The Overview

• Your overview is one of the most important parts of your resume. You outline your key strengths as related to the job for which you are applying in this small section. Focus on broad qualities that an employer may want to see. For instance, if applying for an administrative job, you would want to focus on your organizational skills, leadership traits, and your ability to self-motivate. You can search for other people's resumes on the Web to get some ideas of how to present your overview, but a bulleted list is easy to read and gets to the point quickly.
  
  

Experience First

• It can be hard to determine whether to place work or education first on your resume, but the easiest way to decide is by looking at your actual experience. If you have deep experience at an internship or have been working part-time in a related field, it is probably best to lead off with your professional experience. If not, place your education section first and focus on academic awards and classroom achievements. Remember that your resume's job is to make the best case for you, so go with whichever order you feel does this.
  
  

Skills Listing

• Your resume is basically a list of your skills. Try to make a list of all of your key skills, and then incorporate them into your resume where necessary. Skills do not have to come from paid jobs and could have been picked up in the classroom. As an example, completing school projects gives you skills in presentation, project management, and teamwork, as well as in specific computer software suites. Looking around your life for your most marketable skills will help you outline your abilities on paper.
  
  

Be Specific

• Your overview is a good place for broad talents, but you need to back these talents up with specific examples in your work experience and accolades. For instance, being a strong leader is a broad quality, but leading a group of students on an award-winning research project takes that quality and infuses it with a specific result. Think of times in your academic and work history that one of your broad qualities has generated positive results for your team or the company. These are the best evidence that you can wield your talents effectively.