Professional Document Resources
Guides and Resources
- How to Write an Effective Resume
- Resume template you can download!
- Resume Review Checklist
- How to Write an Effective Cover Letter
- How to Create an Effective LinkedIn Profile
- How to Develop Effective References
Resume Writing Tips
As you write or update your resume, it is important to remember a few things:
- A one-page resume is the general recommendation for college students.
- Organize your information in reverse chronological order within each section of your resume.
- Avoid templates, especially those with shading, boxes, and lots of underlining, which are hard for Automated Tracking Systems (ATS) to read.
- Avoid headers and footers, which are also hard for ATS to read.
- Be sure to proofread your resume so that it is consistent in terms of formatting and font, and does not contain typos or grammatical errors.
- By sophomore year in college, most, if not all, of your high school content should be removed from your resume.
- The Career Center coaches are here to work with you as you craft or update your resume. You can set up an appointment for a resume review via Handshake. You can also drop in for a quick resume review with a Peer Career Consultant (Mon., Tues., Thurs., and Fri., 2:00-4:30pm).
- Below you will find some sample resumes. We recommend that you look at several, as you may find formatting elements from a couple that you wish to incorporate into your own document.
- If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Career Center at ccpd@umw.edu