How to Write a Resume for a Collegiate Job

Before applying for an administrative job at a college, you'll need a professional resume.

There are many collegiate positions available besides college professor. Universities are filled with administrative staff that run departments, assist the deans of colleges, and make sure everything on campus runs smoothly for the students. When writing a resume for a collegiate job, it's important to remember that colleges are generally a formal, professional environment. It doesn't matter if you're applying to work in the dean's office or for the ground crew. You still need to write a resume that reflects your experience in an organized, thoughtful, and professional way.

Instructions

1. Create an objective for your resume. Your objective should state the specific type of position you're applying for at the college, as well as specific strengths you'll bring to the position. For example, if you're applying to work in student affairs, your objective might say, "To obtain a position as an Assistant Director of Admissions where I will bring strengths in organizational, communication, and customer service skills."

2. Create a section that summarizes your professional experience. When applying for a staff position at a college, your experience is very important. It lets the university know that you've had enough professional experience to bring value to the department. List all the related positions you've held, including where the job was located and your dates of employment.

3. List three to five bullet points after each position. Start each bullet point with an action verb, such as prepared, developed, or assisted, and explain the job responsibilities you had in each position. If you supervised faculty, be sure to mention how many people you supervised at one time. Skim the job ad you're responding to, and try to include skills and responsibilities listed if they apply to you.

4. Include your education on your resume. If you've recently earned your degree and don't have much professional experience yet, your education can be the first section of your resume. List all your degrees, whether they're relevant or not, and include the school you attended and the year you graduated. Any additional training you've received in your field can also be listed in this section. Education and training are important to include when applying for a collegiate position because they are a part of a university's central mission.

5. Add a section that lists your special skills or professional efficiencies. This section can be tailored to match the needs of the university position you're applying for. For example, if the position requires that you have strong communication skills, you should emphasize your writing, verbal and interpersonal skills.

6. Include real numbers on your collegiate resume whenever possible. No matter what type of position you're applying for, real numbers are always impressive. This might include how many programs you supervised, how much you were able to trim the budget in a department or how many student workers you've hired.

Tips & Warnings

• Submit your resume on job boards if you don't have a specific position in mind. Job boards, like UniversityJobs.com and UnivJobs.com, list open faculty and staff positions at colleges across the country.

References

• Resume-Help.org: Resume Writing Tips

Resources

• UniversityJobs.com: All Administrative Staff
• UnivJobs.com