Walking Through The Resume: Personal Details

Walking through the resume
PERSONAL DETAILS
Professional email and voicemail - keep names to 2 where possible, and include your LinkedIn profile URL
International students may wish to include their visa status
OBJECTIVE / SUMMARY / PROFILE (optional, but well written can make a great impression up front)
 Good objectives target the particular organisation and role, use key words and phrases from job
description or web, are succinct and eye-catching, and tell the employer who you are and
what you can bring to the role
 Highlights skills / training / and may mention career aspirations
For example: To gain a full-time marketing position with a local non-profit agency utilising my
graduate skills in fund-raising and public relations to increase the organisation’s public profile and
sustainability.
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY
(reverse chronological order)
 GPA - include if 5 or more; can include major GPA if overall GPA is poor;
 Only mention secondary education if results are of a high standard
 If little work experience, make more of projects, group assignments, etc
 Out of 24 or more undergraduate courses, chose a small number that relate to job
 Keep all courses, projects, presentations, group assignments in a ‘raw data’ resume on your
computer and tailor your resume to each job / organisation by including ones that closely relate to
each position or field
 Postgraduate students would want to highlight the most relevant degree while still including all
tertiary study
It’s useful to include any other training you have undertaken as it demonstrates initiative and motivation.
Ensure this also follows reverse chronological order and details correct name and length of all courses.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
(paid or unpaid work - note that employers highly value work experience, particularly in the
professional area - voluntary work could go here or separately)
 Probably the most challenging section of your resume to write well. Great chance to sell yourself
here!
 Dates, Name of organisation and Position (indicate part-time or full-time work)
 Not the only way, but good to start each bullet point with an action verb (be careful that tenses
are correct - ‘ing’ for current roles, ‘ed’ for past roles, etc)
 Use engaging language to make the most of each ‘activity’.
Before writing up this section, make a list of all activities related to the position and then note
accomplishments.
Ask yourself:
Was I recognised for good work (awards / commendations from employer, positive feedback from
customers, etc?). Did I - Innovate? Streamline work practices? Economise? Manage a budget?
Increase sales? Lead a team? Supervise others?
Try to include job-related accomplishments where you can - either at the end of your ‘responsibilities’, or
incorporate them into your ‘responsibilities / accomplishments’. Be specific and provide details. Be
achievement oriented!
If you have little or no work experience in your field, try these — work shadow several people in
different companies for a day each; learn about the field by researching on YouTube; read blogs and
industry articles and attend trade shows.
 QUANTIFY your achievements using numbers, percentages and dollars, where possible.
For example: “Maintained 100% accuracy when reconciling till at the end of each shift.”
“Improved sales by 10% over a 12 month period.”
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
(before writing this section, review all the skills you have developed from work / study / extra -
curricular, etc, and refer to the Griffith Graduate Attributes and the skills-based resume - website)
 Detail both technical and transferable skills

 Match with employers stated requirements
 Provide evidence for each skills claimed
 Place skills you want noticed at the top of the list
Common ways to write skills:

Strong research and analytical skills (as developed through University employment, work
experience for the Brisbane City council and my degree studies where I obtained mainly
distinctions)
OR
Research skills:
 Excellent results in two research projects
 Research project for Brisbane City Council that was used in a major planning initiative
 Employed as ‘research assistant’ for one month over the Christmas vacation
ACHIEVEMENTS
(anything you are proud of - may be listed separately or incorporated where they were gained)
 For example: Captained the Souths under-18 soccer team to the finals 2 years in a row
MEMBERSHIPS
(professional associations, student clubs and other clubs - describe your level of involvement)
 This is a good place to differentiate yourself from other candidates.

 Joining a professional association demonstrates commitment to the profession as well as
initiative and motivation
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
(employers are impressed by this - many employers are committed to social responsibility and
are looking to give back to the community in one form or another)
 Demonstrates work / life balance and commitment to community (required in job ad used for this
session)
It’s also useful to include:
RECREATIONAL INTERESTS
(Spell out clearly the type and level of participation in each activity)
LANGUAGE SKILLS
(Specify spoken and written skill level)
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
(This can build resilience, multi-cultural awareness and the ability to communicate across
cultures - describe what you learned/gained from the experience).
These headings are in no way prescriptive. You can use any heading you think promotes your
training and experience effectively. It’s important to alter your headings and their order to match
what the employer is looking for. There is a list of possible headings in the Resume booklet online
(Appendices).
Careers and Employment Service

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Walking through the resume

International students may wish to include their visa status

 Detail both technical and transferable skills

Common ways to write skills:

 This is a good place to differentiate yourself from other candidates.

It’s also useful to include:

Careers and Employment Service

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