One Page Sample Resume - Word Document
Download, save to computer drive, include your own information.

XHTML Format for Web Resumes

Information Technology companies and HR Departments generally prefer a one-page resume. Download the One Page Sample Resume recommended by Prof. Kimball, and insert your own information. Here are some suggestions:

Education, Skills, and Experience.   A resume is a short, concise statement of your abilities. Your Education, Skills, and Experience are the main categories that will get you the interview. Everything else is secondary. Employers read hundreds of resumes, and want you to keep things short.

A focused resume demonstrates you know how to edit and summarize. You can expand on the main categories if you get the interview.

Education.   We recommend that you list your highest degree first if you have a BA or graduate college degree, and then work backward in time. If you prefer to start with your most recent education, that's OK, too. We prefer the education category at the top of the resume, not the bottom.

Computer Skills. Internship sponsors and employers are very interested in your computer software and programming skills. List them horizontally, not vertically, in the spaces provided. This saves space. Delete the categories that don't apply to you.

Previous Employment.  If you are careful, concise, and edit well, you should be able to fit 5-6 previous employers on the first page. The secret is to list information horizontally -- as the resume shows you. Limit your job descriptions to two lines, and you will have plenty of space.

Remember -- You may have a lot you want to say, but employers skim resumes, and don't have the time to read every line.

Experience vs. Sample Projects.  Describe briefly (one or two sentences) the projects you worked on at various jobs. If you do not have job experience, you can substitute relevant class projects for the experience section.

Keep the descriptions short so everything fits on one (1) page.

Abilities.  "Abilities" or "Special Abilities" are unnecessary categories, unless you don't have enough

Education, Skills, and Experience material to fill up one page. These three categories are of the most interest to employers.  

Everyone puts that they have "Good Teamwork Skills", so why bother? No one ever puts they have bad teamwork skills and that they don't get along well with others.

Special Skills.  You should describe special management skills or other special skills in the Job Experience section. Special skills are most relevant if you can show you used or acquired them in connection with past employment.

Objectives Statements  Many resumes stumble over this section, so we strongly advise that you omit a statement of your employment objectives. Here are some of the common problems:

"I want any good job".  This is what most Objectives statements would say -- but we can't say that, so we get "flowery" and make mistakes. Would you take a job offer for which the employer thinks you're qualified, but which is not within your employment objective? If the answer is "yes", why state an objective?Narrow Objectives are Limiting.  Many "Objectives" statements are phrased narrowly, and are self-limiting when you don't mean to be. If you list that you want a job in web design, you may not be considered for a database design position for which you're equally qualified. Narrow objectives statements require you to design a new resume for each job you apply for!

Broadly Stated Objectives are Turn-Offs. Example: "Objective: To pursue a career in web development and computer programming with an employee-friendly company with good upper mobility and benefits, leading to a management position."  (Anyone catch the mis-used word in this sentence?)   Wow! Great, but you're applying for an entry-level internship, and haven't yet proved yourself. It's nice to be ambitious, but this is may be a ten-year statement of objectives. This is a turn-off statement -- laudable, but not appropriate. Keep your desires to take over the company to yourself. (We've seen objectives statements like this!!)

English Composition and Grammar. Objectives statements are short little English compositions, sometimes fiction. Beware of spelling and grammar mistakes. If your English skills aren't first-rate, you may be shooting yourself in the foot by including an Objectives statement. Leave it out -- you don't need it -- or have a friend or instructor proof-read it before you submit the resume.

Class Projects. You do not need to list web projects or programming language projects you did for class, unless you have nothing to offer in job experience. Your grades and GPA, and not a long list of class projects, are more important! If you list class projects, keep the descriptions very short. One sentence is enough:  "Completed seven-page web site on Punjab for CA 272." You can put at the bottom of your resume: "Web (or programming) portfolio available on request."  If you have a good, clean web site where all the links work, you're proud of your work, and you received an "A" grade for the project, you can give the URL on your resume.

Summarize, summarize, summarize.

Contact Information
Raymond J. Kimball, Internship Coordinator
Macklin/Campus Tower, Room 427, Rockville Campus
51 Mannakee St., Rockville, MD 20850
(240)567-3825
Raymond.Kimball@montgomerycollege.edu
Emails are encouraged.
Please include your name
and "CA/CS" in the subject line.