Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Student tips - What is a good resume & why is it important to have a good resume?

A resume shows who you are at a glance to a potential school or an employer. A resume is useful not only when you are applying to schools or for a job but also you need a resume when you apply for scholarships, awards, when you want to submit an article to a journal, if you want to have a book published, if you want to get an interview with the media or simply to impress an important contact.

A resume should capture your qualifications, your strengths and your character. It should display your skills, your abilities and should give an idea of the person who you are. I have realized over the years that resume formats differ from country to country. So you may want to do a search on the web or buy a resume writing book to pick the best format you like.

At the top of your resume, basic information such as your name and your contact information should be listed. When you put your email, make sure to put a formal or a professional email address. I have seen some people have email addresses like lovebug@email.com**, etc. While this may seem funny, it doesn't reflect professionalism. In my opinion its always better to give an impression of professionalism and maturity and then expose the fun / funky side of you at the interview, etc.

If you are applying to a school, for a scholarship, award or anything academic:
  • Make sure to include your educational qualifications, starting from the most recent at the very top.
  • List your work experience, even the part time jobs - mention the post / title, duration you were employed there, duties performed (short and sweet), and how many hours you put in a week, if part time.
  • List all your awards, recognitions, honors you have received in and out of school.
  • If you have done any community work, make sure to list them too
  • List your skills, interests
  • Since you are an architecture student, add some graphic work to it to impress the reader. Don't over crowd it, don't make the graphic standout more than content itself. But make it "you".
Good luck on putting together a fantastic resume !!

** Fictional email address. Did not intend to make fun of anyone and used just as an example.

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