Resumes

Presentation

• Always include name, address, phone number, professional email, and LinkedIn profile.
• Bullet your descriptions and include accomplishments and skills
• Tailor the experiences and skills for each specific opportunity you are applying to – a one size fits all resume will be ignored
• Have both a Word (.doc) and a PDF version of your resume, and follow the employer’s instructions on which format they would prefer.  For more info, read "The Best Resume File Format"
• When printing your resume, use high quality white or off-white paper
• For students and new graduates, one page is best; some professions are open to longer resumes
• Make sure your formatting is consistent throughout the document and that verb tenses match the experience
  • Ex.  Current experience: use present tense (organize, correspond, etc)
  • Previous experience: use past tense (organized, corresponded, etc)

Education

• Degree(s), major, university, city, state, month and year of graduation (or anticipated month and year)
• Include applicable minors, honors, awards, special projects and relevant coursework
• Include your GPA if it is above average or better (3.0 or higher)

Experience

• Place experiences most relevant to the job you are applying to under a heading like “Related Experience”
• You don’t need to have separate sections for paid and unpaid experiences, so include related internships, class projects, research, or volunteer experiences
• Unrelated experiences, such as summer jobs, can appear under a heading like “Additional Experience”
• List in reverse chronological order (with the most recent experience first)
• Other headings to consider include: Leadership, Technical Skills, Lab Skills, Licenses and Certifications, Languages (only if advanced/fluent), Research and Publications, Community Service, Memberships/Affiliations

Emphasize

• Be specific in your descriptions and quantify accomplishments using action verbs, superlatives and numbers (e.g., "Effectively collaborated with a team of diverse professionals," “Only student rep. on the sub-committee,” “Trained 8 lifeguards,” “Supervised a caseload of 6 clients”)
• Use verbs to showcase specific and transferable skills you have acquired in and out of the classroom
• Remove all personal pronouns (no “I” or “my”)

References

• References should not be included on the resume itself
• Create a separate reference page listing 3 or 4 people, with their contact information, who have supervised your work (employer, professor, advisor)
• Bring the reference sheet to the interview
• Always contact your references before listing them ― you do not want them to be surprised by a call from an employer
• Use LinkedIn to request “recommendations” by supervisors or colleagues you are connected to (once you have at least one recommendation, you can add “for immediate recommendations, please see (insert your LinkedIn url)” to your resume

Use VMock for a free resume review

False. While there are similarities between a resume and a CV, there are also important differences. Depending on the type of job you are applying for, you may be asked to provide your resume or your CV. Both documents showcase your qualifications and experiences—that part is true—but how you organize this information, and the content you include in each document, will vary.

The vast majority of employers in the U.S. are looking for resumes. Resumes, put simply, are one-page (or two-pages if needed) summaries of your education, skills, and experience. The experiences you choose to highlight on your resume are up to you, but it’s important to note that your resume should speak to the position(s) for which you are applying. Employers often spend less than 30 seconds reviewing resumes, so it is important to be concise and well-organized in your presentation for easy scanning.

For more information on building your resume, resume templates, and CEPS student resume examples, please visit CEPS Career Documents.

If you are looking for academic positions or non-academic positions in the sciences, higher education, research, or health care, you will want to submit a CV (unless otherwise requested). CVs are also used when applying for fellowships and grant opportunities. International employers may request CVs as well, so be sure to follow the employer guidelines. A CV is a more extensive summary of your educational and academic experiences and can be several pages in length (generally more than two pages) and will include:

Guidelines for Preparing a CV

• Arrange sections to highlight strengths for the position you are seeking
• The order of topics in a CV format is flexible, but keep your most relevant work and academic experiences near the top
• Elaborate on accomplishments and skills within categories as you would in a resume, but go more in-depth to convey your process
• List items within each category chronologically, the most recent appearing first
• Include additional headings when appropriate to underscore certification, licensures, workshops, trainings, languages, and other significant achievements
• Present information in an accessible and aesthetically pleasing format

Transforming Your CV into a Resume

Depending on your career interests, you may need an updated CV and a resume during your job search. As noted above, most employers, especially employers in industry, will prefer a resume. In order to transform your CV into a successful resume, you will want to consider the following:

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