Sections of a Resume

1. Personal Details

• Full name in bold and ALL CAPS
• Permanent Mailing Address (No Dormitory Addresses)
• Permanent Landline (No Hyphens)
• Mobile (No Hyphens)
• Formal Email Address (Remove Hyperlink)
• Age
• Height
• Civil Status
• Birthday
• Weight
• Nationality

2. Job Objective

Tells the potential employers the work you’re interested in. You may list down 3–5 choices only.

3. Education

Focuses on your college level only. Include honors for graduation (e.g. Cum laude candidate, Program Awardee, etc.), JTA, Minor(s) Taken, and Scholarship Grants. Do not include High School and Grade School, unless you were the Valedictorian or Salutatorian. Other than these two, no High/Grade School citations.

4. Co-Curricular Activities

Has to be arranged in chronological order (i.e. from most recent/present going back). Write Position(s), Corresponding Inclusive Date(s) in parentheses, then write Complete Name of Org. If involvement in one org exceeds one line, indent on the next lines. Write abbreviation of Org’s Name. If there’s an event within the org, write the Name(s) of the Event(s) first then the Position(s) Held, and Inclusive Date(s) [e.g. Celadon Ball Project Director (2007), First General Assembly Project Manager (2006), Ateneo Celadon)].

5. Work-Related Experience

Includes Practicum or Internship (Name of Company, and Inclusive Dates in parentheses); thesis; projects; papers; and researches done in class (but without dates for these) in chronological order.

6. Awards Received

List down the award received, the Award-Giving Body with the Date in parentheses.

7. Seminars Attended

List down your Role (i.e. Participant, Speaker, Facilitator, etc.), Title of the Seminar, and write down the Exact Date in parentheses.

8. Skills

Include Languages spoken (and level of fluency), computer programs/applications you are knowledgeable in, and other skills.

9. Interests

Include hobbies, travel experience, sports, etc.

The 30 Second Resume

Did you know that the average time spent on reading a resume is about less than half a minute? You only have that much time to capture the attention of the reader, so make it count! Here are a few tips on how to make your resume worth a second look:

Fit In, Stand Out!

As much as possible, you should follow an approved resume format. You wouldn't want to stand out for the wrong reasons. Let the content of your resume do the talking.

Brevity is Key

"Good things, when short, are twice as good." -Baltasar Gracian, The Art of Worldly Wisdom

Do not use two words, if one can do. Go straight to the point. Reading hundreds of resume per day takes up valuable time and opportunity costs, not just for the Human Resource staff, but also for the company.

Knowledge is Power

Know your job objectives. What job do you want?

Sell, Sell, Sell

Your resume is your personal advertisement laying claim to your worth or marketability as a product.

Make sure you include the other necessary information such as Education, Co-curricular Activities, Work-Related Experiences, Awards Received, Seminars Attended, Skills, and Interests.

Your resume is all about YOU, how well you have performed, and your accomplishments, especially those that are relevant to the work you'd want to have.

First Impressions Last

Use power verbs. Action words add impact to your resume and help capture the attention of the reader. It's the added "oomph" to your writing that makes your resume worth a second look.

Make sure that you spell your words right. Grammar check your resume, too.

Honesty is the Best Policy

Your resume has to state about who you are and what you have done, not who you want to be and what you want to do. Never include information that is not true. Even if it helps you get in, sooner or later, you will be paying the price.

If you mention references in your resume, make sure that these people are informed, know you personally, and willing to give a good evaluation of you to the potential employer.

Remember, the initial purpose of a resume is not for you to be offered a job, but for the company to want to interview you.