Essential Components of Your Resume
- Contact information
- Education, Certifications, Relevant Coursework & Academic Projects
- Work & Internship Experience
- Skills
- Awards
Resume Formats
Reverse Chronological (most common): organized by your work experience in reverse-chronological order. We recommend this format for most resumes, especially for current college students.
Functional: focuses on your skills and abilities, while the combination format combines elements of both.
Resume Formatting
Length: Less than a page if you have fewer than 10 years of work experience
Margins: .5 inch to 1” margins
Font Type: Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri, Helvetica, or Cambria
Font Size: 11, 11.5, or 12
Color: Black – can add color if kept consistent throughout
Consistency: Ensure spacing, text, font, and formatting are consistent. (e.g. if you list job name, location, duration of work, and position title in that order, the order must be the same in the other entries.)
Action Verbs & Numbers
Use strong action verbs to describe your accomplishments and responsibilities. Words like “created,” “managed,” “achieved,” and “developed” demonstrate your skills and impact. Avoid using passive language like “responsible for” or “involved in.” Using “Helped health educator conduct classes” is a far less descriptive way to describe a job or internship than “Taught health classes and designed curriculum in collaboration with professional health educators.” Review this list of action verbs for a variety of suggestions.
Use numbers to measure your impact and make your resume more memorable: How many people were in your project team? How many people did you teach? How much money did you save/raise?
Keep it Concise
Use simple declarative statements when describing your work and education. Only include the most relevant information, and use bullet points and clear headings to organize the content.