Everyone seems to have different opinions about resumes. What's the best style to use?

The reason everyone has different opinions about resumes is that a resume is a subjective document. One employer's opinions about what a resume should look like may be completely different from another employer's opinions. Even people who work in the same human resources department have different preferences. As long as the information on your resume is well-written and clear, little things like whether you use all caps, bold, or italics don't matter. Focus on the content, and use style elements that are easy-to-read and look best to you. Just be sure to be consistent with those elements (if you use italics for one heading, use it for all of them).

Where can I find a good resume to use as a sample?

There are more than 50 sample resumes available on this site. There are general samples in the Virtual Career Office and more specific samples for every major at the university on the My Major Pages. Remember though, the samples are only intended to be used as guides for the type of information to include. You don't need to make your resume look identical to the samples.

Is it OK to use the resume templates in Word or Works? They make it so easy.

No. Employers often see thousands of resumes a week. They don't want to look at the same thing over and over again. Using a template shows an employer that you are either too inexperienced or too lazy to create a resume on your own. Also, many templates (like those in MS Word) cause problems for scanners. If an employer is unable to scan your resume, it may end up in the trash. Simply open your word processing program and start typing in a blank document.

How can I make my resume stand out from other candidates'?

Your resume will stand out if you have strong qualifications and you present them in a clear, concise way. Gimmicks like colored paper, pictures, rainbow ink, or fancy folders don't impress employers. In fact, they sometimes make you stand out for the wrong reasons. You want the employer to remember you because of your skills and abilities, not because they laughed at a goofy attention-grabber on your resume.

Should I put my email address on my resume?

YES! Many employers are now communicating with potential hires via email. Just make sure that it is not unprofessional (such as sexxyredd@****.com, metryboy@****.net) or easy to mistype (such as es546789492@****.com). If all else fails, use your UNO e-mail account -- remember, your technology fees are paying for it.

Should I put my cell phone number on my resume? I don't want to miss a call from an employer.

NO! Employers will not decide not to interview you just because they can't reach you on the first attempt. Include your home phone number, and be sure that you have a professional outgoing message on your voicemail or answering machine (no offensive music, no little kids singing Christmas carols, and no stupid jokes). When trying to schedule an interview, employers would much rather leave a message and have you call them back than talk to you while you're juggling your calendar, a pen, and the steering wheel. Besides, with most phones having caller ID, it would be easy for you to ignore an unrecognized number or answer the phone inappropriately (like saying: "Who 'dis is").

What should my objective say?

An objective should be a brief (one sentence) statement of what you would like to do. It should set the tone for your entire resume, and everything else you include should support your objective. Don't keep prospective employers guessing about what you hope to do; tell them.

But I'm not sure what I want to do. Do I have to include an objective?

It depends on how you plan to circulate the resume. If you are posting your resume in MonsterTRAK, distributing it at a career fair, or submitting it to a company's web site, you should have an objective. In those settings, employers will see tons of resumes, and you need to tell them why they should pay attention to yours. (It should not be because you are willing to do anything at the company if they have space for you -- employers are most interested in candidates who have some direction.)

If you are responding to an advertised vacancy for a specific position, it is somewhat less important to have an objective. However, it is still a good idea to include one. Suppose you are interested in marketing research or product management. You answer an ad for a marketing research position with a company, and they decide not to interview you. If you have an objective that states your interest in both fields, they may hold onto your resume and consider it for the next available product management position. But if you don't have an objective, they may assume that you only want to do marketing research, and you will have lost out on another possible opportunity.

If you don't know what you want to do, you should explore your career interests and options before you apply for full-time positions. You can do this by going to our Getting on a Career Path Page, by reading about career fields on your My Major Page, or by contacting UNO Counseling Services.

Why shouldn't I list the high school I went to? What if someone at the company I'm applying to went to my high school?

Human resources personnel, who normally screen resumes to determine which candidates to interview, rarely, and by that we mean almost never, make decisions based on where a person went to high school. Even if the president of the company went to your school, she's not going to be the one choosing who to interview. Don't list anything about your high school unless you graduated within the last 12 months. Seriously, do you really want employers to talk to your high school friends and teachers about what you were like back then? Employers looking to fill professional positions are only concerned with your academic performance in college and/or graduate school.

I haven't graduated yet; how should I let employers know that I attend UNO?

Give your degree (bachelors, masters, etc.), major, and expected graduation date (it's ok if they change). Include as much as you know at this point. List your GPA (if it is 2.5 or above) and any academic honors or awards you have received.

What order should my previous jobs go in?

Always list the most recent information first. Resumes should be in reverse chronological order so employers can get an accurate picture of your accomplishments and qualifications.

How much information about previous jobs should I include?

Unless you have extensive experience in the field in which you are seeking employment, do not include information that is more than 5 or 6 years old. Employers are most interested in the knowledge and skills that are relevant to the position you are applying for. They don't care about everything you've ever done.

What should I focus on in my experience section?

The most important thing to remember when writing your experience section is that employers want to see how you made a positive impact at the jobs that you have had, not that you just showed up to work every day. If you worked as a shift leader, include the number of other employees that you led. If you designed and implemented a new filing system that increased efficiency, say so. If you were a cashier at a supermarket, talk specifically about what you did, not just that you "waited on customers." Include information such as an approximation of how many customers you saw an hour or the dollar amount of sales that you averaged each week.

From a style perspective, the descriptions in your experience section should not be in narrative format. Avoid statements such as, "Duties included . . .," or "My responsibilities were . . .," or "I worked the cash register." Instead, use short phrases that begin with action verbs. Phrases like, "Managed payroll for seven employees," and "Exceeded sales goals by an average of 15% per month" allow the reader to scan your resume quickly and find the important information without having to wade through lots of fluff. Be careful of verb tenses (i.e., if you still work at a job, use present tense), and use the same tense throughout a section.

I don't have much experience -- what should I do?

Get some experience. No, seriously, we're not being flip. The best way to find a job in your chosen field after graduation is to get some experience in that field (or in a job that will give you good transferable skills) while you're in college. You can get experience through internships, part time jobs, and even volunteer work.

I came back to school after not working for 15 years/after working in positions that aren't related to the degree I just got. What should my resume look like?

You may want to consider using a functional resume. This resume format removes the emphasis from the jobs that you had, instead focusing on the skills that you have.

Do I need a computer skills section?

Most employers want to make sure that their employees have knowledge of current computer software. You may choose to use a separate computer skills section or you may list the names of the programs in the text of your experience section (Ex: Utilized MS Access 2000 to create database . . .). There are many different versions of all computer software, so it is important to let the reader know which one you have worked with. If you are not sure, then look at the "splash screen" or opening screen when you start the program; the version number is usually listed there. Keep in mind that surfing the Web is not a skill. Therefore you should not include "Internet research," Netscape, Internet Explorer, or AOL in a computer skills section.

How should I list my references on my resume?

There is no need to list names and addresses for your references, unless an employer specifically requests the information in a job advertisement. In that case, use a separate sheet of paper (be sure to include at least your name in case the pages get separated) for the references. Include complete contact information for all references (name, title, business address, phone number, fax number, and email address). Otherwise, you should merely include the phrase, "References available upon request." This tells the reader that he or she has reached the end of your resume.