Content to be Included in your Resume

[Kalyan]

There are certain items which must be included in every CV. Other items may or may not be mentioned depending on whether they are relevant or not. Your CV will be brief and to the point, in most cases, one full page will be enough room for you to say all that you need to say. In order to use that page most effectively, consider carefully the information you put on your resume. Provide enough information for the employer to understand your abilities and qualifications for the position without overdoing it.

What and how information is listed will depend on the focus you choose to give your resume. Typically, you may see some or all of the following sections in a resume:

Contact Information: Include your name, address and telephone (permanent and/or temporary), and e-mail address. When including your e-mail address, remember that employers will use it to contact you professionally. Avoid using nicknames or unprofessional automatic responses.


Objective: Starting your resume with an objective, while optional, is one way to demonstrate the focus of your job search. (Your focus or professional goal should always be included in your cover letter.) Beware of being too narrow or too general. Communicate to the employer some combination of: the type of position and industry or organization you want, the skills you have and want to use, and your long- or short-term goals.

Education: List in reverse chronological order your educational experience. Include information about your Degree, major or concentration, and graduation year. Other information you might include is your coursework (relevant to the position), honors, research or thesis work, and your GPA (if above 3.0). Only include your high school information if you are seeking employment in a private school and you attended a private high school.


Experience: Begin by listing your title, the organization, city and state of employment, and dates of employ. Once you have developed a reverse chronological outline of all your work experience, develop a description of your work. Employers want to see your responsibilities, skills, accomplishments, transferable skills, and results. Describe your activities, not the employer or the project. Use past tense action verbs to describe your work experience and activities. They help employers understand your skills and what you have to offer.

Leadership/Activities: Include community service or college and professional activities in your resume. These can highlight your skills, abilities, and potential in different environments. You can give employers more evidence of your leadership potential, ability to be a team player, initiative, motivation, and well roundedness. Lead with your strengths. Describe your activities if it will help to clarify the level of your involvement, but remember to be concise.

Skills, Honors, and Interests: Other sections you can include in your resume may list specific skills you developed, honors or awards you received, interests you have, or other important information. Anything listed here should enhance your candidacy and be relevant to the position.