Resume Tips

Summarize your education and employment experience
Describe your specific strengths and expertise
Highlight your accomplishments in previous jobs, not just your duties or responsibilities
Show progression
Highlight specific qualifications for this job
Talk about related extracurricular or volunteer work
Include links to projects you've worked on
It's okay to use more than one page

 

Summarize your education and employment experience
Be sure to focus on the aspects of your background that match the requirements of the position you're applying for.

Describe your specific strengths and expertise
Convey, if appropriate, how your skills might be applied in new or different ways or for a different type of job than you've had in the past.

Highlight your accomplishments in previous jobs, not just your duties or responsibilities
Everyone has job duties; it's how you approached them and what you accomplished in carrying them out that makes you stand out.

Show progression
Whether it's in school, leadership roles, or your work, highlight how your experience has helped you grow.  Mention promotions or skills you've picked up along the way.

Highlight specific qualifications for this job
Be sure to call out experience or accomplishments that make you the most highly qualified applicant. For example, if you've worked with, or trained on, a particular technology the job requires or you have experience that might give you an edge, be sure to mention it.

Talk about related extracurricular or volunteer work
Just because you weren't paid for it, that doesn't mean it's not important! If you have this type of experience, include it to underscore your passion for the field or community engagement.

Include links to projects you've worked on
This substantiates the experience and accomplishments you describe in your resume, giving the hiring manager a better idea of how you put your skills into practice.

It's okay to use more than one page
Include all relevant experience rather than cutting things to make your resume fit on one page. That said, be sure your summaries are succinct and your most important information appears on the first page.

Page last updated on January 30, 2014


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