Writing a Resume 

General Guidelines

• 2 Pages maximum

• Each resume should be tailored for the specific job, company, and industry. Make sure you also have a unique cover letter to go with your resume!

• Avoid online fill-in templates

• Applying to graduate school? Pay attention to the difference between a CV (academic) vs Resume (industry) 

Content

• Personal Information: Name, location (not your address!) and contact information

• Professional Overview: Include an overview of why you are the best fit for the job. This section could be called: Summary of Qualifications, Highlights of Skills, etc.

• Show your Experience: Education, Work Experience, Volunteer Experience, Certifications, Languages, Accomplishments, etc.

Format

• Hierarchy of information: Think about the way that your text looks. No matter the design you choose, the most important information should be the biggest and boldest on the page. So, from biggest/boldest: your name, section subheadings, job title, bullet point text.

• Bullet Points: Include a description of each experience below it in bullet points. However, it isn't enough to simply list your tasks and responsibilities for each role. Instead, use your bullet points to share your accomplishments and skills. You are painting a picture of your experience, while specifically demonstrating how the past experience would support you in the new role.

  • Sample formula: Action verb + details/context/job posting key words + significance (either why  or how?)

  • What are Action Verbs? (Includes a list of examples!)