CMU Career Guide Central Michigan University Career Guide

ADAPTING YOUR RESUME Developing an initial resume that effectively showcases your career story can help you prepare when it comes time to create tailored resumes that target positions, employers, and industries. Think about the employer’s needs, as specified in the job posting. How will you market yourself? 1 2 OVERALL APPEARANCE Is the document easy to scan? Does the most applicable, relevant information stand out? Is it clean, consistent, and use space well without clutter? Will you use a chronological (page 17) or functional (page 18) format? Use 10-12 point font with .5 inch margins. In addition, research templates online or see pages 19-20 to find a format that best matches your experiences and skills to an employer. SECTIONS AND HEADINGS On your initial resume, you can use the general headings from page 13 to stay organized since its purpose is to reflect on your experiences and skills. When applying to positions, develop specific headings with key words that better showcase your experiences that fit the position, employer, and industry. You may also want to adjust the order of sections based on relevance to the position. Include the most relevant information first and provide supplemental information as you go further down the document. Example heading adaptations: GENERAL: SPECIFIC: 3 Professional Experience Marketing Experience Professional Development Campus Leadership BULLET STATEMENTS AND DESCRIPTIONS Make sure your details and bullet points provide evidence of the skills that best match the employer’s needs. A basic bullet point may look like this: Advised students on finding jobs STRONG ACTION VERB + WHO OR WHAT + WHY/RESULT OF ACTION Expand on sentences by adding details that are relevant to the position and employer. Your goal is to develop a more detailed picture by using numbers and descriptive words. Advised over 1,000 undergraduates on application materials, career development, and search strategies to help them secure jobs and internships ADDITIONAL SAMPLE BULLET STATEMENT: Assisted with an after school program Partnered with staff to develop and implement an after school intervention program that resulted in a 50% decrease in post-school discipline referrals 15

CMU Career Guide Central Michigan University Career Guide | Page 15