Resume Tips

A resume is the first tangible step in the job search. Following are some items to consider when approaching this task.

There are no hard and fast rules. An effective resume reflects your "uniqueness" as an individual. IT IS YOUR STORY.
Use light-colored, standard size (8-1/2"x 11") paper, printed on one side. Since many resumes are faxed, do not use dark, marbled, speckled or heavy paper.

Three major parts to a college resume:

Education

Degree and in what field
Minor, options, area of concentration, etc.
Date receiving degree
Grade point-optional
Pertinent courses or college course work included or supporting course work, etc.
Academic honors such as Dean's list, honoraries
Schools attended
High school information (if not very active in college)
Publications, research activities, special topics, international experiences

Work experience

Percent of college education financed by self
Include part-time and full-time (of any length), i.e., probably 2 weeks and longer
Include time period, i.e., Summer 1994 or December 1994-June 1995, etc.
Put most recent job first or most important first
Indicate your job title (if any) and a summary of responsibilities Example: Central Iowa Bottling Company, Ames, Iowa. (June 1995 to August 1995). Delivery person: delivered pop, serviced vending machines and maintained customer accounts.
Farm background. Including some descriptions on type of farm. Example: Grew up on a 480-acre farm. Experiences included work with crops, hogs and beef cows.
Student activities in college to show leadership responsibilities

References

Be detailed (name, position, address including zip code and telephone number)
No magic number on how many (three is a good figure)
Should be people familiar with your academic and work activities during the last few years

Objective (optional)

If included, be specific, however, you may want to write several versions of resumes to include different objectives (if doing several, let the office know when bringing in resumes)
[Ag Placement Home Page]