A resume provides a valuable summary of your individual accomplishments and qualifications. It
allows you to present your skills, experience, and knowledge to potential employers in an
efficient and concise way. Since a resume is an important document that has the power to
influence a hiring manager it’s important to be sure that it best represents you.
Format:
1-2 Pages (8 ½” x 11” paper)
Include headings (i.e. Education, Professional Experience, Research Experience, Volunteer Work,
Presentations, Honors & Awards, Professional Membership, Conferences Attended, etc.)
Chronological order within headings
Stay consistent (i.e. placement of dates, location, etc.)
Avoid wasted space, but be careful to cut the margins too short for printing
10 pt-14 pt. font (Times New Roman or Arial; no decorative fonts)
No graphics or shading, since this can distract from your information
Best to use Microsoft word (rather than resume template)
Content:
Personal Information (i.e. Name, Address, Phone, Professional Email) should be placed at the top.
Do not include information such as marital status, social security, picture, date of birth.
Tailor your resume for each job you’re applying to. Use language and terminology included in the
job description to prove you are qualified for that specific position.
Be honest and accurate, not overly modest.
Present your experience in a way that makes it relevant to the position you’re applying for. (Past
experience, which isn’t directly related to the work you’re applying for, can often be presented in a
way that showcases the transferrable skills that were acquired.)
Don’t simply list out your accomplishments; instead, include effective bullet points that describe
your previous work and the skills used to achieve these accomplishments.
Focus on more than the technical work. Be sure to include bullet points that describe soft skills as
well (i.e. communication, teamwork, leadership, etc.).
Start each bullet point with an action verb (i.e. Led, Initiated, Developed, Managed, Created, etc.).
Use PAR statements to highlight Projects, Actions, and Results.
Use numbers or percentages to quantify your results (i.e. increased productivity by X, raised X
dollars, supervised a staff of X)
Final Tip:
Have a trusted advisor proof read before you submit to ensure there are no grammatical errors!
Resources:
ASDA Resume Tips:
http://www.asdanet.org/cv/
List of Action Verbs:
http://careers.tufts.edu/stude
nts/corres/ActionVerbs.pdf