Resumes and Cover Letters

Girl Submitting Resume

Resumes

Your resume and cover letter are your marketing materials. By focusing on transferable skills, you can market yourself to any employer.

The resume is a brief document highlighting and promoting a job seeker's skills and abilities, and it is used to present a prospective employee in the best possible light for the purpose of getting to the interview. Most employers require a resume and a cover letter as part of an employment application. 

Make a strong first impression by learning how to create a resume that presents your skills and experience in the most positive light. The TMCC Career Hub can help you create a professional resume no matter where you are in your job search. 

For help getting started, schedule an appointment, review resume samples and formats in the Career Hub and attend a workshop to get started developing your own resume. 

Common Resume Formats

  • Functional or Skills-Based: The functional resume focuses on your skills and experiences. It is a great option if you have gaps in your employment history or you are changing career fields.
  • Chronological: The chronological resume lists your employment history in reverse chronological order beginning with your current or most recent position.
  • Combination: The combination resume begins with your skills and experiences and is followed by a chronological history of your employment. 

Common Mistakes

Typos: Proofread your resume for typos. Spell and grammar check may miss a typo; your potential employer won't. Read and reread your resume. Ask a friend to proofread for you, too. You cannot be too careful where typos are concerned. 

Font and size: Always be sure to use a standard, easy to read font. Fonts like Times New Roman or Arial are easy to read and look professional. Yes, you want your resume to standout, but not for the wrong reasons. Additionally, be sure that your font size is neither too small nor too large. 

Personal website: If you have a personal website and choose to list it on your resume, be sure that all of the content is appropriate. 

Templates: While templates are a great starting point, they will not help you stand out.  Make sure to create a resume that’s personalized and unique to you.  If you need formatting assistance, the Career Hub also has a Certified Professional Resume Writer who can help.