Guide to Resume Writing

Guide to Resume Writing
A resume is a tailored marketing document designed to showcase your relevant education, experience, and skills.
While there are a lot of opinions on resumes, this handout presents guidelines that are applicable to most college students and recent
graduates. The University Career Center’s career advisors can answer specific resume questions and help you create an effective resume.
LENGTH: A one-page resume is ideal for most students and recent alumni.
FONTS:
Use standard fonts (like Arial,
Times New Roman, Calibri); no
more than 2 different fonts in
your resume
Use a 10-12 point font size for
the resume body and 14-18
point font size for your name.
FORMATTING:
Use bolding and italics for section
titles, job titles, employer names,
and other key information.
Consistency is very important:

Keep your use of font size,
capitalization, bolding, and
italics the same through each
section

If you list the city & state for
a position, list the same
information for each position

Make sure all dates are
formatted the same way and
that they line up

Using periods at the end of
your bulleted statements is
optional; if you decide to use
them, do it consistently
MARGINS:
Use .5” to 1” margins
ORGANIZATION: Within each section, list information in reverse chronological order (most recent experience or education first)
DON’T INCLUDE:
Clipart, images, watermarks, or headshots
References (your References Page should be separate)
Full sentences or words like “I,” “me,” or “my”
Personal information (age, gender, marital status, etc.)
Hobbies or interests unrelated to the position
General statements (i.e. “Strong work ethic,” “People person,” “Good communicator”)
RESUME CONTENT GUIDELINES & EXAMPLES


Include your name, email, phone number, and address

Be sure to have a professional voicemail greeting
Example
#1
Heading
Example
#2
Use a professional email address, which can be your UNC Charlotte
student email or an email address with your name
For current students and recent graduates, the Education section
should come before any Experience section(s)

Include any colleges where you received a degree (including
community college); do not include high school


Include your GPA if it is a 3.0 or higher
Example
#2

Example
#1
Education
Include your expected graduation date (you can, but don’t have to)
include the word “expected” before the date

Experience section(s) can include both paid experience and unpaid
relevant experience

Focus on experience gained while in college; as a rule, Juniors and
Seniors shouldn’t include high school experience


Include employer, position, dates, and a description
Bullet points are recommended
Start each bullet with an action verb
Focus on transferable skills and accomplishments
Include numbers and quantifiable information as possible
Depending on the amount and kind of experience you have, use one
or more experience sections (with different titles)
Action verb examples: achieve, administer, analyze, collaborate, conduct, develop, engineer, expand, generate, improve, investigate, launch,
manage, organize, perform, promote, research, schedule, supervise,
Example
#2




Example
#1
Experience/Employment


Include the name of the organization, position, and dates

Use a relevant title for this section (“Campus Involvement,”
“Community Service,” “Leadership Experience,” etc.)
Create bullet points (use the guidelines from the Experience section)
for some or all of your activities
Example
Campus Involvement/Volunteer Work
An Objective section is optional. If you’re applying to a specific
position, you may want to include a relevant objective statement

Depending on your major and experience, other sections that you
may choose to include on your resume are Research Experience,
Course Projects, Technical Skills, Language Skills, Certifications/
Licenses, Professional Training/Development, Relevant Coursework,
Honors & Awards, Study Abroad, Military Experience, etc.
Example
#2

Example
#1
Other Resume Sections