Every OVU student should have an active resume...yes, even freshmen. A resume is a fluid document that is always changing and being enhanced. But you need to start somewhere. "But I don't have any experience yet!", you may be saying. And the answer: "Yes you do!" The experience that is listed on your resume does not have to be high power jobs in your field. Any and all experience that you have had that can demonstrate your knowledge, skills and abilities is valuable on a resume. And besides, there are basic skills that every employer wants in their hires (see Key Skills for New College Hires below). You can use your baseline resume to demonstrate that you posses many if not all of these skills.
Feel free to stop by the Office of Student Success for help in creating your baseline resume. Or, follow these guidelines to get started on your own:
- Do NOT use a template with "fill ins"- they are very difficult to edit
- Times New Roman font - its the most professional
- 12 point font - big enough to read easily...does not crowd the page
- Fit on one page - whenever possible...resumes for entry level positions should easily fit on one page
- Balance Page - Text flush left/ Dates flush right
- Use Bullets - Eye appealing and easy to read
- Use Action Verbs - What are you doing in your current job? What did you do in previous jobs?
