Lesley Announces Maine Scholars Program
The Maine Scholars program gives students prioritization by Maine employers as well as opportunities for financial aid and scholarship benefits.

Résumés

A strong résumé provides a clear and concise summary of your experience and education as it applies to your job search goals. Consider it an advertisement for you, highlighting your relevant strengths and abilities for the position you’re applying for it.

It should be easy to read, well organized, and error free, so that an employer can scan it and gather key information about your qualifications. Use it to apply for positions and internships or to network at job fairs or informational interviews.

Make sure your résumé is not:

  • An autobiography
  • A list of previous employers’ names, addresses, and phone numbers
  • An exaggeration of your accomplishments
  • Boring

Organization

Chronological résumés are the most common format, and include your accomplishments listed in reverse chronological order (the most recent first).

Each entry includes a brief description of your accomplishments and responsibilities. This format works well for most people, especially those who have some recent relevant experience. Most employers say chronological résumés are the easiest to decipher.

Section Headers

Using field-related section headers can often be very helpful when tailoring your résumé for specific types of positions. Relevant experiences are listed in categories, with specific positions listed within each category.

For example, someone who is changing careers from business to teaching might have a category called “Teaching Experience” and another category called “Business Experience.”

The category most relevant to your job objective is listed first, and the positions within each category are listed in reverse chronological order. The categories themselves do not have to be in chronological order, so this format is helpful for someone who has relevant experience that is not the most recent.

Components

Explore the essential components that make up a successful résumé and how to use these elements based on your unique background and experience.

Design & Layout

Here are some helpful tips and hints for how to structure your résumé content's design and flow.

Common Résumé Errors

  • Leaving on too many jobs from long ago
  • Vague job descriptions
  • Listing jobs in an inconsistent style
  • Being unclear about the exact name of the degree and major
  • Overusing boldface print
  • Using current tense to describe previous experiences
  • Incorrect use of apostrophe for plural possessive nouns:  if you worked with a group of students, write, “Reviewed students’ final projects
  • Using acronyms that others don’t understand; for example, people away from Lesley may not know that L.A.T.A. is the Lesley Art Therapy Association
Contact the Career Resource Center