Consumer Sciences Career Services Center
The Resume
The resume is the centerpiece document in any job search. It is the paper employers will rely on the most in deciding if you are a person worth interviewing or not. A resume by itself will not get you the job, but it can separate you from the thousands of others who might want the same job you want. Because it is so important, you want to take the time required to do an excellent job (mistakes on a resume can also be embarrassing).
In writing a resume, the first thing to consider is length. Generally, a resume is one page. Occasionally, two pages will be appropriate. A young professional should never submit three or more pages.
The second consideration is content. Some experts recommend that a resume include an objective section. A resume should be well organized and easy to read.
Remember: a resume must be perfect. Absolutely no typos, misspellings, or grammatical mistakes allowed!
A resume is a personal document. It should reflect the person you are, or at least the person you want the employer to believe you are.
A resume should be a short professional document clearly listing your work and professional history. Personal information such as hobbies or interests, unless it is specifically related to the job, should be omitted.
View a sample resume (pdf).
Skills/Actions Verbs
- accelerated
- acclimated
- accommodated
- accomplished
- achieved
- acquired
- administered
- advised
- analyzed
- approved
- arranged
- assumed
- authorized
- broadened
- budgeted
- built
- capitalized
- cataloged
- collaborated
- compiled
- completed
- conceived
- conducted
- consolidated
- contracted
- contributed
- controlled
- converted
- created
- decreased
- defined
- delivered
- demonstrated
- designed
- developed
- devised
- directed
- distributed
- doubled
- earned
- edited
- eliminated
- enhanced
- enlarged
- established
- expanded
- expedited
- facilitated
- focused
- forecast
- formulated
- founded
- generated
- governed
- grouped
- guided
- headed
- hiked
- identified
- implemented
- improved
- improvised
- inaugurated
- increased
- installed
- instituted
- instructed
- insured
- intensified
- interacted
- interfaced
- introduced
- invented
- investigated
- launched
- led
- lessened
- maintained
- managed
- maneuvered
- maximized
- merged
- minimized
- moderated
- monitored
- negotiated
- operated
- optimized
- presented
- prevented
- prioritized
- processed
- produced
- profiled
- profited
- programmed
- progressed
- promoted
- propelled
- proposed
- provided
- purchased
- recognized
- recommended
- recruited
- redesigned
- reduced
- reorganized
- researched
- reshaped
- restructured
- revamped
- revised
- revitalized
- saved
- scheduled
- serviced
- set up
- simplified
- slashed
- sparked
- spearheaded
- spurred
- stabilized
- staffed
- started
- streamlined
- strengthened
- stressed
- summarized
- superseded
- supervised
- surpassed
- sustained
- systematized
- targeted
- taught
- terminated
- traced
- tracked
- traded
- trained
- transferred
- transformed
- translated
- trimmed
- tripled
- uncovered
- unified
- unraveled
- used
- utilized
- vacated
- verified
- widened
- withdrew
- won
- worked
- wrote
- sold
- solved
- sorted