Tips for Creating a Resumé

  • Font: A resumé is about information. Make it easy to find, easy to follow. Varying the font can actually confuse more then it clarifies. Select a font that is easy to read (Old English is not one of these). Bold or italicize headings. Choose a size that is readable but does not look like you are simply taking up space. A ten-font may be too small for most readers; fourteen is definitely too large and looks elementary. You may want to make your name a slightly larger font. The font color should be black. Lines can sometimes be used selectively and effectively on a resumé.
  • Headings: Use headings that help make the information more accessible. Be consistent in format and spacing.
  • Order of Information: Name and contact information is first. Most scholarship offices rely heavily on e-mail. Be sure to include a reliable e-mail address. Be sure the address is appropriate. An e-mail address like iamsmarterthanyou@yahoo.com may be fun to share with friends, but it could actually hurt you in a scholarship competition. Be sure to include your intended major or fields of interest early in the resumé.
  • Education should immediately follow your contact information. Resumés for scholarships do not include an objectives section. Include the date you anticipate graduating. If you are going to graduate with honors include that information. If you have written or are writing an honors thesis include that in this section as well.
  • Please list work information on the resumé in order to show out-of-classroom responsibilities. Work history should be limited to your tenure in college.
  • Community service and campus activities are very important because they show your energy and your commitment to working with others. List and describe any leadership positions that you held and what sort of involvement you had with the group. A section titled hobbies is also good to include because it provides a fuller picture of who you are.
  • If you have received awards and/or scholarships while in college then you should highlight these accomplishments.
  • Formatting Information: Be consistent. List experiences by including the most recent first. Include dates when appropriate. Make sure the spacing of dates is consistent. Some abbreviations, organizations, or scholarships may require explanation. Do not assume the reader will know the importance of a particular group on your campus. Include any leadership positions in a prominent, consistent way. Feel free to explain responsibilities attached to those positions. If you do include explanations, be consistent in formatting. If you write in complete sentences for one entry, then you must for all entries. If you end with a period for one, then you should for all of them.
  • A full, thick appearing one-page resumé is more impressive than a two-page resumé that has large and frequent spacing that seem to be included simply to get the resumé to two pages. A full-two page resumé is fine, and if it is full of your accomplishments and service efforts, if can be quite impressive, but try not to go over two pages. You will try the patience of your reader.
  • Providing Accurate Information: Never exaggerate your accomplishments on a resumé. Also do not imply that you have spent more time or more effort in a community project than you have. Saying that you have worked for the Red Cross, when you actually gave blood once, is not ethical.
  • Proofread, Proofread, Proofread

Career Center

Please consider looking at the Optimal Resumé program offered through the University of Arkansas Career Development Center http://career.uark.edu/.