The Career Center has handouts to coach you through the various stages of the internship process, but here is some advice to get you started.
Your resume should be clear and readable. It should fit on one page and be printed on standard white or cream paper. Formatting throughout the resume should be consistent.
Fonts should be no smaller than 10 point and no larger than 12 point and margins should range from half an inch to a quarter of an inch on all sides. Above all, you should avoid clutter.
Think twice if you feel compelled to include information about high school experiences. It may be acceptable for freshmen and sophomores looking for jobs or internships, but by the time you are an upperclassmen, high school achievements and positions should not be mentioned unless they demonstrate skills that your college experiences don't.
The grammar, spelling, and punctuation in your resume should be perfect. Proofread your resume carefully and have others critique it as well.
Use action words in your resume and avoid the passive voice. Action verbs like launched, engineered, promoted, and surpassed will give your resume some punch.
Make sure your resume is targeted specifically to the particular employer's needs. Not all of your experiences will be relevant for every job. You may be particularly attached to your work with one club, but if you can't make a case for its application to the position you want, lose it. It's just taking up space that could be used for something else that's more relevant.
Many companies and organizations encourage applicants to send in resumes and cover letters via e-mail. Research special formatting for this type of correspondence to ensure you're not overlooked for a position based on incorrect submissions.
-- compiled by Gina Callahan
