• Chronological order
• Probably more appropriate for newly minted physicists
Name
Objective
Highlights
Education
Experience
Honors
References

• Functional organization
• See Guide to Writing as an Engineer (GWE)
 

Name
Objective
Highlights
Experience (Planning, Technical skills, Project management)
Work history
Education
Honors
References

• Use hanging indents
• Lotsa white space (but not too much!)
• Short paragraphs
• Telegraphic writing style (no "I", no articles)
• No fancy fonts
• Stick with one font throughout (I like Times Roman)
• Bold, italic OK
• No underlining (ugly vestige of typewriter era)

                                                    David Young
                                                    1 Seaward Avenue
                                                    Glen Cove, NY 11524
                                                    516-444-XXXX
 

• Headline takes place of the job objective statement
• Now add highlights in form of subheads

• Former employers or professors
• Prospective employer may know one of them
• Get their permission
• Give names, affiliations, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses
• Saves prospective employer one step

• Use telegraphic style: No "I", no "to be" verbs, no articles:

 

not

I was responsible for organizing the undergraduate laboratories and supervised a faculty of 7.
 
 

• Keep paragraphs short
• 6 to 8 lines max
• Limit resume to one page if possible
• Leave plenty of white space
• But don't indent too far (5 or 10 spaces enough)
• Make important data immediately apparent
• As by hanging indent, centering, bold, or caps
• Attach supporting information (publications or specific job details) on separate pages

• Interests, activities, hobbies
• GWE recommends it; I do not

• Marital status
• Religion
• Sex
• Photograph

• Don't;
• Write a letter of application
• Specific to the job for which you are applying
• Use standard business letter format

Recipient's address

Dear Dr. Recipient:
 

Please consider this letter and my resumé as an application for the position of Applied Physicist, which you advertised in the Boulder Daily Chimera. I will graduate in May of this year from the Engineering Physics Department of the Colorado School of Mines with an average of A- in my physics and engineering courses. Specifically to the position, I have experience in [blah, blah].

[See GWE for more and more-extensive examples]

I am available for an interview at almost any time that is convenient for you and your associates. You may reach me by phone at 303-xxx-yyyy or by e-mail at xxxzzz@mines.edu. I'll look forward to hearing from you.
 

                                                    Sincerely,
 

                                                    Susan Student
 
 
 

• Don't;
• Resist them

• Don't;
• Resist it

• If you insist;
• Won't impress me

• Update resume routinely
• Apply specifically to job advertised or to company
• If they want an engineer, you graduated from Engineering Physics
• If they want a physicist, you graduated from Physics
• Modify resumé accordingly