Instructions for Resume

Updated 7/26/2005

Using MSWORD, write your resume using the Resume Outline provided as a guide -- Do Not Copy the Resume.  This is the format recommended by the MTSU Placement & Student Employment Center. 

You will be using "Tabs" and hanging indents. Learning to use the ruler to set Tabs is one of the main Learning objectives of this project.   It is strong recommended that you use TABS as shown in the Resume Outline: Left-Tab, Right-Tab, & Hanging Indent.   See tabs instructions below.

A MS WORD Fundamentals handout is available by clicking WORD Handout.

Save your resume on your disk/computer for future use.

Types of Tabs:

When you type:

Left                The words move to the right when you type.

Center              The words move & center on both sides of this tab.

Right                The words move to the left when you type. Use the Right-Tab to line items up at the right margin.

Hanging Indent    The words wrap around on the 2nd line (& below) to the 1st tab that is set.  This paragraph has a hanging indent & the words automatically indented on the next line as I continued typing. To see the formatting in this paragraph, click on the Paragraph Symbol on the Formatting Toolbar

How to set & remove Tabs:

Step-by step instructions for setting, moving, & removing TABS on the ruler, Click TABS-Ruler (Easiest & fastest method).

Hanging Indents:

Use hanging indents for the items that need to line-up at the first tab:

The 1st line is not affected.  The 2nd line & down will wrap around
 

To use a hanging indent:

  1. Select the paragraph in which you want to create a hanging indent.
  2. If you don't see the horizontal ruler, click Ruler on the View menu.
  3. On the horizontal ruler, drag the Hanging Indent marker(lower half  ) to the position at which you want the indent to start.

Hanging Indent marker 

or,  press [Control-T] (preferable) which will make it wrap around to the first tab setting.  Caution, every time you press [Control-T] it will move to the next Tab-setting.  It does not affect the 1st line, rather only affects the 2nd line & below.

To remove a hanging indent click [Format][Paragraph] & under[Special] select [None].

To use Tabs Menu (Slower Method):

Click:

[Format][Tabs]

        Type Tab position in upper left box

    
Choose alignment

 

     Choose type of leader, usually “None”

Click Set to insert 1 tab & to continue

Click [OK] to insert 1 tab only.

 

If you have trouble understanding “Hanging Indents” or how to use “Tabs with the Ruler” click the Help button in WORD & search for those topics.