The first thing to determine when creating a résumé is its focus. What are your career or job objectives? Think about your audience: Who are your potential employers? Who will be reading your résumé? How do your employment, academic and extracurricular experiences relate to the position you’re seeking? Understanding the answers to these questions should help you create an effective, well-targeted résumé.

• Lead with the information that most relates to your objectives. If you are seeking a job in public relations, the experience which relates to this goal should be placed towards the top of your résumé.
• Emphasize your best assets and skills. Stress skills rather than titles.
• Be brief. A well-written résumé is ideally one page in length.
• Be honest, but do not underrate any experiences.
• Be professional. Take the time and care to create a polished résumé that represents you well.