1. Getting started: Basic Resume Structure
Heading
Should be in a larger font than the rest of your
resume and include your
Name
Campus or home address (permanent
address)
Phone number
University or professional email address
Education
List your university degree first (if you have one) and
your high school education second.
Study abroad experiences also go in this section
If you don’t have a university degree yet, identify your
intended degree, your major (if you know it), and your
anticipated graduation date.
You may also include any relevant coursework related to
the job, senior thesis or projects, or GPA.
Experience and Activities
Section this part off under headings that best group and
showcase your experiences as they relate to the job. Re-
member, your resume should be tailored with each posi-
tion you apply for. For example, if you are applying for a
research position, you might group your experiences un-
der headings like “Research” or “Leadership.” Some
headings, like “Community Involvement,” look good on
any resume.
List your sections by order of relevance, but within each
section list your activities in reverse chronological order
(most recent first).
Be sure to list the important details about each activity.
Give the name of the organization or employer, your role
or title, and the dates affiliated.
Provide concise explanations of your experiences, em-
phasizing your accomplishments and results. Avoid per-
sonal pronouns (I, we, etc.) and see the attached page of
strong verbs for help.
Additional Sections
You may wish to include other sections that showcase either
your abilities or your interest in the job.
For example:
Skills (Computer, Language, Laboratory, etc.)
Honors and Awards (can also be included under the Edu-
cation section)
Performances
Publications
Interests
“I don’t have a degree yet (duh!). What do I
put on my resume?”
First Year Students:
Include your high school education in place of your
university degree for now. If you attended a prestig-
ious high school, you might include it even after you
have received your degree.
Second Year Students:
Try to include any activities your have participated in
at your university during your first year. This looks
good for two reasons: 1) they’re more recent than your
high school activities, and 2) it shows that you “get
involved” wherever you are.
Third Year Students:
If you have taken foreign language courses and would
like to list them as part of your experience, be careful
to be clear and honest about your level of proficiency.
If you are fluent, be prepared to hold a conversation
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Underselling yourself
Students tend to have small Experience sections, but that
doesn’t mean we’re not ready for a job. It’s important to
make your employer understand that you are capable of
handling the job you’re applying for. Really take the time
to be sure your resume showcases all your abilities:
“organizing,” “instructing,” “overseeing.” (You could use
these verbs to describe a job at a department store, btw.)
TMI
Resumes, as a rule of thumb, should be no more than two
to three pages long. You want to include your most rele-
vant information and experiences. Your resume should be
tailored to fit each position you apply for, even if they're
similar. For example, first-time high school teachers might
include tutoring experience and volunteer work, while pro-
fessors would include research histories and past projects.
“I Have No Idea What I’m Doing”The Recent or Soon-to-Be Graduate’s Mantra
3. Sources:
Driscoll, Emily. "Four Resume Mistakes College Seniors Should
Avoid." Fox Business. Fox, 10 Apr. 2013. Web. 18
Jan. 2015.
Resume, First Year. Maria Montevecchio (n.d.): n.
pag. Wellesley.edu. Wellesley University. Web. 18
Jan. 2015.
"Resumes." Resumes. Yale Office of Career Strategies, n.d.
Web. 18 Jan. 2015.
began
combined
conceptualized
condensed
created
customized
designed
developed
directed
displayed
drew
entertained
established
fashioned
formulated
founded
illustrated
initiated
instituted
integrated
introduced
invented
modeled
modified
originated
performed
photographed
planned
revised
revitalized
shaped
solved
Helping skills
adapted
advocated
aided
answered
arranged
assessed
assisted
cared for
clarified
coached
collaborated
contributed
cooperated
counseled
demonstrated
diagnosed
educated
encouraged
ensured
expedited
facilitated
familiarize
furthered
guided
helped
insured
intervened
motivated
provided
referred
rehabilitated
presented
resolved
simplified
supplied
supported
volunteered
Organization/
Detail Skills
approved
arranged
cataloged
categorized
charted
classified
coded
collected
compiled
corresponded
distributed
executed
filed
generated
implemented
incorporated
inspected
logged
maintained
monitored
obtained
operated
ordered
organized
prepared
processed
provided
purchased
recorded
registered
reserved
responded
reviewed
routed
scheduled
screened
set up
submitted
supplied
standardized
systematized
updated
validated
verified
More verbs for
Accomplishments
achieved
completed
expanded
exceeded
improved
pioneered
reduced (losses)
resolved (issues)
restored
spearheaded
succeeded
surpassed
transformed
won
Why these are so important:
Your verbs can make or break your resume. Let’s say you
worked at a department store and want to include it on your
resume.
Verbs like “organized,” “established,” and “overhauled”
sound much better than “put up,” “set up,” and “fixed.”
This list was pulled directly from http://career.opcd.wfu.edu/
files/2011/05/Action-Verbs-for-Resumes.pdf
