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I. WHEN USING OCRS AND CAREER SERVICES YOUR RESUME MUST MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS: The following guidelines have been developed to ensure that your resume is as accurate as possible: OFFICIAL SCHOOL NAMES: DEGREES: College: Bachelor of Arts Wharton: Bachelor of Science in Economics Nursing: Bachelor of Science in Nursing GRADUATION DATE: MAJORS/MINORS: The School of Engineering and Applied Science, the College, Fine Arts, and Nursing all offer minors to students in any school. Wharton offers NO minors. LISTING COURSES: LISTING GPA: Your GPA must be listed exactly as it appears on Penn-in-Touch. * Please Note*: Resumes that include a "Major GPA" (or other subset) without indicating the number of courses are not acceptable for any Career Services or On-Campus Recruiting functions. Transfer students : You may list all the schools you attended or just Penn. If you are just listing Penn (and opt to include your GPA), the above rules for listing your GPA apply. If you are listing the school(s) from which you transferred, you may include your GPA(s) from that school(s), or just your Penn GPA. If you wish to include a "Combined GPA" which accurately averages both your transfer and your Penn GPAs, then you must list each of the schools you attended and the specific GPA at each. You should plan to update your resume whenever there are any changes in your GPA, courses, activities, etc. Please Note : Career Services staff reserve the right to check your resume against your official transcript to verify all information. Falsification of ANY resume information can result in your loss of recruiting privileges, and/or disciplinary action by the school Dean and/or the Judicial Inquiry Officer.
II. CREATING ELECTRONIC RESUMES Many companies are scanning resumes and maintaining their own databases of applicants. Others are using on-line databanks which store scannable information about job seekers. Because computers scan your resume as an image, not as text, there are some guidelines to follow to make sure your resume scans well. Special note about the Career Services electronic resume: Your electronic resume must meet the guidelines listed below: Doctoral and ExMSE candidates may be two pages (do not staple pages). Do:· Use white 8.5X11 paper, printed on one side only.Print from a laser or high quality (at least 300dpi) ink-jet printer. Don't:· DO NOT fold or staple the resume you send.
A good resume functions as an invaluable tool in your job search. Your resume should create a positive impression, it should present your goals and strengths in a manner that will elicit a positive response--in other words, an invitation to interview. The resume can be used to apply for advertised jobs, to send to employers you discover through other sources (such as your network), to submit in conjunction with on-campus recruiting, to give to your references, and to bring to job fairs and interviews. Many employers spend only a few moments looking over a candidate's resume to determine whether a personal interview is appropriate or not. Therefore a short, well-organized and visually attractive resume will communicate information more effectively than a sloppy, rambling one. What will employers be looking for on your resume? Think about your audience and try to anticipate their questions. Keep in mind that your resume may be screened by personnel specialists (non-technical staff) as well as technical managers. For this reason, abbreviations which would only be meaningful to technical staff should be avoided; full spelling should be used to make the resume understandable to all readers. The following guidelines and sample resumes are offered to help you prepare your resume. The resume should be a unique representation of your skills and interests. You, as an individual, have many things to offer which will differentiate you from the rest of your competitors. Try to design a resume which not only is attractive to employers but which also best represents you! NOTE TO PHD CANDIDATES · One page resumes only. Doctoral and ExMSE candidates may have two pages (do not staple pages). · Submit original copies of the resume. No photo copies.
There are several styles that are commonly used for organizing the material in a resume. You may play with the different styles and decide which style, or combination of styles, best meets your needs. Regardless of style, however, there are some standard categories of information which are typically addressed on the resume:
Identifying Information
This includes your name, address and phone number. There is no need to say "Resume of" or "Resume" at the top; that will be obvious. You may want to add a phone number where you can be reached during the day, and an E-mail address, in addition to your permanent and current address and phone number. If you cannot be reached during business hours, be sure that accurate messages are taken for you throughout your job search (either by a roommate or an answering machine).
Objective
This section has been referred to in many different ways, including: "Objective," "Career Objective," "Occupational Goal." No matter what you call it, the objective is a very important part of the resume and it is often the most difficult part to write. It is important because it gives the reader some direction as to your work preferences. A targeted objective can show the employer that you have given serious thought to, and have come to some decisions about, your career plans. If, on the other hand, you are unsure about your career objective, and choose to use a very broad, unfocused objective, just to have one on the resume, you can be doing yourself a disservice. The vast majority of employers do not expect you to know exactly what you want to do. However, employers will expect you to have some idea. In thinking about your interests, it would help to identify two or three related areas that you are pursuing most actively in your job search. There is an exercise later to assist you in identifying your goals. Some examples of objectives are:
If you are interested in more than one industry and want to indicate interest in both on the resume, you may use an objective like this:
IDENTIFYING YOUR GOALS (Objective Exercise) 1. Think back to some of your accomplishments (school, work or extracurricular activities) and list the skills that you most frequently used. Which of these skills (if any) would you want to use in future endeavors? Next, list your interests and identify those that you'd most want included in future endeavors. 2. List the personal values that must be satisfied in order for you to accept a position (ie. to work with people who are friendly, to be able to see trees from your office window, to have your differences accepted and appreciated). 3. Imagine you are placing an advertisement in the classified section of the newspaper with the objective of selling yourself to an employer. This will inform a potential employer of your interests and qualifications. Since words cost money, you'll want to be as concise as possible. What would you write? 4. Could you shorten the ad to 2 sentences or less? Does this sound like an objective for your resume?
Educational Background
Your educational history should be listed in reverse chronological order, beginning with your most recent degree. Include the name of your institution, degree received, major, and date of graduation. It is essential that you emphasize educational experiences which illustrate your ability to handle the position you are seeking. Although grades are important, they are not the only aspect of your background that employers consider. Employers look for the well-rounded candidate as demonstrated by involvement in extracurricular activities, leadership positions, internships, research projects, and personally financing college expenses Some examples of information that you might want to mention are listed below. Each is optional to include on the resume. You may want to pick and choose depending on the employer/job that you are applying to. - Pertinent courses If you are in your last year of your undergraduate career, it is considered optional to list your high school. One reason for keeping high school on the resume is if you are looking to move back to the same town and want employers to know that you are familiar with and comfortable in the area.
Work Experience
The work experience section can be headed in many different ways including: "Experience," "Employment," "Summer and Part-time Experience," "Professional Experience," or whatever is most applicable. No matter what you have done, whether it was working as a process engineer at Exxon or in the production line of a paint factory, employers want to know that you have worked. Many students are hesitant to include summer or part-time employment that may be unrelated to their career objectives. You should realize that the employer wants to know that you've been out there in the "real world" working. Some college students do not have significant work experience; employers realize this. Regardless of what you've done, there are specific types of information for which employers will be looking: a brief description of your responsibilities and accomplishments, who you worked for, and when you worked there. The experience section can be laid out in several different ways.
: Emphasizes skills and capabilities. Employers' names and dates of employment are deemphasized. One drawback of this format is that it gives the impression of trying to conceal something (usually a gap in employment or a lack of related experience).
Choose a format which presents the most impressive presentation of your employment history. Whatever the case, be sure to emphasize the points that follow through the use of ACTION WORDS (an Action Word List is provided at the end). AVOID phrases like "responsible for," "duties included," or "responsibilities included."
Research Interests and Publications
Graduate students may wish to present their research, related publications and presentations in separate sections. A brief description of each, in reverse chronological order, is most appropriate. Try to keep everything as brief and to the point as possible. You may want to mention your faculty advisor's name, if you think it would be helpful. Publications should be listed in the appropriate bibliographic format for your field.
Professional Affiliations
If you are involved in a professional association (especially if you are a graduate student) you may want to have a separate section which mentions the organizations in which you are involved. This can just be a list of the names of organizations or, if you were actively involved, you may want to list the committees that you were on/positions that you held.
Special Qualifications/Skills
You may want to include a section for skills or qualifications which enhance your prospects for employment. Computer skills, special managerial qualifications, foreign languages you can read or speak, and/or equipment that you can operate may be mentioned in this section.
Personal Profile
This category can include personal information that you believe will add to your qualifications. Athletic activities, cultural or intellectual interests, artistic and musical abilities, and travel experiences could be presented here. Information such as physical dimensions (height, weight), age and marital status are not indicators of your ability to perform and should be omitted. If you have financed a portion of your college expenses through employment, loans, grants, or scholarships, you could mention it in this section. This section should be included only if it adds to your qualifications. For graduate students, and particularly Ph.D. candidates, the personal profile section is usually unnecessary.
Citizenship/Visa Status
The personal section would also be an appropriate place to indicate your citizenship or visa status, if you so desire. If you are a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident, but have some information which would suggest that you are not a citizen of the U.S., it is to your advantage to specify your citizenship on the resume.
Reference Information
If you would like to keep references on file in the Credentials Office, you should open a permanent credentials file and obtain blank recommendation forms from the CAREER SERVICES receptionist. Usually three or four references are sufficient. They should be chosen on the basis of the individuals' ability to comment on your accomplishments and qualifications rather than attesting to your character and family background. Professors, former employers, campus administrators, coaches, club advisors are examples of people that you may want to ask for reference letters. Always ask your references for permission to use their names before you do so. Fill them in on what you are looking for so that they can direct their recommendations appropriately.
Final Comments
Almost everyone will have a different concept of what the perfect resume should look like. Combine the ideas of others which you like best, with thoughts of your own, keep your presentation concise, and allow your individuality to shine through.
VII. Resume Samples for Underclassmen |
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