To create successful job resumes, students must consider carefully the rhetorical elements of audience, persona, meaning, and text. Students can begin tailoring the resume to their own needs by completing a worksheet listing work experience, educational history and other relevant details. Using the worksheet helps students focus on the audience, consider the image they wish to project, and determine for which professional level their work and educational backgrounds are best suited. After listing essential information, students can both describe career objectives, certification, education, and work experience and create an applicant persona by listing such information as honors and awards, professional organizations, and interests and hobbies. After listing personal data such as a statement of health, willingness to relocate, marital status, and any special skills that might be valuable to a prospective company, students should conclude with at least three work or education related references. They can avoid inappropriate meaning by keeping career objectives reasonable, avoiding nicknames, and listing all possible phone numbers at which they can be reached. Finally, students should consider the overall appearance of the resume on the page, the use of margins and white space, and the effects of boldface, italic type, and underlining. (The resume worksheet and a sample resume are included.) (HTH)