I. D. SEGMENT

JOB OR CAREER OBJECTIVE

EDUCATION

EMPLOYMENT

HONORS AND ACTIVITIES
 

A few words of caution about writing resumes. First, don't assume that you can write one version good for all employers.  The prevalence of the computer and desktop publishing programs in our daily lives has raised the bar on what's expected of us all. Since these things make it so much easier to make changes, employers now expect resumes to be tailor made for them.  Don't be surprised if you have at least two or three different versions of your resume for different jobs.

Second, don't use professional resume writing services, or resume writing software that's really nothing more than a bunch of blank templates for you to fill in.  Professional personnel officers can spot these "cookie cutter" resumes, and they send the message that you aren't comfortable presenting yourself in writing. (Remember the first day of class when I told you about how writing ability is one of the single most important things to determine whether you'll advance or stagnate in a given career?)

Following are the elements of a resume.  Remember, if you're just starting out, your resume should be no longer than one full page.  You're only allowed to go to two full pages if you have some really, really great stuff.  You can't get to two full pages by padding the second pages with your references.  That's just pathetic.

Do not end your resume with the line "References Available Upon Request."  Of course you'll provide references if required to do so.  Don't waste time giving the reader redundant information.

The final draft of your resume should be diligently proofread, perhaps by several people.   Remember that you only get one chance to make a first impression, and some personnel officers will throw out a resume with spelling or grammatical errors.  Print your resume on white paper with high rag content, using a laser printer (laser print doesn't smear like ink jet print does).

Finally, remember that sometimes the first eyes to look at your resume won't be human.  More and more often, employers first evaluate resumes with an optical character reader or scanner programmed to find key words and job titles.  And while your resume may include all the information a prospective employer is looking for, your document's format may prevent you from ever being considered by the position because older scanners have difficulty reading typed or word processed text.  Check out this site for more information about creating scannable resumes.

Academic Honesty

Plagiarism is academic dishonesty, and I will not tolerate it in its various and sundry forms. Plagiarism is when you represent someone's writing as your own.  It is plagiarism to take material verbatim from another source without surrounding it with quotation marks and properly documenting the source. It is also plagiarism to paraphrase words from another source without giving it credit. It is plagiarism to have someone else write a paper for you or submit someone else's work for a grade. Plagiarism isn't limited to information found in books or assignments previously submitted by other students.  Taking sources from the internet without attributing them is also plagiarism. I expect my students to have a clear understanding of how to document outside sources (and we'll even go over this concept in Freshman Composition), so there's no excuse for failing to give credit where it is due. 

I will keep out a sharp eye for plagiarism and may randomly audit a set of assignments by submitting some of them to turnitin.com or checking the internet or the vast files kept by my colleagues to ensure that everyone is doing his/her own work. Students suspected of plagiarism will be turned over to the Dean of Students for disciplinary action. If the Dean of Students rules that a student has plagiarized an essay, that assignment will receive a zero, and thus, the student will receive an F for the course since one of the class requirements is that students not have a zero on any major assignment. Students who plagiarize have basically lied to me, and will be dealt with harshly.