Six tips for a successful resume

By Kathy Sims

There is no singular “right” way to develop your resume. Many factors determine the resume that will ultimately best represent you ­”“ from your level of experience or education, to the type of organizations you are targeting, to the specific position you hope to land.

While the UCLA Career Center offers numerous tools and resources that provide guidelines and tips, here are some critical elements of resume preparation.

The important first key to effective resume development is to gather the necessary information:

1. Take stock of yourself ““ inventory your academic accomplishments, work/volunteer/internship experiences, leadership and extracurricular activities.

2. Inventory your interests and talents; determine what distinguishes you from others.

3. Research the field you are pursuing and identify areas in which your contributions would be valued.

Once you have all the information assembled, these few quick tips provide a framework for your resume development:

1. Think of your resume as a potentially powerful marketing tool ““ just one of several items you need to secure an interview. Note: The resume alone does not get you the job!

2. As a reflection of you, your resume should have a clean, professional and uncluttered appearance. It should be error-free, concise and to the point.

3. Shape the focus of your resume with an explicit objective that succinctly introduces your talents, interests and primary goal. This can be modified for the different positions you pursue.

4. Use brief phrases that quantify and/or qualify your selected experiences and accomplishments.

5. Always convert your resume to a PDF before circulating it. Today’s resumes are ultimately submitted electronically ““ via e-mail, uploaded through BruinView or directly to employers’ applicant tracking systems. These systems frequently modify the format of word-processed documents; PDFs retain your original format and pagination.

6. Have several others review your resume before you present it to potential employers or internship recruiters. Select individuals from the field you are interested in, friends who are familiar with your accomplishments and skills and, of course, have a professional critique with a UCLA Career Center counselor. This can be done in person or through our online resume critique service.

These simple suggestions can give you a head start to creating a dynamic resume that meets its primary purpose: to express what distinguishes you as the best candidate!

Sims is the director of the UCLA Career Center.