RESUME PREPARATION

Your resume is important! Recruiters will receive electronic copies of the Resume Book about 3 weeks before the Career Fair, as well as a hard-copy version at the event. Some recruiters will use the Resume Book to schedule private interviews with selected students.

REQUIREMENTS

There will be NO EXCEPTIONS to the following requirements:

1) One page only. Please check your saved document to be sure it does not include a second page, even if it is blank. Extra blank pages will delay processing and possibly exclude your resume from the resume book.

2) The filename must be your last name followed by your first name. For example, John Smith should name his resume SmithJohn.pdf (or SmithJohn.doc if sending resume as a word file). The resumes will be alphabetized by filename.

3) Resumes should be submitted in Adobe PDF format files; if that is not possible, a Microsoft Word Document is acceptable as well.

4) No photos or graphics permitted.

5) The first few lines must contain (only) your contact information, centered and formatted as follows:

JOHN SMITH
156 Main Street
New York, NY 99999
Tel: (212) 657-7684
email: sj456@cims.nyu.edu
web: http://www.johnsmith.com

In particular:

(a) Your name should come first, in capital letters, bold type, one point larger than the rest of your contact information. (b) Your address and phone number should be in regular type, centered. Give only one phone number. (c) Your email address (and, if desired, your web address) should be in regular type, centered. Additional stylistic advice is given below. (d) Leave 1/2"margins on the top, bottom, and right, and 1 inch on the left.

Many companies keep these resume books for several years and refer back to them, so it is advised that you use an email address that will be valid even after you graduate.

RESUME SUBMISSION PROCEDURE

1) Soon after you register, you'll receive a confirmation email. It will include an email address to which you must send your resume.

2) Please submit your resume as soon as possible after registering.

3) Prepare your resume carefully. You may submit just one version; subsequent modified versions will NOT be accepted.

STYLISTIC ADVICE

Your resume is an important marketing document designed to sell your background to a targeted reader. Generally, readers of resumes see hundreds of resumes and spend very little time with any single one, so it is essential that your resume be easy-to-read and concise yet highlight key points that relate to your future employment objectives. Remember, the purpose of the resume is to get an interview, not to get the job, so excessive detail is best left for the interview.

DATES: For a cleaner look, put the dates on the same line as the college or place of employment rather than in the left margin. (Dates are not really that important). Dates should be expressed in terms of years (2000-2001) giving an easier-to-read format than January 2000 - December 2001. For summer jobs, use Summer, 2000. If you must use dates, use abbreviations with no periods.

For dates with employment: if you held more than one position with an employer, list the date after the position held (on the same line, in parentheses). If you held only one position with an employer, list the date on the same line as the company.

SALARY AND OTHER PERSONAL INFORMATION: A resume should not include salaries or truly personal information such as health, height, weight, or marital status. Citizenship or visa status is OK.

WRITING STYLE: Do not use "I", "me", and "my" and don't overuse "the", "a", and "an". Formatting and writing styles should remain consistent throughout. Express yourself in a manner that is specific and concise.

SPELLING AND PROOFREADING: Correct spelling and grammar are very important -- they reflect your ability to get things right! Using the spell-check feature of a word-processor is a good idea, but you should also have a friend or teacher read your resume to check its grammar, spelling, and overall clarity.