Resume

A resume is your first introduction to an employer. It is a document that should connect your skills, qualifications, and experience to the job’s description. It provides insight into your educational background, past work, volunteer, and internship experiences. The resume should convince employers that you are a strong candidate for the position and should be interviewed. You must tailor your resume to the job you are pursuing. You will have multiple versions of your resume. Remember, the purpose of a resume is to get an interview.

Types of Resumes

  • Chronological – Most common format

Its defining feature is listing work experiences in reverse chronological order, with the most recent work experiences listed first. This format allows employers to quickly skim through and get a feel for your work experience and qualifications.

  • Functional

This format focuses on highlighting your skills and experiences under the functional headings. This resume style is typically used by job seekers who are changing careers or have gaps in their employment history.

  • Hybrid

This format is a combination of both functional and chronological. Use this format to highlight key achievements if you have multiple years of experience.

  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)

A curriculum vitae (CV) is a document that illustrates your professional and academic achievements. In the United States, it is most often used when applying for academic, education, scientific, or research positions and graduate and fellowship programs. Unlike a resume, a CV may be anywhere from 2-6 pages long and include extensive information on publications, conferences, volunteer work, teaching and research experience, and other professional and academic items relevant to your field. No CV is the same, so it is always best to consult with a career advisor.

Length

A one-page resume is preferable for most fields, though some employers will accept two pages. Two-page resumes are typically more appropriate for those with extensive work experience or applying for government, arts, or non-profit positions.

Format and layout:

  • All formatting choices must be consistent throughout the entire resume.
  • Font size should be 10-12 points
  • Margins can be 0.5 to 1 inch [Note: you can adjust margins to make your resume neatly fit on one page]
  • Bolding and italicizing is used minimally and consistently to emphasize what is important
  • Use a common and professional font such as Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, etc. Never use Comic Sans font.
  • List your experiences in reverse chronological order by end date in each section (list only past and current experiences, not future plans)
  • Be consistent throughout your resume on formatting, style, abbreviations, etc.
  • Minimal colors and graphics
  • Save your document as a Word or PDF file

Content

You can include the following information in your resume

  • Contact Information (Name, address, email, phone number, LinkedIn URL, personal website)
  • Education (Name of the school, location, degree, major, minor, GPA, expected graduation date)
  • Experience (Company, position title, location, employment date, description)
  • Skills (Computer and technical skills, foreign language)

Additional sections:

  • Academic Projects
  • Internship/Practicum/Clinical Experience
  • Leadership Experience
  • Athletics Experience
  • Research Experience
  • Teaching Experience
  • Volunteer/Student Clubs
  • Certifications/Publications/Professional Organizations/Conference Presentations

Order

The order of your resume can be very important. Let’s say you are a Photonics major and may not have any direct work experience for the job/industry you are applying for at the moment. Yet, you have acquired relevant technical skills from your academic projects or on your own. It would be best to move your skills section to the top, above the experience section, so it is one of the first things the employer sees when reviewing your resume.

Tips for International Students

What NOT to Include in Resume for U.S. Jobs

  • Personal Information such as age, marital status, children, pictures (may be required in some countries), or inappropriate email addresses
    • This also includes social security number, passport number, or other identification numbers
  • Objective Statements
    • Instead, use your cover letter to emphasize your interest in the position you are applying for and how your background relates
  • Repetition of Words such as “Responsibilities” and “Duties” included before each description
  • Personal Pronouns such as I, my, mine, your, his/her/their
  • Typos or Inconsistencies. Ensure that the resume has no spelling or grammatical errors, and that all punctuation and/or abbreviation are consistent
  • List of References or statements such as “References Available Upon Request”. Prepare a separate document instead and bring this list of references with you to interviews

Boosting Your Resume for the Electronic Screening Process

Many large organizations rely on application tracking systems (ATS) to help pre-filter resumes. These systems work by scanning resumes for contextual keywords and key phrases based on the job description, mathematically scoring the resume for relevance and sending only the most qualified ones through for hiring managers to review.

Here are a few tips on how to ensure that your resume is not eliminated by ATS software:

  • Keep a Simple Format. Avoid headers, footers, templates, borders, lines, symbols (bullet points are fine), shading, fancy fonts, and font colors other than black.
  • Use Common Headings. such as Education, Experience, and Skills. Use section headings like Professional Experience instead of Marketing Related Experience. Some of these unfamiliar headings like Affiliations, Publications, or Memberships can be difficult for ATS to scan.
  • Tailor your Resume with Keywords. Include verb phrases and skills written in the job description throughout your resume and online application. Keywords are graded both by how frequently they appear and the extent to which they are used in context. Note these systems are smart enough to recognize the difference between random strings of words and words used in context.
  • Avoid Typos. Edit your resume carefully! Your resume should never contain typos.
  • Include both Acronym and the Spelled-Out Terms. Use both acronym and the spelled-out form of any given title, certification, or organization, so you’re all set regardless of which format the ATS is looking for.
    • Example: Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
  • Complete All Fields in Online Applications even if those fields are not required. Employers may use those fields as filters, and, if left blank, your application may not make it through the system.

Proficiency Scale for Skills Section

Advanced: Native, Fluent, Proficient, Advanced, Upper-Intermediate, and Full Professional Proficiency

Medium: Intermediate, Conversational, Competent, and Professional Working Proficiency

Beginner: Elementary, Beginner, Basic, Pre-Intermediate, and Limited Working Proficiency

Download the Resume Writing Guide for sample resumes and additional tips. Here are samples of resume in Microsoft Word formats.

Once you complete your resume draft, use this resume checklist to review your document.

Career Coach Resume Builder

TAKE THE NEXT STEP