A resume is a sales tool, to tell a potential employer why you are the best candidate for the job. A resume is NOT a historical document that shows everything and every job you have done in your life. A person with excellent qualifications and a poorly written resume may struggle getting an interview. A resume is also a career development tool used to assess what you need to do to make yourself more employable for you future career. A resume is a continuously changing document that should be started early in your educational career.

HOW DO I USE A RESUME?

You can use a resume to apply for summer jobs, internships, professional careers, scholarships, graduate school, or display in your portfolio. Use the resume as a guide to assess yourself as an ideal employee and to make goals on how you want to develop your professional self.

WHERE DO I START?

1. Research what employers in your career field are looking for in a job candidate. This can be done online, in the Career Services office, in the FLITE library, by conducting an informational interview, or asking a faculty/staff member.
   
   
2. View resume resources: career based websites, use a search engine to find resume examples for you specific career, stop into the Career Services office, or check out a book at FLITE.
   • Resume Ideas Arts & Sciences
   • Resume Ideas Business
   • Resume Ideas Education and Human Services
   • Resume Ideas Engineering Technology
   • Resume Ideas Allied Health
     
     
3. Create your resume in a blank Word document. Try to avoid using a template; they are very difficult to change information. Bulldog CareerLink offers a Resume Builder only for those that are not efficient at using Word.
   • Resume Format Examples
     
     
4. Attend a resume workshop at the Career Services office to review your 1st draft resume and see what other students are doing with their resume. Current day and times are on the Career Services website and you can RSVP on Bulldog CareerLink.
   
   
5. Assess your own resume using the Resume Rubric

HOW DO I GET A PERSONALIZED RESUME REVIEW?

Once you have completed the above steps and feel you have a final resume completed, email your resume for a personalized resume critique to careerservices@ferris.edu. A Career Services staff person will review your resume and offer suggestions, if needed.

HOW DO EMPLOYERS FIND MY RESUME?

Career Services offers all students and alumni the ability to post their resume in Bulldog CareerLink for employers to search and contact you directly. Although this shouldn't be your only way to look for a job, many employers are beginning to use this system to avoid screening hundreds of applicants. Once your resume is complete, you can upload your resume to Bulldog CareerLink using the documents tab. Your resume will be reviewed to ensure our employers are seeing the best. Once approved, you have to load your resume into the appropriate Ferris Resume Book. We also have a specific Job Fair resume book around Job Fair time!

WHAT ARE SOME RESUME HINTS?

1. To be successful in today's competitive job market you need to; sell yourself uniquely, use numbers, showcase accomplishments not just skills, prove leadership skills, detail your "soft skills" like customer service, attention to detail. We offer the following to assist you with selling your skills:
   • 99 Action Verbs
   • Levels of Competency
   • Identifying Your Accomplishments

1. You resume should change for each job you are applying for. Every employer/job is looking for something different and those skills should be at the top of your resume.

1. Use a Highlights of Qualifications section to immediately tell the employer why they should hire.

1. Do not have any spelling or grammar mistakes!

1. Give your resume to your friends, family, faculty/staff so they can sell your skills to others.