# Oh Shit! I gotta write a resume. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 18, 2007, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-shit-i-gotta-write-a-resume/396451 "2007-03-18T17:50:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Surbey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Surbey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surbey)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2007, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-shit-i-gotta-write-a-resume/396451/1 "2007-03-18T17:50:08Z")
I’ve got to write a resume for an internship and I was just wondering if I could get some pointers from the good people on the dope. So, what do ya got? ---
**Author:** ![Middlea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@Middlea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Middlea)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2007, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-shit-i-gotta-write-a-resume/396451/2 "2007-03-18T18:15:48Z")
Start with short paragraph (an objective, sort of) of you, your education and skills, how you want to apply them to the position you are seeking. Use effective adjective to describe your skills and knowledge base. There are nice tabulated “buzz words” you can find on many resume sights. " A creative, organized, and detail-oriented _‘job title’_. Strong knowledge of x, y, and z. Experienced in \*‘doing…’\*in a \*‘something or other’ \*environment for over 15 years; in particular, _yadda, yadda, yadda_. Over 10 years experience in _‘something particular to the industry you might just find very valuable - likely what the internship is for’_. Accomplished in most _‘insert work-related applications’_ tools. Recognized for leadership in developing strategies for _something particular to the industry the employer might find very valuable_." If you can’t sell yourself in that first paragraph, forget it. Keep it under 2 pages. Anne Be sure to check your spelling and punctuation when you have completed your document. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2007, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-shit-i-gotta-write-a-resume/396451/3 "2007-03-18T18:17:06Z")
Proofread the bejabbers out of it, and then ask someone else to check it for possible typos, misspellings, and awkward grammar. I used to work for an employment service, and it amazed me how often I saw résumés containing phrases such as “I worked their for 10 years.” ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2007, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-shit-i-gotta-write-a-resume/396451/4 "2007-03-18T20:53:57Z")
Assuming you are in the US, there is probably a local job center. They will give you free resume advice and other job hunting help. (at least that is true in MN and WI) added: internship. If you are still in school, there is probably a place that provides similar services Brian ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2007, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-shit-i-gotta-write-a-resume/396451/5 "2007-03-19T00:59:55Z")
[QUOTE=pinkfreud] Proofread the bejabbers out of it, and then ask someone else to check it for possible typos, misspellings, and awkward grammar. I used to work for an employment service, and it amazed me how often I saw résumés containing phrases such as “I worked their for 10 years.” [/QUOTE] Amen. I wonder just how many resumes are rejected for misspellings, wrong or missing punctuation, misused words, etc. It makes the writer of the document look very unprofessional and uncaring, so the HR person will have no reason to take the applicant seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Surbey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Surbey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surbey)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2007, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-shit-i-gotta-write-a-resume/396451/6 "2007-03-19T13:56:00Z")
thanks for the advice!