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Resume Guidance and Assistance

Resume Guidance and Assistance

KCKCC Career Services offers one-on-one guidance and assistance creating, updating or revising resumes. Resume workshops are also available throughout the semester. Resume guidelines can vary from one field/industry to another, so don't hesitate to contact career services for information and assistance.

A resume guide is also available with examples and templates in Handshake.

  1. Sign in to Handshake
  2. Go to Account
  3. Select 'Career Center'
  4. Select 'Resources' 

Students that already have a rough draft of a resume are encouraged to email it to career services for proofing and suggestions.

Resume vs. Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Resume
  • Concise, typically one page
  • Overview of:
    • Education
    • Professional work experience
    • Skills and abilities

Curriculum Vitae

  • Latin for "Course of Life"
  • They are multiple pages in length
  • In depth details about:
    • Academic history
    • Professional work history
    • Research that has been done

Unless the job specifically requests a CV or is in an academic field (such as academic faculty, research, graduate assistant, etc.) students use a resume. CVs are also more commonly used in some other countries. If students are looking at a position and aren't sure which they are asking for, career services is happy to help figure out what to send.

Resume Sections

A resume should be a concise overview of education, professional experience, skills and abilities. Students should choose the content/sections based on their story - content that best highlights what they have to offer for the specific role they are applying for.

  • Start with contact information at the top, then add in the sections according to how relevant they are to the job applying for - for college students and recent graduates, skills and education are probably going to be closer to the top, followed with professional experience and other sections from the list below. These sections can be combined, mixed and arranged in whatever way works best to showoff your story. 
    • Examples: List previous jobs and internships or clinical experience under the 'Professional Experience' section. Campus activities/involvement and volunteer work can be listed in a section called 'Campus & Community Involvement'. 

Sections/Contents

  • Contact Info 
  • Professional Summary/Key Qualifications/Key Skills
  • Education 
  • Skills/Abilities/Technical Skills
  • Certifications/Licenses 
  • Professional Experience/Work History
  • Internships
  • Clinical Training/Experience
  • Training/Relevant Coursework
  • Campus Activities/Athletics 
  • Community Involvement/Volunteer Work
  • Accomplishments/Awards
  • Professional Organizations/Memberships

Tips For a Better Resume

  • Customize – Students should make sure to highlight why they would be good for a specific position.
    • Using keywords from the job description equals making it through online applicant tracking systems.
    • Don’t be afraid to try new or creative formatting. Just make sure that it is organized and easy to follow.
    • Professional Experience isn't just work history – it can also include internships, clinical's, student employment, volunteering or anything else where relevant experience is gained.
  • Highlight – Emphasize what employers should see first – degrees, skills, etc. 
  • Make sections stand out
    • Be consistent in format and content by using matching spacing, underlining, italics, bold, and capitalization for emphasis.
  • Quantify – Use numbers to describe achievements, workload, etc.
  • Use professional language for the industry/field.
  • Be consistent in formatting, as well as between resume, cover letter and application.
  • Pay attention to tense – Use present tense for current positions, past tense for former.
  • Proofread – Have numerous people proofread to check for spelling, grammar or other errors.
  • Convert into PDF format – Save as a PDF before emailing/uploading to an employer.

Things to Avoid

  • Using slang or abbreviations that aren't part of the industry/field/company
  • Including a picture, birthday, age or gender - many companies may discard a resume if any of these are included due to anti-discrimination policies
  • Listing references on resume (list them in a separate document)
  • Using first person format (using “I” in your descriptions/bullet points)
  • Misrepresenting background, skills, etc.
  • Using the same resume for every job application

Other Resources