Resume Musts

Customize your resume to show employers that you have the skills and experience they're looking for. About one in 200 resumes gets read, so you need to get an employers' attention immediately by outlining exactly what you can do for them.

To customize your resume with a career expert, make an appointment.

Objectives
First impressions really do count. You have maybe 20 seconds to persuade an employer to consider your resume, so customize the objective at the top of your resume for each job.

Include the name of the position and the company that you are applying to.
Do some research on the company and industry to best customize your resume.

Bullet Statements Resumes need great bullet statements. Build strong bullet statements that qualify the work you performed.

Start the bullet statement with an action.
In the middle, describe how much, how many, and how often.
End the bullet statement with results.
Sample bullet points (50K PDF)

Keywords
Many companies use online systems and software to scan through resumes, searching for keywords that match the job description. Use those keywords that apply to your experience to ensure your resume makes the cut.

You'll find keywords in the following places:

Job descriptions
Company websites
Informational interviews
Professional associations websites
Trade magazines (like Fast Company)
Online discussion groups related to your field

At JWU, you want to be able to access your resume when employers are on campus. Keep your resume in multiple formats so you can easily post, copy or email it online, and carry an electronic version on a memory stick (or flash drive).

Resume Guidebook (688K PDF)
MBA Resume Guidebook (276K PDF)
Monster’s Resume Checklist