The information in this section is intended to help designers and technicians prepare their resumes for Departmental reviews and for job applications A current resume should be included as a part of the portfolio and additional copies should be available for all participants at job interviews.
Purpose
A resume is a listing of your education and work experiences. It is a short form presentation of your accomplishments and abilities. The resume is first used by a potential employer to select the most qualified candidates from the group of applicants. A second close reading of the resume is then done by a hiring committee to select a pool of finalists for an on-site interview.
Required Information on the Resume
A resume will have several organized components
Contact Information - This section includes your name, current address (including a complete zip code), permanent address (if different from your current address). work phone, home phone, e-mail and fax.
Education - This section is a chronological listing of degree, institution and any academic distinction (cum laude, summa cum laude) If you have advanced training or have completed special technical courses these should also be noted. While education is often listed second on the resume (and if you are looking for a job in academia it should be in this position) it is now often moved to just above award/honors. When you graduate from college you can eliminate the high school graduation information.
Design/Tech History - A chronological listing of design or technical work that you have completed. Usually this information is arranged in columns with headings like - Date, Theatre, Position, Production.
Relevant Work History - This section for listing all full or part-time jobs that you have held that are relevant to the position that you are applying for. Information that is required would include the dates of the job, the position title, and a short statement of the work responsibilities.
Abilities/Skills - This section is a listing of any special skills or abilities that a potential employer should know about. This section might list abilities in working with plastics, welding skills, 2D or 3D CAD experience, etc. General interests like reading, horseback riding, listening to music and other similar things should not be listed.
Awards/Honors - In this section list any academic, design or special awards that you have received.
Resume Layout and Design
Resumes need to be laid out assuming that the initial reviewer will be reading through the resume quickly looking for specific information. Your sections should be clearly identified and easy to read so that the eye can scan down the page and locate relevant information. General design considerations include: Paper - Chose a heavy weight paper in white or in a color that is dignified and/or sophisticated. Grey, cream, light tan or other similar shades are most common. An unobtrusive background pattern may be selected. Neon colors, flimsy papers and papers with decorated borders should be avoided.
Font - Select a font based on its readability. Do not use more than two related type styles in a resume. Some firms are now scanning resumes and having a computer do a "word match" to help screen candidates. "Old English" and Gothic" fonts as well as other elaborate fonts do not scan well and can be difficult to read.
Length - Early in your career you should keep your resume to one page. As you gain additional professional experience the length of your resume will grow.
Layout - Use type size to help organize the resume and draw the eye to important information. Resist the temptation to cram more information onto the page by reducing the font size. Information smaller that 10 point is too small to read. Leave generous margins and provide white space in between sections.
General Suggestions
1. If it is not absolutely true and completely accurate DO NOT include it on your resume. Do not inflate job titles, adjust dates or assume responsibility for projects you did not manage or direct.
2. Only include information that is relevant to the positions you are applying for.
3. Write clearly. Use active verbs, parallel construction and maintain a consistent style.
4. Proofread carefully. One typographical error or a single grammar error can be enough to have your resume rejected. The resume demonstrates your attention to detail as well as your organizational skills.
5. Do not put reference contact information on the resume. Provide this information on a separate sheet of paper.
6. Keep your resume on several specific disks. Do not trust your resume to one disk or to the hard drive of your computer.
7. Make sure that the portfolio materials support the information provided in the resume.
