Resume Guide

Your header should always include the following:

• Your name: Bolded, center-aligned, and in a larger font (around 16 to 20 point)
• Location: City and state is sufficient for this; you do not need your full address
• Phone number: Make sure your voicemail box is clear so employers can leave a message if needed; when typing your number, include the area code, and use characters to break up the number: (###) ###-####
• Email: Use the email address you check most often, and make sure it is a professional email address that can be easily associated with you (e.g., your name and a reputable email domain, such as Gmail, Outlook, or your school’s .edu address)

Other optional elements to include in your heading:

• LinkedIn URL
• Website, blog, or portfolio link
• Any other showcase of your professional work

We recommend listing Education as the first section on your resume, with the following formatting guidelines:

• Bold the school name (“Emmanuel College“)
• Italicize your degree title and spell out completely (avoid “BA” or “BS”)
• Right-align your graduation date (or anticipated graduation date) on the same line as the degree type
• If you have earned multiple degrees (e.g., Associate’s Degree and Bachelor’s Degree), list the most recent first
• List your major(s) underneath the degree
• Include your minor(s), if applicable
• Do not list high school or any other place where you did not earn a degree (if you transferred from a different school, you do not list that institution)

Emmanuel College is accredited for the following degrees: Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), and Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA). If you are unsure what degree you are earning, you may check your degree program on Student Planning.

Your Experience section should include any paid or relevant experience, such as part-time work, internships, and on- or off-campus jobs.

All experiences should be listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent experience listed first.

Formatting guidelines:

• List the employer name first (bolded), followed by the city and state location
• Right align the dates you worked for the employer on the same line as the employer name
• List your job title (italicized) under the employer name
• Include 3 to 4 bullet points per job, describing your responsibilities and accomplishments
  • Note: Bullet points should be written without “I” statements, include strong action verbs at the beginning of each statement, and stay to no more than two typed lines

Your Skills section should focus on hard skills, such as software you are proficient with or languages you comfortably speak. Avoid listing “soft skills” in this section, like “communication” or “critical thinking,” as these skills should be demonstrated in your experience section above.

Formatting guidelines:

• Separate skills into types if needed, and provide a bolded label (e.g., Computer or Language; for more field-specific skills, you may want more specific labels, such as Coding Languages or Project Management Frameworks)
• Separate skills with commas in each section (avoid using special characters, such as the pipe “|” or inserting other symbols)

List the common names of classes you have taken that may be relevant to the job you are applying for (no more than 4 to 6 courses, or no longer than about two typed lines.) This can help supplement your resume if you don’t have specific work experience in a certain area outlined in the job description, but you gained some of the relevant skills through your coursework.

This section should go beneath the Education heading. See example below:

Alternative formatting example (sub-heading under Education):

Highlight academic honors or awards, including competitive, merit-based scholarships, fellowships, Dean’s List and Honors Societies. When listing scholarships or fellowships, do not list the stipend or dollar amount.

This section should go beneath the Education heading. See example below:

Alternative formatting example (sub-heading under Education):

List the title of your project and the course for which you conducted it, as well as the term during which it was completed. Underneath, list 2 to 3 bullet points outlining what you accomplished or learned as a result of the project, as relevant to the job you are applying for. Like the Relevant Coursework section, the Projects section can help supplement the demonstration of skills on your resume if you have not used a particular skill in a work environment, but applied a concept in an academic context.

This section should go beneath the Education heading. See example below:

If you have any official publications (e.g., peer-reviewed journal articles, or publications that have gone through a professional editing and review process), you can list these on your resume using the appropriate formal citation format.

Depending on the relevance of your publication(s) to the job you are applying for, you may opt to place this section higher or lower on your resume. See example below for formatting:

An action word is used to start off your accomplishment statement or job duty bullet. Job duty bullets should use a strong action word to start and reach the middle of the page at the minimum.

Below you will find some examples of action words you may use to assist you in crafting your resume.

Use the Job Market Insights tool to identify and include relevant skills on your resume that reflect the internship or job to which you are applying.

Refer to the Core Tasks section in the search results!

• Answer customers’ questions, and provide information on procedures or policies.
• Assist customers by providing information and resolving their complaints.
• Assist with duties in other areas of the store, such as monitoring fitting rooms or bagging and carrying out customers’ items.
• Bag, box, wrap, or gift-wrap merchandise, and prepare packages for shipment.
• Calculate total payments received during a time period, and reconcile this with total sales.
• Cash checks for customers.
• Compile and maintain non-monetary reports and records.
• Compute and record totals of transactions.
• Count money in cash drawers at the beginning of shifts to ensure that amounts are correct and that there is adequate change.
• Establish or identify prices of goods, services or admission, and tabulate bills using calculators, cash registers, or optical price scanners.
• Greet customers entering establishments.
• Issue receipts, refunds, credits or change due to customers.
• Maintain clean and orderly checkout areas and complete other general cleaning duties, such as mopping floors and emptying trash cans.
• Monitor checkout stations to ensure that they have adequate cash available and that they are staffed appropriately.
• Offer customers carry-out service at the completion of transactions.
• Process merchandise returns and exchanges.
• Receive payment by cash, check, credit cards, vouchers, or automatic debits.
• Stock shelves, and mark prices on shelves and items.

• Organize and participate in recreational activities and outings, such as games and field trips.
• Organize and store toys and materials to ensure order in activity areas.
• Communicate with children’s parents or guardians about daily activities, behaviors, and related issues.
• Recommend or initiate other measures to control behavior, such as caring for own clothing and picking up toys and books.
• Instruct children in health and personal habits, such as eating, resting, and toilet habits.
• Keep records on individual children, including daily observations and information about activities, meals served, and medications administered.
• Observe and monitor children’s play activities.
• Operate in-house-day-care centers within businesses.
• Perform general administrative tasks, such as taking attendance, editing internal paperwork, and making phone calls.
• Perform general personnel functions, such as supervision, training, and scheduling.
• Read to children and teach them simple painting, drawing, handicrafts, and songs.
• Regulate children’s rest periods.
• Sanitize toys and play equipment.
• Support children’s emotional and social development, encouraging understanding of others and positive self-concepts.

• Greet new arrivals to activities, introducing them to other participants, explaining facility rules, and encouraging participation.
• Manage the daily operation of recreational facilities.
• Meet and collaborate with agency personnel, community organizations, and other professional personnel to plan balances recreational programs for participants.
• Meet with staff to discuss rules, regulations, and work-related problems.
• Organize, lead, and promote interest in recreational activities such as arts, crafts, sports, games, camping, and hobbies.
• Administer first aid according to prescribed procedures, and notify emergency medical personnel when necessary.
• Ascertain and interpret group interests, evaluate equipment and facilities, and adapt activities to meet participant needs.
• Complete and maintain time and attendance forms and inventory lists.
• Confer with management to discuss and resolve participant complaints.
• Direct special activities or events such as aquatics, gymnastics, or performing arts.
• Encourage participants to develop their own activities and leadership skills through group discussions.
• Enforce rules and regulations of recreational facilities to maintain discipline and ensure safety.
• Explain principles, techniques, and safety procedures to participants in recreational activities, and demonstrate use of materials and equipment.
• Provide for entertainment and set up related decorations and equipment.

• Check with customers to ensure that they are enjoying their meals and take action to correct any problems.
• Write patrons’ food orders on order slips, memorize orders, or enter orders into computers for transmittal to kitchen staff.
• Prepare checks that itemize and total meal costs and sales taxes.
• Take orders from patrons for food or beverages.
• Check patrons’ identification to ensure that they meet minimum age requirements for consumption of alcoholic beverages.
• Serve food or beverages to patrons, and prepare or serve specialty dishes at tables as required.
• Present menus to patrons and answer questions about menu items, making recommendations upon request.
• Clean tables or counters after patrons have finished dining.
• Prepare hot, cold, and mixed drinks for patrons, and chill bottles of wine.
• Roll silverware, set up food stations or set up dining areas to prepare for the next shift or for large parties.
• Inform customers of daily specials.
• Explain how various menu items are prepared, describing ingredients and cooking methods.
• Prepare tables for meals, including setting up items such as linens, silverware, and glassware.
• Stock service areas with supplies such as coffee, food, tableware, and linens.
• Remove dishes and glasses from tables or counters, take them to kitchen for cleaning.
• Assist host or hostess by answering phones to take reservations or to-go orders, and by greeting, seating, and thanking guests.
• Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping and mopping floors, vacuuming carpet, tidying up server station, taking out trash, or checking and cleaning bathroom.
• Bring wine selections to tables with appropriate glasses, and pour the wines for customers.
• Perform food preparation duties such as preparing salads, appetizers, and cold dishes, portioning desserts, and brewing coffee.
• Fill salt, pepper, sugar, cream, condiment, and napkin containers.
• Garnish and decorate dishes in preparation for serving.
• Describe and recommend wines to customers.
• Provide guests with information about local areas, including giving directions.

• Greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs.
• Maintain knowledge of current sales and promotions, policies regarding payment and exchanges, and security practices.
• Recommend, select, and help locate or obtain merchandise based on customer needs and desires.
• Maintain records related to sales.
• Open and close cash registers, performing tasks such as counting money, separating charge slips, coupons, and vouchers, balancing cash drawers, and making deposits.
• Place special orders or call other stores to find desired items. Help customers try on or fit merchandise.
• Bag or package purchases, and wrap gifts.
• Clean shelves, counters, and tables.
• Compute sales prices, total purchases and receive and process cash or credit payment.
• Demonstrate use or operation of merchandise.
• Describe merchandise and explain use, operation, and care of merchandise to customers.
• Exchange merchandise for customers and accept returns.
• Inventory stock and requisition new stock.
• Ticket, arrange and display merchandise to promote sales.
• Watch for and recognize security risks and thefts, and know how to prevent or handle these.

• Conduct demonstrations to teach such skills as sports, dancing and handicrafts.
• Discuss assigned duties with classroom teachers to coordinate instructional efforts.
• Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.
• Grade homework and tests, and compute and record results, using answer sheets or electronic marking devices.
• Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.
• Maintain computers in classrooms and laboratories and assist students with hardware and software use.
• Observe students’ performance, and record relevant data to assess progress.
• Organize and label materials and display students’ work in a manner appropriate for their eye levels and perceptual skills.
• Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development.
• Plan, prepare, and develop various teaching aids such as bibliographies, charts and graphs.
• Prepare lesson materials, bulletin board displays, exhibits, equipment, and demonstrations.
• Prepare lesson outlines and plans in assigned subject areas and submit outlines to teachers for review.
• Present subject matter to students under the direction and guidance of teachers, using lectures, discussions, or supervised role-playing methods.
• Provide disabled students with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities such as restrooms.
• Supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards and gymnasiums, or on field trips.
• Take class attendance and maintain attendance records.
• Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers.

• Complete and maintain records of weather and beach conditions, emergency medical treatments performed, and other relevant incident information.
• Contact emergency medical personnel in case of serious injury.
• Examine injured persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment.
• Inspect recreational equipment, such as rope tows, T-bars, J-bars, and chair lifts, for safety hazards and damage or wear.
• Inspect recreational facilities for cleanliness.
• Instruct participants in skiing, swimming or other recreational activities and provide safety precaution information.
• Maintain quality of pool water by testing chemical levels.
• Observe activities in assigned areas, using binoculars, to detect hazards, disturbances, or safety infractions.
• Operate underwater recovery units.
• Participate in recreational demonstrations to entertain resort guests.
• Patrol or monitor recreational areas such as trails, slopes, and swimming areas, on foot, in vehicles or from towers.
• Provide assistance in the safe use of equipment, such as ski lifts.
• Rescue distressed persons, using rescue techniques and equipment.
• Warn recreational participants of inclement weather, unsafe areas, or illegal conduct.

For most college students, a one-page resume is appropriate. You do not need to include activity or experience, and should exclude any experiences from high school after you complete your first year of college.

To reduce content, consider the following:

• Remove older or short-term experiences.
• Prioritize long-term, meaningful volunteer work over one-time or occasional activities.
• If you participated in many clubs, include only those where you held a leadership role or made significant contributions.
• Focus on activities with sustained involvement. For example, a sport or activity pursued for several years is generally more relevant than one completed for a single season.

You can also adjust formatting to save space:

• Set margins to Narrow (Layout > Margins > Narrow).
• Reduce paragraph spacing by setting Before and After spacing to 0 and using single line spacing.
• Use a font size as small as 11 pt for resume content. Your name should remain larger (approximately 14 pt).

No. High School is not listed on a resume once you get to college.

Describe your work experience by writing actions statements. You should not be using First Person.

Incorrect: “I served guests menu items in a fast-paced 50 seat restaurant.”
Correct: “Served guests menu items in a fast-paced 50 seat restaurant.”

Write in complete detailed statements.

Incorrect: “Mowed Lawns.”
Correct: “Mowed lawns while following pre-determined landscaping plans set by owner.”

Incorrect: “Scooped Ice Cream”
Correct: “Served ice cream to patrons in a fast and friendly manner.”

Check for grammatical errors.

Your resume must be free of grammatical, formatting, or spelling errors. Edit your resume thoroughly before applying to a job.

You can list volunteer work, community service and other unpaid experience in your Experience section.