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St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University

Preparation for Job Search

Resumes

Resume Software and Templates

 

Using Microsoft Word to prepare your resume from scratch is a good choice; however, we DON'T recommend using resume templates in Microsoft Word or other programs. Templates generally do not create effective resumes based on what we know about employers' opinions. Templates can be a starting point for a practice resume, but a resume ready for job search is best done from scratch. Below is an easy to use format that will produce a quality resume without the worry of tabbing and spacing to line up your resume items.

  DO create your own simple Microsoft Word format, using a table with invisible borders, as explained and shown in the example below:
 
  1. Page margins of 1/2 to 1 inch on all sides generally look fine.
  2. Except for your name, which can be larger, font sizes of 10, 11 or 12 generally look fine. Note that Arial 12 and Times 12 are not the same size. If you have trouble getting your content on one page, use a smaller font, like Arial 10.
  3. Create your heading (name, addresses, phone numbers and email).  You can create a three-column, two-row table (with cells merged on top row) to organize your heading, as shown below, if you find this helpful.
  4. For the body of your resume, create a table; one column for headings; another column for content; one row for each heading section.
  5. You can resize and realign your content easily as you revise your resume. Using the table format means you don't have to individually tab each line of your resume.
  6. Set your borders to be invisible: format > borders and shading > borders > none. You'll see them on screen as guidelines, but they won't print.
  7. For assistance, use the "Help" function in Microsoft Word or visit the Career Services Center Computer Lab.

SAMPLE Layout / Format:

Name (centered or left justified; bold and larger than other text)
School address
1st line
2nd line
Telephone
Email address
(email address under your name looks fine also)
Set your table borders as "none" in Microsoft Word, so the borders will not appear on your resume document. The table format is solely to help you structure your resume and reformat easily

Permanent Address
1st line
2nd line
Telephone
Objective Your concise objective here
Education B.S. (Major), June 2006
St. Cloud State University (SCSU)
St. Cloud, Minnesota
GPA: x.x/4.0
Earned and financed 70% of tuition and college expenses
Skills First skill
Another skill
Etc.
Experience

Employer Company/Organization, City & State location
Job Title, Month/Year dates
(DO use the bullet feature in MS Word to list each item)
(DON'T try to manually insert bullets and manually add spacing to make your indentions line up)

Activities & Honors (Leadership position in organization)
(Award)
(Scholarship)
Etc.

The content of this sample is not intended to tell you exactly what to include or how to order YOUR resume. See:
"Resume Sections & Content" for guidelines on what to include in your own resume and
"Resume Formats and Samples" for various examples.

 

Quick Practice Resume Templates -- Not recommended for final resume.