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(MUSIC). Did, you know,

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creating a personal brand is critical to any career development process

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and crafting an impressive resume is one of its main components.

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So what exactly is a resume?

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It's a document that tells prospective employers exactly

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what you want them to know about you

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and why you would be a good fit for their open position.

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In a sense,

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it's a way for you to put your best foot forward,

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a way to sell yourself on paper to a potential employer.

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In order to sell yourself effectively,

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I'm going to run through a checklist of what you should keep in mind.

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Bear in mind everyone has a different opinion on what works,

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but there are some overarching principles that

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seem to work well in most industries.

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First, let's talk about formatting.

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You'll need to create the framework of your resume by creating effective headings.

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These can be your education and experience type sections,

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but could also include leadership, scholarships, or honors.

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It really just depends on what you want to present to potential employers.

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Once you know which sections you'll use,

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you'll also want to consider putting the sections in an

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order that best links your skills to an employer's opportunity.

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It's also good to keep in mind some general formatting rules. You want to

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have margins that are half an inch to one inch all the way around.

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It's also good to choose just one or two fonts and

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to keep the font at a 10- to 12-point size.

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Once you've gotten the framework set, you'll start filling in the gaps.

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Starting at the top,

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you want to provide your name and your accurate contact information.

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Some people also choose to include a link to their LinkedIn or other online profile.

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I'd recommend this if your online presence is up

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to date and helps to enhance your resume.

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The next section of a resume is often a summary of skills or an objective statement.

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This section can be really useful in providing context for the reader.

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Why are you applying? Why are you the best fit?

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You can use this section to paint that picture effectively

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and give context for what's to come in subsequent sections.

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After the summary of skills or objective statement,

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you'll often see an education section or an experience section

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depending on which is more relevant to the position.

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If you've been in a degree program recently and honed in on new relevant skills,

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you might lead with an education section.

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If you've been working in the field for many years

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and want to take a next step in the field,

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you're already in

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the experience section might make the most sense. In either case,

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you'll want the experiences outlined to be in reverse chronological order,

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highlighting your most recent education or experience first.

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When you begin to work on your experience section,

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be sure your bullet points include action verbs

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and tenses that reflect past or ongoing work.

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Try not to exceed 2 to 4 bullet points per position.

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Though this of course varies depending on your length of tenure at a position.

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Bullet points to demonstrate key skills

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and major accomplishments using numbers and

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percentages rather than routine tasks and duties after education and experience.

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It's a good idea to add other sections to

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flesh out one complete or two complete pages.

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Often students will consider a section called relevant course work and

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projects to draw out some meaningful work completed within the classroom.

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If you're still looking for additional sections to complete your resume,

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consider volunteer work,

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honors, or extracurricular activities

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placing special emphasis on any leadership roles you may have had.

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Finally and perhaps most importantly,

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your resume is the first impression you get to

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make on someone who could possibly hire you.

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So proof-free.

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You're looking for consistency of formatting and error-free content.

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Often, our worst enemy is having looked too long at our own work.

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So, ask a friend or two to give your resume a once over.

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Does it look complete, informative, professional, and pleasing to the eye?

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Does it make a compelling case for your candidacy?

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If so, you're ready to go.