We review resumes on a a drop-in basis noon to 2 pm Monday to Friday, or email your Word document to csresume@brockport.edu (Brockport students and alumni only).   also see our Workshops On-Line

How To Write A Resume

The purpose of the résumé is to get you the interview. It is not intended to get you the job; that is up to you during the interview. An employer spends 20 seconds scanning a résumé...make your first impression a good one. We do have several sample resumes; see the links at the bottom of this page.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Include your name, address (current and permanent if different), phone number where you can be reached or a message left. E-mail address is acceptable; make sure it is professional. Your brockport.edu account will expire 3-4 months after graduation, so you may wish to establish an alternative account. 

OBJECTIVE
The purpose is to alert the employer of the type of position you are applying for. Tailor it to each employer and try to keep it short.

EDUCATION
For a recent college graduate with limited experience, this section should follow the “Objective” section. For someone with full-time experience, this section would follow the experience section.

This section is chronological with the most recent degree or school listed first. Your high school education should not be included if you have attended college.

Each degree should include the degree earned, major, minor (if applicable), year earned, college attended including city and state.

GPA is optional but should be added if over a 3.0. Other educational related honors that could be included in this section are dean’s list, honor societies and scholarships. International experience (study abroad) could go in this section.

EXPERIENCE
This section should include any relevant employment, internships and volunteer work. List job title, name of company, city and state where company is located, dates of employment.

If you wish to highlight particular experience that is relevant (including internships or volunteer experiences), you may want to divide your experience into more than one category (for example: Related Experience or Teaching Experience)

Using action words, describe specific skills, responsibilities, and accomplishments. Use phrases, rather then sentences. An action word list is available here.

Anything you have done above and beyond employment and school needs to be emphasized. Employers look for those candidates who have acquired more than classroom theory. Some of these “extras” may fit into the experience category or you can create a new category.

REFERENCES
If references are requested, give the employer a stand alone list using the same type of paper used for your résumé.

List the contact information for your references including name, job title, address, phone number (both home and business), and e-mail.


Be sure to ask your references for permission to use them as a reference before giving their names to prospective employers.
Provide or be able to provide the names of three to five references. Ideal references are professors, work supervisors or co-workers. Never use relatives as a reference. See a sample reference page.

Registration and Records also will maintain your letters of reference in a credential file. Click here for information.

FINALLY, PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD! Have several people look over your résumé for errors! We have advisors on duty noon to 2 pm Monday through Friday, and by appointment, and dozens of sample resumes from successful, recent Brockport graduates.  Services also are available at the MetroCenter in Rochester.

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Tips to avoiding turbulence in the résumé writing process... 1. Two pages maximum-one page preferred for those with minimum experience in their current career field of choice. A résumé is a highlight of your education and experience. It is not necessary to include all of your jobs. 2. NEVER use the word “I.” A résumé is a formal document and should not contain first person. 3. Purchase good quality bond paper-cream, white or light gray are the most professional looking colors. 4. Too generic-your résumé should be clearly targeted to the industry and the job you are applying for. 5. Pay attention to details-use quality paper, professional font and black ink. 6. Electronic Résumés-make sure that your résumé is readable. Test it out on a couple of friends’ computers to make sure it is readable. Don’t send as an attachment unless you are requested to do so. Acceptable formats are Word (.doc) files, and Adobe (.pdf) files. Many HR people will not open attachments because of the risk of viruses. Use a plain text version (save as .txt) of your résumé to copy and paste into an email. This version will not have bold, underlining, italics or bullets. Capital letters is an appropriate way to emphasize headings in a plain text format.

Sample Resumes
Note that these resumes are somewhat condensed due to their presentation on the Web. All are available as Word .doc files or Adobe .pdf files. Career Services also has dozens of sample resumes from Brockport students and graduates that you may review.