4
REFERENCES
References should be listed on a separate page.
Use the same heading and contact information
as your resume. (See the Reference Sheet
Example on page 19). Ask individuals to be a
reference before including them.
OTHER SECTION HEADINGS
International experience, volunteer experience,
leadership experience, relevant coursework,
publications, foreign languages, computer skills,
research, certifications, professional
associations, etc.
RESUME FORMATS
In organizing your resume, choose the format
that best illustrates your qualifications. Below
are the three main types of resume formats
used.
CHRONOLOGICAL
The chronological resume is the most common
style. Education, experience and skills are
arranged in reverse chronological order. This
resume is appropriate for candidates whose
academic and/or professional background is
directly related to the position for which they are
applying. (See p. 8 for an example.)
FUNCTIONAL
The functional or skills resume is used to market
your qualities by emphasizing your skills and
abilities. Skills such as communication and
organization are used as major headings and
information from your background (work
experience and/or activities) is used to illustrate
and support those skills. It is a good format
for alumni reentering the job market or making
a career change. (See p. 13 for an example.)
COMBINATION
A combination resume is a modified version of a
functional resume. This format is most
appropriate for new grads with relevant
experience from a variety of areas such as
extracurricular activities, class projects,
internships, volunteering, etc. You may
accomplish this format by including a Summary
of Qualifications followed by relevant experience
and activities. (See p. 17 for an example.)
Electronic Resumes
Some employers may require you to email or
post your resume on a web site. Following are
some helpful tips to create an accurate
electronic resume.
SCANNABLE RESUMES
Many large companies, especially those in the
technology industry, scan resumes electronically
to find suitable candidates to interview by
identifying keywords in resumes. Try to use the
keywords listed in the job posting in your
resume.
• Avoid italics, script, underlining, shading, and
graphics. Most scanners accept bolding, though
using all capital letters may be the best choice
• Do not use horizontal/vertical lines
• Do not use open-faced bullets such as “o”
because these can be read as the letter “o”. Use
closed-faced bullets such as “•”
• Print on white paper and do not fold or staple
ASCII OR PLAIN TEXT FORMAT
Employers may ask you to e-mail your resume
to them in ASCII format. ASCII is the simplest
form of text in that it contains no formatting
within the document. It allows prospective
employers to view your resume via the Internet
or e-mail no matter what kind of computer they
are using.
To create an ASCII resume, type your resume
using your favorite word-processing application,
and then save it as a text only document (Rich
Text Format or RTF). AVOID formatting
mistakes such as:
• Special characters (such as “smart quotes” or
mathematical symbols)
• Tabs - use your spacebar instead
• Alignment - the default for ASCII is to make
everything left justified (which is the preferred
format for scanning resumes and online viewing)
• Word-wrap - Use hard returns to insert line
breaks instead
• Fonts - boldface, italics, and various sizes will
NOT appear in the ASCII version
E-MAILING RESUMES
If you are sending a resume as an attachment,
make sure it is in a format that employers can
read and that it is virus free. Some e-mail
systems will not view or will not accept e-mail
messages with attachments, so follow up with
employers! Make sure they received your
resume and were able to view it.
WEB RESUMES OR WEB PORTFOLIO
A web resume is a formatted resume that you
place on the web. A web portfolio should
contain your resume and samples of your work
(projects, reports, etc). Make sure your website
is viewable for employers.