Name & Contact Information
Always include your name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address. If you are still in college when sending resumes to employers or graduate schools, include both your current and permanent contact information. However, if you are posting your resume on Monster.com or a similar national job search website, be careful about what contact information you include. Including ALL information makes it easier for identity theft.

Objective
The objective is a one line description of the position you are seeking and the skills/special interests you will bring to the job (see examples below). It should be tailored to the specific position you are applying for, rather than being a vague statement such as “Seeking a challenging position suited to my education and skills.” Your objective indicates to potential employers that you have direction or a goal you are trying to accomplish. However, you may omit an objective if you are unsure of the type of work you are seeking, if you are applying for a variety of positions within one company, or if you are giving your resume to multiple potential employers at a career fair.

Education
For most recent college graduates, this section should be placed near the top of your resume, just below your contact information and/or your objective. State your highest degree earned first. List the name and location of each institution from which you earned a degree, type and date of degree earned, major(s) and minor(s), and GPA (either cumulative or major, if favorable). Other optional information you may include in this section is relevant coursework, professional development courses, licensures/certifications, dean’s list, and/or scholarships. Do not include high school information in this section.

Experience
Your experience can include any number of activities, such as paid work experiences, volunteer work, internships, assistantships, co-ops, student organization involvement, and important class projects. Decide what’s most relevant and important to your target reader. You might want to highlight related experiences in a separate category and create additional sections and headings for other experiences. Include your job title, the name of the organization, location (city and state), and the dates of employment/involvement. When describing each position, talk about more than just your duties and responsibilities.  Mention accomplishments and achievements while on the job (ex. training and/or supervision of other employees, awards earned, special projects/assignments completed, etc.), skills developed, and knowledge gained. Use power words to begin statements about your experience to help make each statement stronger. Power Words List(.pdf)

Optional Sections

• Activities: This section can highlight your volunteer experiences, professional association memberships, and/or extracurricular activities. Include the name of the organization, any offices you held, and dates you participated. Include a brief description of your activities if they are relevant to the position for which you are applying. This section could also be labeled “Leadership & Involvement,” “Related Activities,” “Professional Development,” or something similar. See Functional Headings (.pdf) for more examples.
• Honors & Awards: This is another section (other than “Education”) where you could list achievements, certificates, academic awards, scholarships, dean’s list, honors, etc. Be sure to include dates.
• Skills: This section gives you the opportunity to list special skills you may possess that are relevant to the job you want, such as computer skills or language skills.

References
List your references on a separate sheet of paper and include them with your resume and cover letter ONLY if the employer requests them. If not, keep references separate and give them to the employers when they ask. For each reference, give his/her name, title, name of the company/agency, address, phone number, and email address. Before listing someone as a reference, you must always seek their permission so that person is aware that they might be contacted. References should include 3-5 employers, supervisors, or faculty that know you well and can attest to your abilities and give you a positive recommendation. Sample Reference Sheet(.pdf)