Tips for Building a Résumé
![Thoughtful African American businessman using laptop, pondering project, business strategy, puzzled employee executive looking at laptop screen, reading email, making decision at office Thoughtful African American businessman using laptop, pondering project, business strategy, puzzled employee executive looking at laptop screen, reading email, making decision at office](http://www.bgsu.edu/content/dam/BGSU/career-center/images/AdobeStock-333923823.jpeg)
Find a résumé design to use.
- Refer to the minimum requirements checklist on the next page.
- To apply for jobs/internships on BGSU’s Handshake system, please upload your résumé first.
- All résumés are subject to review and approval by Career Design Coach. For a résumé to be approved, it must meet the minimum requirements listed on the checklist.
- Once a résumé is approved, a student may start applying for jobs/internships in Handshake.
- A student’s Handshake account is activated no later than the start of the fall semester.
Minimum Requirements
The following minimum requirements must be met for a resume to be approved.
Layout and format
- Name font size is minimum 18 andmaximum 24
- Body text font size is minimum 10 and maximum 12
- Margins are minimum .5 inch and maximum 1 inch
- Font is easy to read
- Headings, fonts, bullets, margins, and subheadings are consistent
- Header with name and page number is on subsequent pages
- Content fills at least half of last page
- Free of spelling and grammatical errors
- No use of personal pronouns or acronyms
- Resume design is consistent with professional practice
- White space is effectively used for visual appeal
- Cover letter and resume layout and format are consistent
- References listed on a separate document
Contact Information
- Contact information is located at top of first page
- First and last name is included in heading
- Full address is listed in heading
- Preferred phone number is included in heading
- Professional email is listed in heading
Education
- Highest or most recent degree is first
- Full name is listed for college or university
- City and state is listed for college or university
- Official name of degree is listed
- Licensure, minor, or specialization is listed below degree
- Graduation date includes month and year
Employment Experience
- Experience is listed in reverse chronological order
- Full name is listed for each company
- City and state is listed for each company
- Full position title is listed for each position
- Starting and ending dates for each position are listed, including month and year
- Current position(s) have an ending date as “Present”
- Action verbs are used at the beginning of each bullet
- Bullet points describe key accomplishments, emphasize transferable skills, and quantify results
- Verb tenses are consistent with time frame of employment
Updated: 06/12/2023 02:41PM