A resume is a door opener to an interview. It is a formal document describing your qualifications. It serves as a selling tool, used to market you- not provide an autobiography. It is a well organized summary of your credentials and experiences most relevant and significant to a potential employer. Your goal is to make a resume that is concise, well-organized, and best describes how you have contributed to your past employers.

résumé tools:
action verbs worksheet cover letters thank you letters networking letters	sample résumé #1 sample résumé #2 sample résumé #3

• Gather all important information related to your education and work experience whether paid or volunteer.
• Using the worksheet, prepare a rough draft. Use the Resume Worksheet to help you begin.
• Use a spell check, but also proofread your work or have someone else proofread it for you.
• Use proper verb tenses.
• Present tense refers to current activities, past tense refers to past activities.
• Try to use action verbs.
• Be honest and accurate.
• Limit your resume to one page. It is best to keep your resume down to one page unless you have more than 10 years of experience or published work.
• Print your resume on quality paper.
• Type cover letters on matching paper and use matching business size envelopes. When faxing a resume it is fine to use regular typing paper.
• Always send your resume with a personalized, well-written cover letter.
• You can have different resumes with different objectives and job requirements.
• Chronological format is the one most frequently used by applicants who have some kind of job experience. The work experience is shown in reverse chronological order, the last or present job being given first. The various positions held at one company should also be described in reverse chronological order. This shows growth and development - characteristics of great interest to employers.