Resume Writing Guide

A resume is a tool used to market yourself to employers. The main goal of a resume is to attract the attention of readers enough to get you an interview.

Purpose

A resume is a tool used to market yourself to employers. The main goal of a resume is to attract the attention of recruiters enough to earn you an interview.

Effective Resume Writing

Your resume should clearly and concisely present your education, skills, accomplishments, and experiences as they relate to particular opportunities of interest.

Here are some tips to remember when beginning your resume writing process:

A resume requires numerous drafts and revisions before it is ready for an employer to view.
If you have varied interests and want to apply to different opportunities, it is highly recommended that you develop more than one version of your resume.

Skills and Experiences

When beginning your resume, remember that a resume is not a long list of everything you have done. Instead, a resume is a clear, concise presentation of your experiences and skills.

Effective resumes are readable and visually appealing. Direct the reader by using spaces, bullet points, italics, etc. to emphasize important content. Use bulleted, action-oriented phrases that are descriptive, concise, and avoid extraneous details.

Resume Categories

Begin with your most recent educational experience, include degree (double majors do not receive two degrees but choose between the two), majors and minors, graduation date, and location. If supportive of your goal, include sub-categories, such as:

Relevant coursework
GPA (if higher than 3.0)
Honors/awards (scholarships, Dean’s list, etc.)
Study Abroad

Include relevant full-time and part-time jobs, internships, and significant extracurricular and volunteer experiences in this section, or similar sections. Consider dividing the entire section into sub-sections, such as Related Experience, Leadership Experience, Research Experience, etc. When listing the experience, order the introductory content as organization, title, location, dates. Additional tips:

List experiences in reverse chronological order.
Include concise descriptions of responsibilities in the experience with varied verbiage and sentence structure.
Use action verbs (see bottom of the page) and numbers in descriptions.
Utilize the PAR principle to describe your experience: Use an ACTION VERB to start the statement, describe the PROJECT, and tell the reader the RESULT of your action on the project.
Quantify results when possible.
Use action verbs to begin your descriptions, ensuring they concisely illustrate the tasks at hand. Quantify tasks to illustrate the weight of your work. For example, if you were working on a political campaign and made phone calls during your shift, write “called 30 registered voters a day.”

Action Verb List

Communication Skills

Addressed

Arranged

Authored

Collaborated

Correspond-ed

Developed

Directed

Formulated

Influenced

Interpreted

Mediated

Moderated

Persuaded

Promoted

Proposed

Publicized

Reconciled

Recruited

Translated

Research Skills

Collected

Critiqued

Diagnosed

Evaluated

Examined

Extracted

Identified

Inspected

Interpreted

Interviewed

Investigated

Inspired

Organized

Reviewed

Summarized

Surveyed

Systemized

Technical Skills

Assembled

Calculated

Computed

Designed

Engineered

Fabricated

Maintained

Operated

Pinpointed

Programmed

Remodeled

Repaired

Solved

Teaching Skills

Adapted

Coached

Communicated

Conducted

Coordinated

Developed

Enabled

Encouraged

Evaluated

Explained

Facilitated

Informed

Instructed

Lectured

Persuaded

Stimulated

Taught

Financial Skills

Administered

Allocated

Analyzed

Appraised

Audited

Budgeted

Calculated

Computed

Managed

Planned

Researched

Creative Skills

Acted

Conceptualized

Created

Customized

Designed

Developed

Directed

Established

Fashioned

Illustrated

Instituted

Integrated

Performed

Planned

Revised

Revitalized

Shaped

Streamlined

Structured

Tabulated

Validated

Helping Skills

Assessed

Assisted

Counseled

Demonstrated

Diagnosed

Educated

Facilitated

Familiarized

Guided

Participated

Provided

Rehabilitated

Represented

Supported

Trained