A resume is often the first opportunity to sell yourself. This self-promotional document that should clearly outline and describe your skills and experiences. The ultimate goal of a resume is to get your foot in the door.

Good resumes include:

• Purpose or objective that is targeted to either a specific position or your desired career objective
• Clear chronological work history
• E-mail address (use a professional sounding address that includes your last name) 
• Concise on-the-job accomplishments with a detailed summary of your skills
• Action words that describe your accomplishments (transformed, reduced, enhanced)
• (For recent graduates) School, lab work, or research projects, including job duties for any internships or co-op experiences 
• Education and training, making sure to identify any degrees or certificates received 
• Consistency – use consistent fonts, sizes, bullets and other formatting options

Avoid sharing the following on your resume:

• Personal information such as a photo, education dates, religion, birth date, marital status, race, ethnicity, etc.
• Lengthy (longer than 2 pages) resumes. 
• Typos and grammatical errors. Edit and edit again.
• False, misrepresented, or exaggerated information.
• List of hobbies, unless they are specifically related to your work.

Submitting Your Resume Online

If you have a resume available for uploading, you can use the upload feature on the Submit Resume or C.V. page. This means less typing for you, plus the original format of your resume is retained. Make sure to upload your resume prior to completing any information on the form.

If you do not have an electronic resume, complete the online form on the Submit Resume or C.V. page. If you have a cover letter, you can copy and paste the cover letter text in the same field as your resume.

We recommend that you set up your SJM career profile. This will allow you to return to this Web site to quickly and easily apply for open positions. You can also register for e-mail job alerts that are based on search criteria you select.