RESUME

BUILDING
WORKSHOP

The Information School

Office of Student and Academic Services
What should your resume do for
you?
 Your resume can help you market your value to
potential employers outside academia.

 The purpose of a resume is not to get you a job,

but to get you an interview.

 Tailoring your resume for each position helps you

market yourself more efficiently and effectively.
 Generic resumes can slow down your job search –
they aren’t as impressive.
How employers review resumes
 Employers first look at resumes with the goal of
getting rid of the ‘poor’ applicants. This is why it
is so important to proofread!
 After they narrow it down, then they will look for
a good fit for the job.
 You want to grab their attention in 10 seconds –
which can be the average amount of time they
spend looking at your resume.
 Have someone proofread your resume for 10 seconds
and let you know what their first impression is.
Tip: Proofread
 Proofread your own resume and have someone
else review it for you.
 Don’t just check for misspelled words, also see if
your resume gets your ‘message’ across. Ask
your proofreader:
 Do you understand what I do based on looking at my
resume?
 What does my resume tell you about me?
 Should I not include the fact that I like eating
chocolate and have a pet raccoon? 
Formatting of resumes
 Page length:
 1 or 2 pages is ideal for a resume.
 If using a 2nd page, include your name and a page
number on the top.
 Margins:
 1 inch, though could be smaller depending on how
much space you need.
 Font:
 No smaller than 11 point, depending on the font.
 Stick with classic fonts (Arial, Times New Roman,
Calibri, etc.)
Formatting of resumes…page 2
 Left side:
 Important information should go on the left side, i.e.,
job titles and employer names.
 Dates typically go on the right side.
 Bolding, underlining, spacing, capitalization, etc.
 The key is to be *consistent*.
 Minimal use of abbreviations:
 Abbreviations tend to be industry/company specific.
 Spell out your degree title.
Formatting of resumes…page 3
 Put your most relevant information near the top of
your resume:
 What is relevant is different to each individual and to
each job for which you tailor your resume.
 Relevant information may include your degree(s), skills,
work experience, etc.
 Use short, bulleted lists or small paragraphs:
 The first word of your sentence should be a strong skill
word.
 No long paragraphs!
Tip: Skill words
 Use vivid action verbs (skill words) to help you
get your message across.
 Example skills words: Coordinated, delegated, developed,
budgeted, planned, discovered, engineered, examined,
gathered, etc.

 Some companies use resume-scanning programs

where they match skill words from a job
description to your resume. To combat this, use
skill words that align with the description.
Categories within your resume
 Think of categories within your resume as a road
map for someone reviewing it.
 Include vivid category headings, and feel free to be
more descriptive:
 NOTE: you do not need ALL of these categories.
 Contact information  Professional training
 Objective  Leadership / Community /
Volunteer
 Summary of qualifications
 Professional affiliations
 Education  Special skills
 Honors & awards  Technology skills
 Experience  Additional information
 Publications & presentations  References (not needed)
Tip: Technology skills section
 All Information School students should have a
“Computer” or “Technology” skills section in
their resume.

 Include word processing, computer programs that

you are familiar with, database experience, web
page design, etc.
Styles of Resumes
 Reverse Chronological
 Preferred by employers
 Organized job by job, in reverse order (start with the most recent
experience)
 Can divide your "Experience" section:
 Based on relevancy (“Related”, Other”, etc.)
 Based on area (academic vs. public libraries, for-profit vs. non-
profit, etc.)
 Functional / Skills
 Not preferred by employers
 Good for career changers
 Organized skill by skill
 Bullets show proof of skills
Resume paper
 Plain, heavyweight, white paper is preferred.
 28 lb. paper is brighter and thicker (normal, cheap paper
is 20 lb.)
 You do not have to use watermarked resume paper.
 Stay away from pink scented paper (it may work in the
movies, but it does not give you ‘something extra’.) 
Submitting your resume
 Employers sometimes scan resumes
electronically, so you may have to have a ‘plain
text’ resume prepared for submission:
 Avoid columns, tabs, bullets, italics, & underlining.
 Use capital letters, spacing, & bolding for emphasis.
 Use skill words found in job description.

 Online job boards:

 Sometimes you must submit one “generic” resume,
which you can’t tailor to a job but can tailor to a
company.
Submitting your resume: email
 Emailing resumes:
 If you have a choice, PDF instead of a Word
document is best.
 In the email body include a short introductory
paragraph and cut and paste of your resume.
 Attach a cover letter and your resume.
 Send it to yourself first to see how it will look when
you email it.
Curriculum Vitae (vs Resume)
 Purpose
 Show your value & match to employers in academia.
 Use when applying to graduate school or to an academic
institution.
 While your resume is a marketing piece, the CV is an
autobiography AND a marketing piece.
 Length
 Typically 2 or more pages.
 Categories
 Usually does not include objective.
 Format
 Some variation of Reverse Chronological format.
UW Career Center
 The UW Career Center offers year-round services
for students and alumni:
 Located in Mary Gates Hall (MGH) 134, off the first floor
Commons.
 Receive résumé advice or other quick tips either via a
walk-in appointment, scheduled appointment, or email.
 Events occur on a quarterly and annual basis: Career
Week, career fairs, and résumé and portfolio workshops.
 http://depts.washington.edu/careers/