Research Guides: Career Guide: Résumés

Writing a Résumé Basics

One of the first steps in any job search is creating your résumé. Résumés can be tricky, but we're going to give you everything you need to create one that will fit your needs perfectly.

Finding a good layout for your résumé is essential. While A resume sitting diagonally on a laptop keyboard you can definitely try your hand at creating your own, there are also tons of templates available both online and through writing programs like Google Docs or Microsoft Word (psst, did you know you can get Word for free as a Columbia State student?). These templates allow you to put in all of your information and display it a in stylish, easy to read manner, helping you stand out to potential employers.

Something to keep in mind when making a résumé is what kind of field you're going into. For example, hiring managers in arts and humanities careers want for the résumés they look at to reflect the creativity of the person they might hire. Thus, personal touches, pretty colors, and eye catching design choices would be the way to go. The more science or math based careers, hiring managers need to see that the applicant demonstrates the structure they require. That usually means simpler, more classic looks for the résumé.

Another thing to keep in mind is the length of your résumé. Hiring managers in general will have a lot of applications to look through, so the general rule of thumb is to keep your info to one page. There are exceptions, such as when a cover letter is also required, but one page is the standard.

Now let's look into some of our resources for writing a résumé.

Résumé Resources with Peterson's and OWL

While there are many good tools for creating résumés online, Peterson's has a great one that we would recommend here;

Create a Resume
You don’t need to be a graphic designer to create an amazing resume. Use the Visual CV tool to showcase your talent, education, and performance, all with a few mouse clicks.

Peterson's also has some fantastic courses on writing cover letters and résumés. We'll link them below, but make sure you're logged on to Peterson's using our proxy first!

Create a Resume
You don’t need to be a graphic designer to create an amazing resume. Use the Visual CV tool to showcase your talent, education, and performance, all with a few mouse clicks.
Cover Letters
This unit is designed to help you create and write the best cover letter for your job search.
Resume Basics
This unit is designed to guide you through the resume-building basics.
Resume Sections
This unit is designed to help you with everything you need to know about the sections of your resume.
Resume FAQs
This unit is designed to help you with answers to the most common questions you'll have as you craft your resume.
Target Your Resume
This unit is designed to help you with everything you wanted to know about targeting your resume for your job search.

Another great place to look for assistance writing a résumé is Perdue's Online Writing Lab, or OWL. They have an incredible amount of writing guides, but their page on creating a résumé is top notch and covers everything from the application to the cover letter.

Résumé Resources with the Library

In addition to Peterson's, the library has several fantastic books and articles that can help! These are amazingly detailed, easy to use guides that can help you with any kind of résumé and/or cover letter.

Books

2500 Keywords to Get You Hired by Jay A. Block; Michael Betrus
ISBN: 9780071406734
Publication Date: 2003-01-09
Endorsed by the Professional Association of Resume Writers Now that 70 percent of job searches are conducted online, and resumes are processed by computers programmed to scan for keywords, knowing the right keywordsor buzzwords associated with a profession, industry, or job functionand how to use them effectively has never been a more critical job-search skill. The most comprehensive reference of its kind, this powerful resume-writing resource gives readers instant access to 2,500 indispensable keywords germane to 300 careers in nine employment categoriesfrom business, the law, and health care, to the arts, education and mediaand shows how to use them effectively. In 2,500 Keywords to Get You Hired, readers will find: Keywords for hundreds of individual careers, A complete listing of critical keywords for each career, Boxed examples demonstrating how keywords can be deployed strategically in a resume, Sample resumes incorporating keywords.
Cover Letter Magic by Wendy Enelow; Louise Kursmark
ISBN: 9781593577353
Publication Date: 2009-11-01
Professional resume and cover letter writers reveal their inside secrets for creating phenomenal cover letters that get attention and land interviews. The book features more than 130 sample cover letters written for all types of job seekers, including the before-and-after transformations that can make boring letters fabulous.
Knock 'em Dead Cover Letters by Martin Yate
ISBN: 9780983973485
Publication Date: 2015-09-20
Knock em Dead Cover Letters 11th edition—cover letters and strategies to get the job you want. Step-by-step guide for how write cover letters and every type of letter you will use in a job hunt. How to build, edit and polish professional letters for maximum impact and how to use them to get four times the interviews.
Knock Em Dead Job Search Letters and Templates by Martin Yate
ISBN: 9780979714689
Publication Date: 2014-03-10
Unique in the world of job search books, Knock'em Dead Job Search Letter Templates teaches you the latest tips and tactics for writing cover letters and job search letters for every job hunting challenge. In addition, you get 125 samples of different job search letters, and also 125 cover letter and job search letter templates, each ready to use in Microsoft Word format. The 125 cover letter and job search letter templates include: cover letters for recruiters, headhunters, hiring managers, and blind job postings; professional networking and LinkedIn connection request letters; telephone and face-to-face interview follow-up letters; negotiation, rejection, and reconnection letters; and finally, those glorious acceptance, resignation, and thank you letters.
Knock Em Dead Resumes by Martin Yate
ISBN: 9780991270460
Publication Date: 2015-09-20
Knock Em Dead Resumes, 11th edition. How to write a killer resume and use it to get more job interviews and job offers than you have ever had before. Every page packed with practical, easy-to-follow advice for creating your resume.
Unbeatable Resumes by Tony Beshara; Phil McGraw (Foreword by)
ISBN: 9780814417621
Publication Date: 2011-06-16
Unlike most resume “experts,” Tony Beshara doesn't merely write resumes. As a veteran placement specialist who's been featured regularly on the Dr. Phil show, Tony actually uses resumes to get people jobs. Now, in this dynamic book, he's drawing on expertise gained from placing more than 8,500 professions to help you create a powerful resume that stands out from other applications. Unbeatable Resumes takes readers step-by-step through the resume creation process, including tips on how to utilize keywords effectively, use gaps in employment and job changes to your advantage, and enhance your resume with a concise, dynamic cover letter.By pairing Tony's experiences with the results from a survey of more than 3,000 hiring managers, executives, HR specialists, and other hiring authorities, the book details the most widely critical components of a well-written and effective resume.

Articles

Transforming Generic Resumes and Cover Letters to Laser-Focused Career Communications by Laura Gonzalez
Publication Date: 2014
The article discusses strategies to make laser-focused and effective resumes and cover letters. Topics covered include the difference between generic and customized career communications, tailoring one's objective and branding statement, work history, and other small details in a resume to match job requirements, and presenting a specific cover letter that explains what one brings to the open position and the company. Also noted is the importance of diligently editing both documents.
Resume Preparation, Cover Letter, & Job Interview by Carolyn Taylor
Publication Date: 2018
The goal of this article is to remind student nurses and practicing nurses as to the recommended content of self-presentation documents and expected behaviors, e.g. resume, cover letter writing, and interviewing techniques. Whereas, a resume is usually the preferred application document to a new health care position, the possible request for a Curriculum Vitae (CV) will require more elaboration as to a nurse's educational background, abilities, and skills. A request for a CV Summary requires a shortened version of a CV.
Resume fonts ranked from best to worst by Christian Hamaker
Publication Date: 2015
A new job may be riding on an updated resume, so now's the time to make sure all of your information is up to date--and in the best font.
6 rules to keep in mind while writing a resume by V Lakshmi
Publication Date: 2021
Professionally speaking, your resume is a mirror of what your career has been like and what you can offer in terms of professionalism to your prospective employer. But a CV full of typos, errors and cluttered information doesn't create a good impression. Here are some useful tips to keep in mind while writing your resume:

Career Guide

Writing a Résumé Basics

Résumé Resources with Peterson's and OWL

Résumé Resources with the Library

Books

Articles

Video