A vital step in looking for a job is preparing a resume, a brief presentation of your experience and qualifications that makes an employer want to interview you.

Students often have questions about how to assemble a resume. Here are some answers.

Above all, remember that a resume is not a life history. It is a presentation in outline form of your education, work and other experiences which highlights and describes those aspects which you think best portray your qualifications for employment. It is directed to a specific audience for a specific purpose.

The particular mix of qualifications that an employer prefers will depend on the job being filled. The more you know about what the employer is looking for, the better you can tailor your presentation. If you are an undergraduate, graduating senior, or graduate student seeking summer or part-time employment, your resume will be a presentation that documents your general qualifications, such as your ability to learn quickly, to adapt to new environments, to research, analyze, and solve problems, to work with and lead a team, to follow instructions, to deal with ambiguity, to make decisions, and to communicate effectively.

Preparing to write your resume. Start by writing a comprehensive outline of all the experiences and facts you might want to include in your resume. Keep this outline as a reference while you experiment with a variety of formats and styles and deletions of the information.

Understand what employers are looking for. Identify several prospective employers and gather information-ideally from visiting people at the place of work, or at least from company and vocational literature - about what qualifications that kind of job requires.

Friends can tell you whether they think you have succeeded in communication of your strengths. Advisors can comment on the impression your resume makes and what they can learn about you from it. When you interview career advisors to learn about occupations and gather job hunting advice, ask them to critique your resume. OCS Resume Workshops are held weekly at 12 noon or 4 pm and provide an opportunity for advice and review of your resume. Also, you can make an appointment to meet with a counselor to review your resume and plan your job search strategy.

Choose the format that best communicates your qualifications. Design your resume for two types of readers: the reviewer who scans your resume to learn your academic degrees, job titles, special experience, or skills; the reviewer who reads your resume for valued information about you and to receive an impression of your competencies and your personal qualities.

Most employers - especially in business -prefer a one page resume. These employers want aneffectively organized and concise presentation ofthe most pertinent information about you.Employers in education, public service, and humanservices do not seem to have a strong preference,but a concise presentation shows that you canrecognize the value of their time. If in doubtabout resume length, ask counselors and careeradvisors.

Remember that a resume is an example of yourwork. If you claim skill in organization andability to communicate clearly and consiely, yourresume should demonstrate your proficiency inthose skills.

You must make judgments about what is mostimportant and allot space accordingly.Descriptions of jobs performed and accomplishmentsmust be brief and listing of activities selective.If you can't fit your resume on one page, put allof the most important information on the firstpage. Certain information that is included inlonger resumes, such as a list of publications ora list of references, may be presented separatelyas attachments if you decide that they areimportant to your application. Other attachmentsmay include an annotated transcript, clippings,writing sample, portfolio, and letters ofrecommendation.

Make purposeful use of capitals,underlining, positioning, and spacing. If youuse a typed resume, have it reproduced byphoto-offset. Beware of using too small type orreducing a typed resume, as you may also reduceyour readership. Use white or ecru paper withmatching envelopes and paper for your coverletters.B-3