charted
extracted
logged
painted
checked
filed
maintained
perceived
classified
financed
made
performed
collected
fixed
managed
persuaded
completed
followed
manipulated
photographed
conducted
formulated
mediated
piloted
conserved
founded
memorized
planned
consolidated
gathered
modeled
played
constructed
gave
monitored
predicted
controlled
generated
motivated
prepared
coordinated
guided
navigated
prescribed
counseled
handled
negotiated
presented
created
headed
observed
printed
decided
helped
obtained
processed
defined
hypothesized
offered
produced
delivered
identified
operated
programmed
detailed
illustrated
ordered
projected
detected
imagined
organized
promoted
determined
implemented
originated
proof-read
devised
improved
painted
protected
diagnosed
improvised
perceived
provided
directed
increased
performed
publicized
discovered
influenced
persuaded
purchased
dispensed
informed
photographed
recorded
displayed
initiated
piloted
recruited
disproved
innovated
planned
reduced
dissected
inspected
played
referred
distributed
installed
predicted
rehabilitated
diverted
instituted
prepared
related
dramatized
instructed
prescribed
rendered
drew
integrated
presented
repaired
drove
interpreted
printed
reported
eliminated
interviewed
processed
represented
empathized
invented
produced
researched
enforced
inventoried
programmed
resolved
established
investigated
questioned
responded
estimated
judged
raised
restored
evaluated
kept
read
retrieved
examined
led
realized
reviewed
expanded
learned
reasoned
risked
Source: http://www.writeexpress.com/action-verbs.html
scheduled
selected
sensed
separated
served
sewed
shaped
shared
showed
sketched
solved
sorted
summarized
supervised
supplied
symbolized
synergized
synthesized
systematized
talked
taught
tended
tested
trained
transcribed
translated
traveled
treated
troubleshot
tutored
typed
unified
united
upgraded
used
utilized
verbalized
warned
washed
weighed
wired
worked
Action Verbs Tips
1) Avoid “assisted with” or “helped with.” – You might be tempted to include this in
order to signal that you didn’t do it alone, but this is really something that could be left to
the interview. When people read “assisted with,” they tend to assume that your assistance
was minimal, especially at this stage in your career. Just come out and say what you
actually did, rather than signaling that you didn’t do much:
NOT:
 Assisted with construction of large customer database for local dog grooming
company
BUT:
 Coded and debugged 45% of large customer database for local business.
2) Avoid passive voice constructions masquerading as action words – Some
inexperienced resume writers will see the form of an action word and assume that they’ve
nailed down the entry. Instead, they’ve just made themselves look like passive
receptacles of somebody else’s action.
NOTICE:
 Trained in all aspects of corporation finance
Who did the training? Not you. Somebody else. So, the word is technically an action
word, but it is somebody else performing the action! Avoid such constructions.
SO:

Learned procedures and protocols of corporation finance transactions; gained
facility with standard corporate finance documents and time frames
UNLESS:
 Trained new employees in policies and protocols of corporation finance
transactions
(The difference here is that YOU’RE the one doing the training)
3) Avoid “responsible for” – First, “responsible for” is not an action word. Second, the
phrase makes it seem like you think being responsible for something is a job in itself.
That’s not a good impression to give.
NOT:
 Responsible for reconciling cash drawer at close of business and bringing daily
receipts to the bank
BUT:
 Reconciled cash drawer at close of business and delivered daily receipts to bank
4) Don’t overdo it – Sometimes, an action verb entry can be just plain ridiculous. If you
puff a particular activity up into something much more complex than it was, it can be
both more confusing and less credible.
Activity: Toy store cashier
Ridiculous:
 Organized and maintained cash flow receipts in excess of $8000 daily for
nationwide child entertainment retailer
Credible:
 Handled customer transactions as cashier in busy toy store
Activity: Peanut sales for AA baseball team
Ridiculous:
 Designed and implemented successful sales strategy for customer base ranging
from 6,000-14,000 daily, grossing more than $1,200 for most sales-related events.
Credible:
 Grossed an average of $1200 per game as stadium merchandise vendor
5) Stay consistent in verb tense.
Source: Handout from WRD Prof. Antonio Ceraso
Activities/ Awards/ Skills:
These are the easiest sections to cut from if you need more room.

What to Include:
o Relevant activities/awards
o Specific skills (e.g. technology, foreign language, fluency level)
o Certifications (you can also list these in an education section)
o Volunteer experience (if not in Experience section)
Formatting:
The format of a résumé is key to emphasizing the most important points (such as your
name, college degree, and job positions). Keep in mind in your audience (likely a HR
representative) will first scan your résumé for a few seconds.




Contrast—Different information elements appear different
Repetition—Similar information elements appear similar
Alignment—Shifts in horizontal (and vertical) alignment indicate shifts in
information level
Proximity—Similar or related information grouped together (chunking)
From WRD Prof. Antonio Ceraso
Resources:

Sample résumés
o DePaul Career Center:
http://careercenter.depaul.edu/_downloads/Resume_Packet.doc
http://careercenter.depaul.edu/_downloads/Resume_Packet_Experienced.d
oc
o Bedford St. Martin’s
http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/modeldocs/business.htm

Purdue OWL
o General information
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResumeW/what.html
o By section
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResumeW/
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/565/01/
o
Format and Design
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/631/01/