Building Your Resume
A resume is a concise summary of your education, experience, skills, and accomplishments. It serves as a professional marketing tool to introduce yourself to potential employers and is often their first impression of you. Rather than telling your life story, your resume should highlight your most relevant qualifications and achievements tailored to the job you’re applying for.
Key Questions to Consider
- What do you want potential employers to know about you?
- What experiences would you like to discuss in an interview?
- What strengths and skills make you stand out?
- How would you pitch yourself in one minute for a job you truly want?
The Importance of Tailoring Your Resume
Every job is different, and so should every resume. A common mistake is using one version of a resume for all applications. Instead:
- Highlight relevant experiences and skills.
- Use key words and phrases from the job posting.
- Adapt your content to align with the specific role.
Make Your Resume Stand Out
Employers often scan resumes in less than 10 seconds. Design your resume to catch their attention quickly.
- Use formatting strategically: Bold job titles and headers to guide the reader.
- Keep it brief: Aim for one page, especially for early-career professionals.
- Use hyperlinks: Link to your LinkedIn, portfolio, or verified work.
Focus on Achievements:
- Describe your contributions using numbers, results, or impacts.
- Instead of saying “Responsible for managing a team,” say “Led a team of 5 to exceed quarterly sales goals by 20%.”
Demonstrate Passion:
- Show involvement in relevant clubs, professional associations, or community service.
- Employers value collaboration and initiative.
Maintain Humility:
- Let your accomplishments speak for themselves.
- Avoid overused adjectives like “excellent” or “outstanding.”
Personality Assessments on Your Resume
Your resume is a chance to showcase your professional strengths—consider integrating results from personality assessments like StrengthsFinder, MBTI, or DISC, if relevant.
For example:
Strengths: Strategic, Learner, Achiever, WOO (Winning Others Over)
“WOO means I enjoy meeting new people and building rapport quickly…”
However:
- Only include strengths you can speak to confidently.
- Do not feel obligated to include personality assessment results.
- Be mindful of legal considerations: Employers cannot require personality test results as a condition of employment under ADA, Title VII, and ADEA.
Achievement Statements
Achievement statements go beyond duties. They highlight what you accomplished and the value you added.
Structure: Action Verb + Task + Result (quantified when possible)
Example: “Increased student engagement by 25% through redesigning campus event marketing strategies using social media analytics.”
Use strong action verbs like led, developed, launched, coordinated, analyzed, initiated, implemented, etc. (View full Action Verbs list on page ##)
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
ATS software helps employers sort through applicants. To ensure your resume or CV is ATS-friendly:
- Use standard headings (e.g., Experience, Education).
- Avoid tables, columns, or text boxes.
- Use keywords from the job description.
- Write out acronyms and full terms (e.g., CPR – Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation).
Commonly Asked Questions
If you’re a student or recent graduate, place it near the top. If you have significant experience, place it after your experience section.
For creative fields (e.g., graphic design), yes. For others, stick to simple and professional formatting.
No. Avoid first-person language in resumes. Focus on what was done, not who did it.
- One page for early career applicants.
- Two pages may be appropriate for extensive relevant experience.
Highlight transferable skills and educational experiences. Everyone has value to bring.
Only if it’s directly relevant to the job you’re apply for or your most recent experience.
You may list your previous institution under Education if it supports your academic story.
Keep your resume clean, professional, and focused on content that supports your qualifications. Avoid these common mistakes:
- Photos or Headshots: Even professional images can lead to unconscious bias and take up valuable space. Save headshots for LinkedIn or your personal website.
- No Name or Only a Logo: Creative branding is fine for personal websites, but your full name is essential on a resume.
- Graphics or Clip Art: These are unprofessional and often distract from your actual content. Keep visual elements off your resume unless you’re in a design field—and even then, use with caution.
- Unprofessional Email Addresses: Use a professional email format, such as firstname.lastname@gmail.com. Avoid school emails or casual usernames.
- Full Mailing Address: Just include City, State—your full street address isn’t necessary.
- Personal Pronouns (“I,” “me,” “my”): Resume statements should be concise and impersonal. Start with action verbs and avoid pronouns altogether.
- Professional Summary (if you’re using a cover letter): If you’ve included a well-written cover letter, a professional summary can be redundant. Keep the focus on your skills and achievements.
- Style Over Substance: A visually appealing resume is fine, but it should never overshadow your content. Prioritize relevant experience, skills, and accomplishments.
- Abbreviated Education Details: Always list the full name of your institution, its location, and your degree written out completely.
- References on the Resume: These belong on a separate page if requested. Don’t take up space listing them on your resume.
- “Expert” Claims: Unless you have decades of professional experience in a field, avoid using the term “expert.” Use terms like “proficient,” “skilled,” or list certifications instead.
- Personal Details: Information like marital status, pet ownership, or hobbies (unless directly relevant to the job) do not belong on your resume.
- Colored Backgrounds: Stick to a clean, white background to ensure readability and printer-friendliness.
Formatting Your Resume
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
A Curriculum Vitae or CV is a detailed document of academic and professional history, which includes research, teaching, publications, and more. CVs are typically longer and used for graduate programs, academic positions, and research opportunities.
Most student CVs start at 2–3 pages, but they grow over time with experience. Unlike resumes, CVs do not need to be condensed; content is prioritized over length.
While CVs are comprehensive, it’s still good practice to reorder or emphasize sections depending on the opportunity. For example, highlight teaching experience when applying to a teaching assistantship, or research when applying to a lab role.
What to Include in a CV:
- Contact Information
- Education
- Research Interests
- Academic Projects
- Professional Experience
- Teaching Experience
- Research Experience
- Publications
- Presentations
- Certifications
- Grants and Fellowships
- Professional Memberships
- Awards and Honors
- Service and Volunteer Work
- References (optional)
Key Differences Between a Resume and CV:
References and Recommendation Letters
What is a Reference?
References are individuals who can speak about your skills, character, work experience, and work habits. Employers often contact references during the hiring process to gain additional insight into your qualifications and professionalism. Most employers request three references, so it’s important to have them ready.
Choosing References
Select individuals who:
- Know you well and can speak to your strengths and work ethic.
- Can articulate your skills and accomplishments clearly.
- Have supervised or worked closely with you in a professional, academic, or volunteer setting.
If you’re new to the workforce and don’t have former supervisors, consider professors, coaches, or mentors who can speak to your work ethic and potential.
Appropriate references include:
- Former or current supervisors
- Professors or academic advisors
- Mentors
- Coaches
- Internship or volunteer supervisors
- Professional colleagues (especially if you held leadership roles)
ALWAYS ask permission before listing someone as a reference.
Preparing Your References
Once someone has agreed to be a reference:
- Provide them with a copy of your resume and details about the job or opportunity you’re applying for.
- Share the job description so they can tailor their responses if contacted.
- Let them know they might be contacted and confirm their preferred contact method.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don’t include “References available upon request” on your resume. Employers assume references are available and this phrase takes up valuable space.
- Don’t surprise your references. Always ask permission before listing them.
- Don’t list references on your resume. They belong on a separate page.
- Never list a relative as a reference.
Formatting Your Reference Page
Create a separate document for your references. This should match the formatting and heading style of your resume.
Recommendations vs. References
References
- Typically contacted during or after the interview process.
- Serve as verbal or written endorsements of your work and character.
- Help validate your candidacy through personal conversations with hiring managers.
Recommendation Letters
- Written documents that describe your qualifications, character, and performance.
- Usually requested in advance or provided with your application, especially for graduate school, scholarships, or certain job opportunities.
- Often written by the same people you’d list as references.
Tips for Managing Recommendations:
- Ask for recommendation letters well in advance of application deadlines.
- Let your recommender know where and how the letter will be used.
- Store letters on platforms like LinkedIn, a professional e-portfolio, or keep digital copies for future use.
A recommendation letter does not replace the need for direct contact between an employer and a reference. Both serve different but important purposes.
