St. Paul Campus Career Center
Return to: Office for Student Affairs : Academic Affairs & Provost : U of M Home

St. Paul Campus Career Center
198 McNeal Hall
1985 Buford Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55108
phone: 612-624-2710
fax: 612-624-9213
email: spccc@umn.edu

 

Home > Resumes & CVs

Resume Writing

Ensure you have a great resume by getting it critiqued! Available daily in 198 McNeal Hall during drop in hours.

online workshops
Related Handouts
Related Links

Having a strong resume is critical to landing a great job or internship. Below are common categories to help you get started with your first draft.

Objective
Briefly state the position you are seeking, the organization type and key skills you bring to the position.

 

To obtain a marketing position with a food products company using my communication and problem solving skills.

Education
Include degree(s), university, majors/minors, cumulative or major GPA, and graduation month/year.  It is optional to include academic awards, study abroad, dissertation/thesis title and/or related coursework. High school information should not be included.

 

Bachelor of Science, May 2009
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Major: Forest Resources
GPA: 3.28

Experience
For each experience (paid or volunteer) include your title, dates of employment, organization name/location and detailed bullet statements that describe your role and key skills used in the position. (This is key! See our our Resume Writing (pdf)and Skill Statements (pdf)Handouts for details.)

 

Residential Accessibility Intern, March 2008-June 2008
Thomas Eickhoff Design, Inc., Minneapolis, MN

  • Modified existing floor plans using AutoCAD and reviewed new home plans to meet client preferences
  • Collaborated with colleagues to develop an ADA survey for a multimillion dollar supermarket chain

Activities
Activities sections can include professional associations, volunteer projects, or student organizations.  Include organization name, dates of participation and possibly a statement to explain a leadership role or accomplishment.

 

Gopher Dairy Club, October 2008-present

  • Elected President of the organization for the upcoming academic year.

Visual Appeal/Other Tips

  • Undergraduates should typically have a 1 page resume unless applying to certain government jobs; 2 pages is appropriate for graduate students.
  • Use lines, bold, italics, or all capital letters to make key information stand out.
  • Edit and proofread very carefully – some employers will eliminate candidates due to typos or inconsistencies.
  • Remove extraneous information that is less relevant to the position.
  • Order the sections so the most relevant information is toward the top.

Note:  The above guidelines are for typical resumes in the United States.  If you are applying to jobs in other countries, stop by the career center for guidance.