Writing a Resume: Frequently Asked Questions
Q.Must I be limited to one page?
A.Yes, under most circumstances. Not many typical college students will have so much experience that they need more than one page. If you do, use more than one. Make sure when they see the second page they will clearly understand why there is one. Be sure and put your name in the upper left corner in case page two gets separated from page one.
Q.Should I put my references in my resume?
A.It is suggested that you use a second page for your references. Set up the heading the same as you have it for the résumé - name, address, phone, etc. and then, where you normally have Objective for your resume put References. Give a minimum of three and a maximum of six. When you do the above, you can state in your résumé, "References: Available upon request" or leave out references entirely and be prepared to either send the reference page with the résumé or when they ask for it.
Q.What do I put on my resume if I have no work experience?
A.Concentrate on your skills and talents and include volunteer positions. When a company is "buying" your experience, they are not interested in whether you gained that experience for a salary or for free.
Q.If I'm not a business major, is a resume still necessary?
A.Yes, a résumé is necessary no matter what your major. A résumé is necessary in even obtaining a part-time job.
Q.Should I pay a professional resume writer to help me with my resume?
A.No! Résumés that are "professionally written" have obvious marks of a "creative writer." For the fee they will charge you, they will not spend enough time with you personally to get to know you. You know the direction you want your résumé to go. Write it yourself, then compare it to a good one you have available or have yours critiqued by Career Services or someone either in the School of Business, Journalism, or English departments.
Q.What kind of paper should my resume be printed on?
A.Forget the fancy paper, make sure your résumé will stand on its own. Consider the fact that you will most likely fax it, so what about the paper quality on their end? If you email it there is no paper. What you really must do is make sure you don't use the cheapest white paper you can find and that the résumé looks good on whatever you print it. If you are an art, advertising, or graphics major, you can consider special paper to represent you.
Q.How many copies should I have printed?
A.The one copy that you will be sending to the company you are submitting it to. Seriously, if you print a hundred copies you only have a generic résumé. The best ones will be tailored for a specific job. Use the best computer paper you can find. Never use a ribbon or dot matrix printer.
Q.Should I show my GPA on my resume?
A.If it is 3.5 or better, show it. If it is under 3.4, it's your choice. Anything under a 3.0 is probably unnecessary.
Q.What is the most important thing on my resume?
A.After your name and address, it's likely your Objective. If you don't know what you want, how will they know what you're looking for? Even an experience person must know what they want to do. An objective should state something like: "To be a first grade teacher in the Belton area."
