Purpose

One helpful instrument in job-seeking is your personal résumé. It summarizes your unique personal, educational, and experiential qualifications. Your résumé must compete with hundreds of others, so it must be better than average. It must say, “I think I’m qualified for this job. Please talk to me.”

Content

Contact Information

  • Your name as you want to be referred to professionally (Jon Baker, Jonathon Edward Baker, Jon E. Baker)
  • Current address and phone number with area code (where you can be reached now!)
  • Permanent address and phone number with area code (If you will be in different locations during your search, an address of someone who will always know how to reach you. This could be your parent’s address.)
  • Your e-mail address; if you don’t have one, get one!

Objective

Your career objective should make clear, “What do I want to do?” Is it graduate school, a part-time job, an internship, a professional position after graduation, or a scholarship? Make your objective crystal clear and specific.

Educational Background

Include the following information regarding your educational experiences:

  • Institution
  • City, State
  • Dates attended or graduation date
  • Degree or certification obtained
  • Major
  • GPA (if proud of it)
  • Teaching Licensure
  • Concentration
  • Minor/emphasis area
  • Relevant coursework
  • Specialized instruction

Experience

You can include sections such as work experience, volunteer experience (internships, community service, student teaching), campus leadership, or others such as publications/presentations or computer skills. Some samples include:

  • Student Teaching
  • Practicum Experience
  • Current Research Interests
  • Teaching Experience
  • Coaching Experience
  • Professional Background
  • Employment
  • Other Work Experience
  • Additional Experience
  • Volunteer Activities
  • Related Activities
  • Professional/Community Activities
  • Extracurricular Activities

Honors/Activities/Leadership/Special Skills

Front load the ones most pertinent to your objective (career goal). Use specific headings such as Professional Organizations, Computer Skills, or Leadership Positions. Include any honors, scholarships, or recognition awards. You may include any clubs, teams, and/or committees while in college. Keep it brief. If you need more detail, use the guidelines for Experience and make it a complete section.

This information was taken from the Grinnell Career Development Guide (pg. 25-29).