Valley City State University Career Services

Vangstad 020 ● 701-845-7534 Revised 6/2017

RESUMES AND

REFERENCES

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Purpose, Types and General Rules ............................................................................................... 3-5

Headers ........................................................................................................................................... 3-4

Education ............................................................................................................................................ 4

Work Experience ............................................................................................................................... 4

Skills .................................................................................................................................................... 5

Other Optional Headers .................................................................................................................... 5

Sample of a Chronological Resume ............................................................................................. 6-7

Sample of a Functional Resume .................................................................................................... 8

Sample of an Education Resume ..................................................................................................... 9

General References Rules .............................................................................................................. 10

What NOT to include on your resume ........................................................................................... 11

Skills Sought by Employers............................................................................................................. 11

FAQ’s .................................................................................................................................................. 12

Action Verbs ...................................................................................................................................... 13

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General Resume Rules

Purpose

A resume is a summary of skills and accomplishments designed to articulate a candidate’s fit within a position

or company. Your resume should interest the employer enough to offer an interview and be a point of

reference for discussion during the interview.

Types of Resumes

Chronological Resume

A chronological resume is most commonly used for entry-level positions. This type of resume shows a timeline

of positions, education, and skills in a way that is easy to read and outlines your career progression.

Functional Resume

A functional resume, also called a skills resume, details experiences from various positions held to focus on

the development of key skills relevant to the position you are applying for. The education and positions held

are typically lower on the page. You may want to use this type of resume if you have had gaps in work

experience or are changing career fields to relate transferrable skills to a new position.

General

❖ An employer will only spend about six seconds reviewing a resume. Key words, accomplishments, and

skills should be evident and easy to read throughout.

❖ Font size should be between size 10-12 with headings bigger or bolder. Font style should be basic

such as Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri, or Helvetica.

❖ Keep it to ONE PAGE if you have less than five years of experience, two pages only if you can fill both

pages

o Trim your margins or combine sections to achieve one page. Minimize spacing to decrease

extra “white space.”

o Save unnecessary extra lines. Include GPA on the same line as your degree, put your contact

information all on one line under your name, or keep position titles and companies on the

same line.

o Fill your bullet lines but keep them to one line only

❖ Include relevant and important information only, be concise!

❖ It is recommended to draft a resume from scratch instead of using a template. Templates are more

difficult to edit and is more likely to look like every other candidate’s.

Header

❖ Contact information at the top, standing out

o Full, legal name

o Permanent address, phone and professional email required

▪ Be sure to have your voicemail active, inbox clear, and a professional message

o Social Media optional, if fit for a professional – LinkedIn, Twitter, or Online Portfolio

Example 1:

Kari Bodine 101 College Street SW | Valley City, ND 58072 | 701-845-7534 | kari.bodine@vcsu.edu

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Example 2:

Kari Bodine 101 College Street SW | Valley City, ND 58072 701-845-7534 | kari.bodine@vcsu.edu |Twitter: @vcsucareer

Example 3:

Kari Bodine 101 College Street SW Valley City, ND 58072

701-845-7534 ● kari.bodine@vcsu.edu

Education

❖ Include: Institution, location, graduation date, degree earned, majors, minors, and concentrations

❖ If shy on relevant knowledge earned through experience, relevant coursework may be included

❖ Education should include colleges attended only (no high school)

o Include all degrees earned listed in reverse chronological order

o Include GPA if higher than 3.0 only, do not round up

Example 1:

Education

Bachelor of Science, Business Administration with Accounting concentration Earned May 2017

Valley City State University, Valley City, ND GPA: 3.851/4.0

Associate of Science, Business Earned May 2015

Mesabi Range College, Virginia, MN GPA: 4.0/4.0

Example 2:

Education

Bachelor of Science in Education, Chemistry Education Earned May 2017

Valley City State University, Valley City, ND GPA: 3.44/4.0

Work Experience

❖ Experience should be in reverse chronological order

❖ Include: position title, company, city, state, dates employed, and supporting bullets

Supporting Bullets

❖ Bullet points are short phrases to show accomplishments achieved while in the position. Bullets do

not use pronouns such as “I.” Bullets should start with ACTION VERBS showing accomplishments, not

responsibilities.

❖ Use present tense verbs for current roles and past tense for roles you no longer hold.

❖ Don’t be too wordy in this section – Employers don't want to see your job description, they want to

know how your skills and assets achieved results.

❖ Is it common sense? If you worked in retail, customer service may be implied and can be left out. If

you have extensive experience with customer service it can be included in the Skills section.

❖ ACTION VERB + RESPONSIBILITY + INTENDED RESULT

o Example: Which of these two bullet points should be used?

1. Developed cash handling skills

2. Maintained cash drawer balance to ensure compliance with state regulations

o Answer: #2. SELL YOURSELF!

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Skills

❖ Most often, hard skills are included in this section as soft skills (teamwork, leadership, initiative) can

be articulated through bullet points.

❖ Listing a skill on your resume indicates you are confident in the skill. Do not include anything you’re

still learning or something you wouldn’t feel comfortable training someone else on.

❖ See Action Verbs on page 13 for examples.

Other rules

❖ When submitting online, send as a PDF – make email and social media profiles hyperlinked. This

allows anyone who opens it to see it the way you intend instead of different versions of Word causing

formatting issues.

❖ Save the document titled [First] [Last] Resume to make it easier for recruiters who review multiple

resumes in a day

❖ Remember your social media profiles – many employers check Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. to

learn more about a candidate. It may be beneficial to make your accounts private or screen what is

visible to the public.

PROOFREAD – NO MISTAKES!

Have career services, instructors, friends, or parents review your resume to make sure it

is perfect before submitting it.

Optional Resume Headings

Academic Achievements

Academic History

Accomplishments

Activities

Associations

Athletic Involvement

Awards

Awards and Distinctions

Background and Interests

Career Goal

Career Highlights

Career-Related Training

Career Skills and Experience

Certifications

Class Projects

Coaching Experience

Computer Languages

Computer Skills

Cooperative Education

Dissertations

Education

Educational Background

Employment History

Executive Summary

Exhibitions and Awards

Extracurricular Involvement

Graduate School

Honors, Activities, and

Organizations

Internship Experience

Job History

Languages

Leadership Roles

Licenses

Memberships

Military Experience

Military Service

Military Training

Objective

Occupational History

Other Skills

Overseas Experience

Practicum Experience

Professional Affiliations

Professional Experience

Professional Objectives

Professional Summary

Published Works

Qualifications

Related Course Work

Related Experience

Related Field Work

Research Experience

Seminars

Skills and Attributes

Special Awards and

Recognitions

Strengths

Student Teaching Experience

Summary of Qualifications

Teaching Experience

Thesis

Volunteer Experience

Work Experience

Work History

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JANE DOE 101 College Street SW, Valley City, ND 58072 janedoe@gmail.com · 701-845-7534 · Twitter: @vcsucareer

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science degree Earned May 2017 Valley City State University, Valley City, ND GPA: 3.85 Major: Professional Communication Concentration: Digital Media Management

WORK EXPERIENCE

Circulation Specialist January 2017-Present Valley City Times-Record, Valley City, ND

o Recruit and maintain subscription memberships through advertisements, coupons, and contests o Provided quality service for subscriptions and problem resolution to meet customer satisfaction o Deliver internal mail in an accurate and timely fashion

Sports Information Intern Fall 2016 Valley City State University, Valley City, ND

o Assisted with website content development including game summaries, feature stories, and photo imaging

o Edited weekly videos featuring athletic updates, coach interviews, and student-athlete interviews o Managed game operations including announcers, statisticians, live video feed, and bookkeepers

Intramural Assistant January 2015-December 2016 Valley City State University, Valley City, ND

o Worked with a team to plan weekly activities to promote a healthy lifestyle on campus o Supervised referees, support staff, and participants while serving as the emergency contact o Developed advertising materials including videos and flyers posted on campus and online

Server/Bartender October 2013-May 2015 Sabir’s Dining & Lounge, Valley City, ND

o Communicated with customers and staff to ensure timely and accurate meals were served o Provided quality customer service to give customers an excellent dining experience

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

Men’s Basketball Student Coach August 2014-Present Men’s Golf Team August 2013-Present

o Team Captain 2016-2017 Season o National Society for Leadership and Success Member May 2015-Present

Student Senator August 2014-May 2015 The Forge Student Editor (student journal) January-May 2016

SKILLS

o Adobe InDesign o Adobe Photoshop o Movie Maker

o Oracle o PeopleSoft o StatCrew

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SALLY SENIOR 101 College Street SW Valley City, ND 58072

ssenior@gmail.com 701-845-7534

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science degree Expected May 2018 Valley City State University, Valley City, ND GPA: 3.681 Major: Business Administration Honors: Dean’s list three semesters, President’s list one semester Associate of Science degree Earned May 2016 Mesabi Range College, Virginia, MN GPA: 3.84

WORK EXPERIENCE

Teller September 2015-Present Dacotah Bank, Valley City, ND

o Process customer deposits and withdrawals from personal and business accounts o Log mail deposits and payments accurately o Utilize imaging software to communicate with the corporate office in Aberdeen, SD

Business Office Intern Summer 2015 Valley City State University, Valley City, ND

o Reconciled bank statements, request for payments, and purchasing card activity o Audited reimbursement statements and request for payments o Managed and balanced $5,000 cash drawer daily

Server October 2013-May 2015 Vicky’s Viking Room, Valley City, ND

o Communicated with customers and staff to ensure timely and accurate meals were served o Provided quality customer service to give customers an excellent dining experience

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

New Student Orientation Leader o Interacted with new students and families to familiarize them with campus services o Led interactive programs to increase student engagement

Viking Ambassador o Attended monthly meetings for event planning, professional development, and team building activities o Organized care package fundraiser for students during finals week

Learning to Live Mentor o Mentored freshman students as they transitioned from high school to college o Volunteered to harvest squash to donate to the Barnes County Food Bank

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Varsity Women’s Track and Field Team Member August 2014-Present o Competed at the NAIA Division II level o Team Captain 2017

DECA Member August 2014-Present National Society for Leadership and Success Member 2014-2015

SKILLS

o Accounts payable o Cash handling o Customer service

o Microsoft Office o Oracle o PeopleSoft

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JOHN SMITH 101 College Street SW ● Valley City, ND 58072

701-845-7534 ● j.smith@gmail.com

Education Bachelor of Science degree, Valley City State University, Valley City, ND

Major in Business Administration

Concentrations in Management and Marketing

Minor in Marketing

Skills

Sales

• Compiled a calling list for selling faster internet speeds. Examined customer’s plans to see if they were

eligible for faster internet speeds.

• Cold calling and up-selling of current ICTC customers.

• Sold coupon cards and apparel for sports in college. Went door to door selling coupon cards in Valley

City. Influenced people on campus to buy sports apparel for fundraising.

Communication

• Addressed customers about their service with ICTC. Helped customers gain more knowledge and

resolved any concerns or problems customers had about their account with ICTC.

• Developed marketing flyers for sales promotion for faster internet that were mailed out to regional

customers and posted on company website.

• Worked with a group of four in class to develop a 75-page strategic plan for a company.

Organization

• Created a schedule for managing academics, athletics, and work.

• Developed management and scheduling skills while participating in collegiate football and baseball and

working while attending school full-time.

• Planning and executing social functions including event management and ordering of food for Football

Leadership Council events.

Technology

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, and Calix

• Familiar with InDesign and SAP

• Created websites using Dreamweaver

Experience Sales/ Marketing, ICTC, Nome, ND December 2016 to present

Maintenance Worker, ICTC, Buffalo, ND Summer 2015 & 2016

Cook, Bridges Bar and Grill, Valley City, ND January -May 2015

Activities/Honors

• Athletic Scholarship Recipient

• VCSU Varsity Football & Baseball-Member of the Football and Baseball Council

• Attended 2015 VCSU Business Emerging Leaders Conference

• 2017 North Star Athletic Association Scholar Athlete

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Sarah Senior 101 College Street SW | Valley City, ND 58072 | sarah@gmail.com | 701-845-7534

Education

Bachelor of Science in Education

Valley City State University, Valley City, ND

Major: Elementary Education

Endorsement: Kindergarten

Credential: Title 1 Reading and Math

Honors: Summa Cum Laude

Teaching Experience

Fall 2016- Student Teaching- Third Grade, Centennial, Fargo, ND

• Planned and implemented a science unit

• Participated in Parent-Teacher Conferences

• Developed formative and summative assessments in all subject areas

Fall 2016- Student Teaching- Kindergarten, Legacy Elementary, West Fargo, ND

• Created hands-on lessons and activities that engaged all students

• Participated in Assessment Day, Back to School night and weekly staff meetings

• Implemented Nurtured Heart strategies for classroom management

Fall 2015- Elementary Practicum- 4th Grade, Washington Elementary, Valley City, ND

• Developed classroom management strategies

• Worked closely with a student on an IEP

Fall 2015- Title 1 Practicum, Jefferson Elementary, Valley City, ND

• Constructed a case study on one student’s behavior and academic ability

• Established differentiated strategies to teach math and reading

Spring 2015- Kindergarten Practicum, Circle of Friends, Valley City, ND

• Worked one on one with a variety of students at different levels

• Created hands on activities for the Pre-K level

Spring 2015- Cultural Diversity Practicum, Crossroads Elementary, St. Paul, MN

• Implemented strategies to work with ELL students

• Assisted cooperating teacher with lessons and activities

Work Experience

Childwatch, Gaukler Family Wellness Center, Valley City, ND October 2016-Present

Softball Coach, Valley City Parks and Recreation, Valley City, ND Summer 2015 & 2016

Server, City Lights, Valley City, ND October 2013-May 2015

Leadership Activities

VCSU Student Senator 2016-2017

Kappa Delta Pi 2016-2017

Varsity Softball Team 2013-2017

Learning to Live Mentor 2014-2015

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REFERENCES

Your reference page should have the same header as your resume, reinforcing that they go together. This

should also be uploaded as a PDF to ensure that formatting remains consistent. Most employers prefer three

to five references.

References should be anyone who can speak to your skills and accomplishments academically or

professionally. Always ask permission before using someone as a reference and let them know you are job

searching so they can be prepared if they are contacted.

Who do I ask to be a reference?

❖ Advisor or faculty member in your department

❖ Internship supervisor

❖ Employment supervisor

❖ Advisor of a club or organization you held leadership for

❖ Coach

❖ References should NOT include friends, family, or peers.

❖ If you have any doubt that someone may not have positive comments to say about you, don’t ask them

to be a reference!

Reference Information:

❖ Name

❖ Title

❖ Company

❖ Company address

❖ Email address

❖ Phone number

❖ Optional: Relationship to you, such as former supervisor or academic advisor

Example:

KARI BODINE 101 College Street SW, Valley City, ND 58072 kari.bodine@vcsu.edu · 701-845-7534 · Twitter: @vcsucareer

PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES

Morgan Keasler

Assistant Professor/Department of Business Chair

Valley City State University

101 College Street SW

Valley City, ND 58072

morgan.keasler@vcsu.edu

701-845-7518

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What Not to Include on a Resume

1. Any information or a photo that could be used as a reason to discriminate such as age, race,

sexual orientation, religion, etc.

2. A generic objective. If you include an objective it should be tailored for the specific position

you are applying for but many recruiters believe the objective is outdated.

3. High school information. The education is implied once you begin college and any awards or

honors will no longer be relevant.

4. Unprofessional email accounts. If you must, create a new account for professional purposes.

5. Salary history. Previous salaries should not have influence on any new offers. You do not

want to establish a salary range until it is discussed within the interview.

6. Acronyms. Spell everything out as there’s no guarantee the recruiter will know what they

mean.

7. Reasons for leaving any of your positions. You do not need to justify advancing your career.

8. Multiple fonts. Use one or two fonts (if they complement one another) to minimize

distractions and focus on what the words say instead of what they look like.

9. Crazy colors. Stick to black fonts and lines to minimize distractions.

10. Anything that is not true! Lying on your resume might get you an interview but if you can’t

elaborate on experiences or accomplishments that didn’t occur, you might be immediately

dismissed from candidacy. Even worse, you may ruin your integrity with multiple employers.

Attributes employers seek on a candidate’s resume:

1. Leadership

2. Ability to work in a team

3. Communication skills (written)

4. Problem-solving skills

5. Communication skills (verbal)

6. Strong work ethic

7. Initiative

8. Analytical/quantitative skills

9. Flexibility/adaptability

10. Technical skills NACE Job Outlook 2016

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FAQ’s Do I need a new resume for each position I apply for?

Yes. Key words from the position description should be integrated into your resume for each

position so it is important that you save many formats of your resume.

Should I list “References Available Upon Request” on my resume?

No. It is implied that you have professional references and should always provide them if

requested, which typically occurs after the interview. If an employer requests your resume and

references immediately, the reference page is submitted as a separate document.

How can I make my resume fit on one page?

Adjust the margins, font size, and spacing. If you have many skills listed, create multiple columns.

Eliminate wordiness.

What if I don’t have any experience?

Even if you do not have formal work experience, you should have enough to fill a page with skills,

volunteer experience, athletic achievements, and academic awards. Elaborate on your relevant

coursework or significant class projects.

Do I include volunteer work on my resume?

Yes! Volunteering develops skills the same as paid positions do. It also shows that you go above

expectations and have a personal value of giving back.

How can I get help starting my resume? Will someone look over it before I apply for a position?

Visit Career Services in Vangstad 020. Career Services offers both services to students free of

charge. Walk-ins and scheduled appointments are both acceptable avenues to take.

What if I am an online student and cannot physically visit Career Services?

Career Services also provides these services to online students. Simply email

kari.bodine@vcsu.edu requesting assistance. Depending how developed your resume is, an email

revision, skype call, or phone call may work best.

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Action Verbs Accelerate

Accomplish

Achieve

Acquire

Activate

Adapt

Administer

Advance

Advertise

Advise

Advocate

Aided

Analyze

Anticipate

Apply

Appoint

Appraise

Approve

Arbitrate

Arrange

Assemble

Assess

Assign

Assist

Attain

Audit

Authorize

Automate

Balance

Bargain

Bolstered

Bought

Briefed

Budget

Built

Calculate

Catalog

Chair

Chart

Classify

Clean

Clerk

Coach

Collaborate

Collect

Communicate

Compare

Compile

Complete

Compose

Comprehend

Compute

Concentrate

Conceptualize

Conclude

Conduct

Confront

Connect

Consolidate

Construct

Consulted

Contact

Contract

Control

Convert

Cooperate

Coordinate

Correspond

Corroborated

Counsel

Create

Critique

Cultivate

Decide

Decrease

Define

Delegate

Demonstrate

Describe

Design

Designate

Detect

Determine

Develop

Devise

Diagnose

Direct

Discover

Display

Distribute

Documented

Draft

Edit

Educate

Effect

Eliminate

Encourage

Enforced

Engineer

Enlist

Ensured

Establish

Estimate

Evaluate

Examine

Exchange

Execute

Exhibit

Expand

Expedite

Experience

Explain

Explore

Fabricated

Facilitate

Familiarize

Figure

Filed

Financed

Forecast

Forge

Formalize

Formulate

Foster

Gather

Generate

Govern

Grade

Grind

Grow/Raise

Guide

Handle

Help

Hire

Identify

Illustrate

Imagine

Implement

Improve

Improvise

Incorporate

Increase

Index

Influence

Inform

Initiate

Innovate

Inspect

Inspire

Install

Institute

Instruct

Integrate

Interact

Interpret

Interview

Invent

Invented

Inventory

Investigate

Judge

Justify

Launch

Lead

Lecture

Liquidate

Listen

Maintain

Manage

Manipulate

Market

Master

Measure

Mediate

Memorize

Mentor

Merchandise

Model

Moderate

Modify

Monitor

Motivate

Move

Navigate

Negotiate

Nurture

Observe

Obtain

Offer

Operate

Order

Organize

Oversaw

Participate

Perceive

Perform

Persist

Persuade

Plan

Predict

Prepare

Prescribe

Present

Preside

Prevail

Process

Procure

Produce

Program

Project

Promoted

Proofread

Propose

Protect

Prove

Provide

Publicize

Publish

Purchase

Qualify

Rate

Read

Reason

Receive

Recommend

Reconcile

Record

Recruit

Rectified

Redesign

Reduce

Refer

Reinforce

Relate

Reorganize

Repair

Report

Represent

Research

Resolve

Respond

Restore

Retrieve

Revamp

Review

Revise

Schedule

Screen

Secure

Separate

Serve

Set up

Shape

Simplify

Sold

Solve

Sort

Specified

Standardize

Steer

Stimulate

Stock

Streamline

Strengthen

Structure

Summarize

Supervise

Support

Survey

Systemize

Tailor

Teach/Taught

Test

Track

Train

Transcribe

Transfer

Transform

Translate

Transmit

Travel

Treat

Tutored

Unify

Update

Upgrade

Utilize

Visualize

Volunteer

Write/Wrote