{"id":9011,"date":"2021-05-15T15:00:25","date_gmt":"2021-05-15T19:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/?page_id=9011"},"modified":"2021-11-12T09:44:37","modified_gmt":"2021-11-12T14:44:37","slug":"resumes-faq","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/resumes-faq\/","title":{"rendered":"R\u00e9sum\u00e9s: Frequently Asked Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"page-toc\">\n<div class=\"item3\"><a href=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/jsp-toc\/\">all job search \u3009<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 215px;\">\n<div class=\"middlebox\">\n<div>Have questions about your Cover Letter? See the <a href=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/cover-letters-faq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cover Letter FAQ<\/a>.<\/div>\n<div>Have questions about Job Interviews? See the <a href=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/interviews-faq\">Job Interviews FAQ<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"new\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 400px; float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1494\" src=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/11\/resume-icon.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" height=\"350\" \/><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8405\" style=\"border-radius: 15px; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0; box-shadow: 2px 2px 4px #bdbdbd;\" src=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/04\/recruiter-thread-4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"556\" height=\"1692\" srcset=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/04\/recruiter-thread-4.png 556w, https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/04\/recruiter-thread-4-505x1536.png 505w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 556px) 100vw, 556px\" \/><\/div>\n<ul class=\"exspace\" style=\"margin-left: 50px; margin-top: 10px; font-size: 120%;\">\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;\"><a href=\"#chronological-skills-combo\">Should my resume be a chronological, skills, or combination?<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;\"><a href=\"#hs-education\">Should I include my high school in my &#8220;education&#8221; section?<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;\"><a href=\"#hs\">Should I mention high school experiences?<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;\"><a href=\"#all\">Should I include ALL of my jobs (or awards, schools, positions, volunteer work, etc.)?<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;\"><a href=\"#low-level\">Should I include low level (retail, fast food, server) experience on my resume?<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;\"><a href=\"#sections\">What sections should I include on my resume?<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;\"><a href=\"#never\">What should I NEVER include on my resume?<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;\"><a href=\"#gpa\">Should I include my GPA?<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;\"><a href=\"#length\">How long should my resume be?<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;\"><a href=\"#pages\">How many pages should my resume be?<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;\"><a href=\"#short\">My resume is short. What else can I include?<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;\"><a href=\"#references\">Should I list references on my resume?<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;\"><a href=\"#references-on-request\">Should I include &#8220;References Available Upon Request&#8221;?<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;\"><a href=\"#languages\">What about languages?<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;\"><a href=\"#computer\">What about computer skills?<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;\"><a href=\"#template\">Can I use a resume template?<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;\"><a href=\"#why-no-template\">Why can&#8217;t I use a resume template?<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;\"><a href=\"#how-to-design\">How should I design my resume?<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;\"><a href=\"#tense\">Should I use past or present tense verbs for those bullets under my headings\/subheadings?<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;\"><a href=\"#how-many\">How many bullets (or verb\/accomplishment statements) should I write under my headings and\/or subheadings?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#personal-info\">Should I include personal info on my resume?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"h4div\"><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"new\">Frequently Asked R\u00e9sum\u00e9 Questions<\/h3>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"chronological-skills-combo\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. Should my resume be a chronological, skills, or combination?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A. <\/strong>That&#8217;s a choice you need to make (primarily) based on your background, education, skills, and experience. See <a href=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/resume-types\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Resume Types<\/a> for detailed information.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">Here&#8217;s the short version: If you have a steady work history in (or closely related to) your career field, then you should consider a chronological resume. If not\u2014especially if you&#8217;re a recent (or soon-to-be) graduate and have little, unrelated, or spotty work history related to your field\u2014you should consider a skills or combination resume.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">In my experience, at least 75% of students I work with in ENC 3213 should write skills or combination resumes.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"hs-education\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. Should I include my high school in my &#8220;education&#8221; section?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A. <\/strong>Probably not. Unless your high school was notable for its distinguished academic reputation, specialized program of study, or other specific reason, you shouldn&#8217;t include your high school in your education section. If you have a college\/university listed, a reader will assume you graduated high school.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"hs\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. Should I include experiences (jobs, awards, positions) from high school?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A. <\/strong>It depends. If you&#8217;ve been working and gaining experience in your field for several years, have positions and awards to list from your college years, then you probably shouldn&#8217;t include high school experiences. However, If you went to college directly after high school and don&#8217;t have a lot of work experience to list in your resume, you may have to include items from high school. I recommend that if you do have to include information from your high school years, don&#8217;t emphasize the term &#8220;high school.&#8221; For example, list &#8220;Chess Club Treasurer, 2001-2002&#8221; instead of &#8220;High School Chess Club Treasurer.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"all\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. I have a lot to include on my resume. Should I include ALL my jobs (or awards, schools, positions, volunteer work, etc.)?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> Not always. The more job experience that you get the more selective you can be about what to include.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"low-level\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. I worked at Walmart (or Burger King, a Gas Station, etc.). Should I include this on my resume?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A. <\/strong>It depends on your other work experience. If you are applying for a position as an accountant and you&#8217;ve worked at McDonald&#8217;s, Wachovia Bank, First National Bank, and Liberty Tax Services, you could probably leave your McDonald&#8217;s experience off your resume. If your only work experience is as a cashier at Walmart during high school, then I <strong>would<\/strong> include it.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">Working jobs in retail or fast food is nothing to be embarrassed about. Keeping a job at a place like this shows that you&#8217;re responsible, dependable, and\/or willing to do what you need to do to pay for school. Also, jobs like this often lead to promotions which are always good to highlight.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"sections\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. What sections should I include on my resume?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A. <\/strong>The resume you write for the JSP must include the following sections: contact info; objective statement; education; experience and\/or skills &amp; proficiencies.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">While you must include contact info, an objective statement, an education section; and a section with your experience and\/or skills &amp; proficiencies\u2014those are the required minimum sections. <strong>You should also consider adding other sections and content<\/strong> based on your own experiences and skills, your field\/discipline, and the job advertisement you selected to work with for this project. In other words, you should make conscious rhetorical decisions about additional sections to include, what information to include within them, how to organize sections and information, and how to title your sections.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"never\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. What should I NEVER do on a resume?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A. <\/strong>Never include your photo, physical description, religion, ethnicity, age, medical status, gender, family status or similar personal information. Similarly, I recommend against including &#8220;hobbies&#8221; or &#8220;interests&#8221; or &#8220;clubs&#8221; on your resume <strong>unless they directly relate<\/strong> to your job field or desired position. Applying for a job as a bank teller? You should include your membership in the FAU Accounting Club. You should probably not include your membership in Alpha Beta Whateva social fraternity.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">NOTE: Of course, there are exceptions. If an employer asks for your medical status, then you have to include it. However, unless any of the above items are commonly requested in your field or specifically requested by an employer, then don&#8217;t include it.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"gpa\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 420px; float: right; margin-left: 15px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8402\" style=\"border-radius: 15px; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0; box-shadow: 2px 2px 4px #bdbdbd;\" src=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/04\/3213-jsp-grades-dont-matter-tweet.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"419\" height=\"312\" \/><\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. Should I include my GPA?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> Personally, I don&#8217;t recommend the inclusion of GPAs on resumes in general. It signals that you&#8217;re fresh out of college (and suggests you may not have a lot of professional experience), it can connote negative things when it&#8217;s &#8220;too low&#8221; and when it&#8217;s &#8220;too high.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">But if the employer requests your GPA or if you&#8217;re set on including it, there are a few (ethical) ways to calculate the number.<\/p>\n<ol style=\"margin-left: 40px; margin-top: -0.35em; margin-bottom: 0.85em;\" start=\"1\" type=\"1\">\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 4px;\">You can include your overall GPA, including all courses taken.<\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 4px;\">If your overall GPA isn&#8217;t so good, consider calculating your GPA &#8220;in the major&#8221;, counting only those courses that were required for your major.<\/li>\n<li>If neither of those are great, try calculating your major in &#8220;upper level courses&#8221; (either 2000 level and up or 3000 level and up)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">If you decide to include a GPA calculated &#8220;in the major&#8221; or in &#8220;upper level courses&#8221; you MUST specify this on your resume (For example, &#8220;3.4 GPA in the major&#8221;) and be prepared to explain how you arrived at this calculation.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"length\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. How long should my traditional resume be?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A. <\/strong>It&#8217;s best to fill at least one page and its fine to go onto a second page. (If you do, you don&#8217;t have to fill the whole second page). Try to avoid orphaned lines or odd page breaks &#8212; adjust font sizes or margins if you need to.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">The general advice is this:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-left: 40px; margin-bottom: 0;\">\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 7px;\">Try to fill at at least a page<\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 7px;\">As a general guideline (and NOT a rule), usually, resumes for entry-level positions should be two pages maximum. If, however, you have extensive experience or are writing something more similar to a CV, then you can go longer than two pages.<\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 7px;\">Don&#8217;t pad your resume &#8212; find real ways to speak to your skills and achievements. Consider adding &#8220;selected coursework,&#8221; knowledge sets, volunteer experience, etc.<\/li>\n<li>If all else fails and you can&#8217;t fill a page, consider using document design elements and techniques to make the text reach the bottom of the page. (No, putting everything in 14 point Helvetica isn&#8217;t a good way to do this.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"pages\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. How many pages should my resume be?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A. <\/strong>Ah\u2014let me guess. You&#8217;ve heard that resumes should only be one page, right?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">That&#8217;s crap. It&#8217;s crap because it&#8217;s a RULE\u2122. In Professional Writing\u2014and in life\u2014you shouldn&#8217;t write using RULES\u2122\u2014you should write rhetorically. Consider your purpose, audience, and your content. Great resumes can come in various lengths. If you write a great resume and it&#8217;s one page? Awesome. A page and half? Excellent. Two whole pages? Great! All good.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">As a first-time-on-the-career-job-market applicant, there are some general guidelines, though.<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-left: 40px; margin-bottom: 0;\">\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 7px;\">Try to fill at at least one full page.<\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 7px;\">As a general guideline (and NOT a rule), usually, resumes for entry-level career positions should be no more than two pages. If, however, you have extensive experience or are writing for an academic\/research position, then you can go longer than two pages. (academic and research positions often ask you for a CV instead of a resume. See more about CVs here)<\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 7px;\">Don&#8217;t pad your resume &#8212; find real ways to speak to your skills and achievements. Consider adding &#8220;selected coursework,&#8221; knowledge sets, volunteer experience, etc.<\/li>\n<li>If all else fails and you can&#8217;t fill a page, consider using document design elements and techniques to make the text reach the bottom of the page. (No, putting everything in 14 point Helvetica isn&#8217;t a good way to do this.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"short\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. I don&#8217;t have much to put on my resume, what else can I include?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A. <\/strong>I think it&#8217;s a great idea to list some of the interesting or relevant courses you&#8217;ve taken. You can create a whole section called &#8220;selected coursework&#8221; or &#8220;relevant coursework&#8221; and include the titles and short descriptions of some of your classes. Don&#8217;t include course numbers (ENC 3213, for example), as these mean nothing to most people. Also, be sure to include a one-sentence description about what the course entailed (after all, what is &#8220;Professional Writing&#8221; anyway?)<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"references\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. Should I list references on my resume? Or write &#8220;references available upon request&#8221;?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A. <\/strong>Do not include references on your resume. If the employer wants references, they will ask.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"references-on-request\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. Should I include &#8220;References Available Upon Request&#8221;?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A. <\/strong>No. If the employer wants references, they will ask for them.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"languages\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. What about languages?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A. <\/strong>Worldwide, and particularly in South Florida, language fluency (other than\/in addition to English) is in high demand. If you are fluent in a language (or languges) other than English, be sure to include an indication on your resume.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">Indicate your fluency in any\/all of the following: reading, writing, speaking.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">Keep in mind that you&#8217;re either fluent in a language, or you&#8217;re not. Indicating &#8220;levels&#8221; such as &#8220;beginner,&#8221; &#8220;intermediate,&#8221; or &#8220;conversational&#8221; isn&#8217;t helpful to employers (or worse, it usually indicates exaggeration), so don&#8217;t do it. If you&#8217;re fluent in reading French, but not writing or speaking, indicate &#8220;Fluency in French: reading.&#8221; If you&#8217;re fluent in reading, writing, and speaking Spanish, indicate &#8220;Fluency in Spanish: reading, writing, and speaking.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">If you took two years of German in high school, you&#8217;re probably not proficient enough to indicate any fluency on your resume&#8230; so don&#8217;t mention it.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"computer\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. What about computer skills? <\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> It depends on what computer skills you have, what&#8217;s required (or valued) in your career field, and what the job advertisement specifically asks for.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">For example, careers in architecture and engineering often require professionals to be proficient in AutoCad. Since this is specialized software for a specialized field, I would mention proficiency in AutoCad on a resume.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">However, while careers across the disciplines require professionals to use word processing applications (MS Word, usually), potential employers will assume you know how to use Word. If you&#8217;re looking for a career in hospitality or teaching, there&#8217;s no real benefit to including &#8220;proficient with Word&#8221; on your resume &#8212; employers will assume you are because everyone is (or should be). Proficiency with Word will not set you apart from other candidates, nor does it require any specialized, discipline specific knowledge or training.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">My general advice is to leave computer skills in word processing, spreadsheets, email, and internet navigation off your resume unless there&#8217;s a compelling reason to mention them.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">However, depending on the position, skills in graphic design applications, programming languages, web design, multimedia production, are specialized enough that you probably should mention them if they&#8217;re relevant (or potentially useful) to the position.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"template\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. Can I use a resume template? <\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> <strong>No.<\/strong> As stated on the <a href=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/jsp\/\">project overview<\/a>, you must write and design your resume from scratch. You may not use a resume template of any kind.*<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-left: 40px; margin-bottom: 0.6em;\">\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 4px;\">You may not use a template to help you with content\u2014think rhetorically and write according to guidelines and information in these notes (and other notes provided for this class).<\/li>\n<li>You may not use a template to help you with design. Instead, design rhetorically and use good <a href=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/hats-design\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">H.A.T.S. Design for Professional Documents.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 100px; text-indent: -10px; font-size: 90%;\">* You may not use any templates\u2014this means no MS Word templates, no Illustrator Templates, no templates you found online, no templates you bought online. No templates.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"why-no-template\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. Why can&#8217;t I use a resume template? <\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> For the Job Search Portfolio Project, it&#8217;s not allowed. I wouldn&#8217;t recommend using a resume template during your actual job search, either. Sure, templates can make your resume look okay, but that often comes at a cost. In brief:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-left: 40px; margin-bottom: 0;\">\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 7px;\">Resume templates are often difficult to modify and they&#8217;re restrictive in terms of headings, sections, space, and content.<\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 7px;\">They all look the same. If you submit a resume based on a template to a potential employer, it is likely the employer will see lots of other resumes that look just like yours. That will make it difficult to distinguish you from others, and after seeing the same design over and over, the employer is likely to confuse details.<\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 7px;\">It&#8217;s lazy. The employer might wonder if you didn&#8217;t care enough to format your resume yourself.<\/li>\n<li>It suggests you don&#8217;t know how to format documents. If you knew how to format documents, then why didn&#8217;t you do it yourself? It doesn&#8217;t speak well to your ability to use word processing applications.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"tense\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. Should I use past or present tense verbs for those bullets under my headings\/subheadings?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> If the verb statement refers to a <strong>past<\/strong> position, the verb should be in <strong>past tense<\/strong>. If the verb statement refers to a current position (one you hold <strong>presently<\/strong>), the verb should be in <strong>present tense<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"how-to-design\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. How should I design my resume?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> Your design should look professional. It should be readable and usable. Use good <a href=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/hats-design\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">H.A.T.S. Design for Professional Documents<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"how-many\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. How many bullets (or verb\/accomplishment statements) should I write under my headings and\/or subheadings?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> You should write <em>at least<\/em> two bullets (verb\/accomplishment statements), but aim for 3\u20135. If you have more, consider combining verb statements.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"personal-info\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. Should I include personal info on my resume?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> Typically, no.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">You should only include personal information if it directly or indirectly relates to the position you&#8217;re applying for (or the company).<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; font-weight:500; letter-spacing:0.025em; color: #333; text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px #bdbdbd;\">Some examples:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\">Let&#8217;s say you&#8217;re applying for a position as a Junior Accountant. Should you include your membership in FAU&#8217;s Stats Club? Yes! Since accountants deal with numbers, your membership in FAU&#8217;s Stats Club shows your interest in math and statistics even outside of your professional life.<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-left: 48px; margin-bottom: 1em; font-size: 94%;\"><em>But&#8230; if you&#8217;re applying for a position that has nothing to do with math or statistics\u2014you might leave your membership in the Stats Club off your resume.<\/em><\/div>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\">You&#8217;re applying for a Waterways Manager position with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). You already know that two of FWC&#8217;s current commissioners were members of Theta Delta Whateva fraternity when they were in college. You&#8217;re a member of Theta Delta Whateva at FAU\u2014should you include that on your resume? YES! Of course. Since your membership in that particular social fraternity might appeal to the people you&#8217;re likely to interview with, you should absolutely include that on your resume.<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-left: 48px; margin-bottom: 1em; font-size: 94%;\"><em>But&#8230; unless you already know your membership in Theta Delta Whateva applies to the position in some way, it&#8217;s probably best to leave your fraternity off your resume.<\/em><\/div>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">You&#8217;re applying to be a teacher at St. Mary&#8217;s Cathedral School in Miami\u2014a private, Catholic K-12 school who stresses faith in their mission statement. You&#8217;ve sung in the choir at St. Jude Catholic Church for the past 3 years. Should you include that in your materials? YES! Because you&#8217;re applying to teach at a faith-based private school, you should include your choir membership in your materials as a way to show that you share similar values.<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-left: 48px; margin-bottom: 1em; font-size: 94%;\"><em>But&#8230; if the position you&#8217;re applying for has nothing to do with religion or faith, it&#8217;s probably best to leave your participation in choir off your resume.<\/em><\/div>\n<div class=\"clear\" style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: -0.5em; margin-bottom: 1000px;\"><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 150%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>all job search \u3009 Have questions about your Cover Letter? See the Cover Letter FAQ. Have questions about Job Interviews? See the Job Interviews FAQ. &nbsp; Should my resume be a chronological, skills, or combination? Should I include my high school in my &#8220;education&#8221; section? Should I mention high school experiences? Should I include ALL <a href='https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/resumes-faq\/' class='excerpt-more'>[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"no-sidebars.php","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9011"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9011"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9011\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9044,"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9011\/revisions\/9044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}