Formatting Matters

Here are some common sections found in a typical undergraduate student resume:

• Name & Contact Information
• Profile / Summary (Optional)
• Education
• Experience – This can be broken up into two or three sections based on the themes in your experiences. Common headings include: Work/Professional Experience, Clubs/Student Organizations, Leadership Experience, and Service/Community Involvement.
• Skills (Optional)

Formatting Quick Tips

• Keep your document to one page (for most undergraduates)
• Put your experiences in reverse chronological order (most recent to oldest) in each section
• Keep your formatting consistent and easy to read quickly (i.e., job titles, organization names, dates, and locations in the same location each time)
• Use bullets, not paragraphs
• Quantify bullet points to emphasize a skill or accomplishment
• Tailor your resume to the position for which you are applying

High Quality Bullet Points

Display your skills in action instead of just listing the responsibilities you had. Use the following formula:

Action Verb + What + How/Why/Impact

For example:

Basic bullet: Developed interpersonal skills
Bullet plus: Developed interpersonal skills by facilitating cross-cultural conversations with Malawian teens and community members (how)

Basic bullet: Created real interest monitoring tool
Bullet plus: Created real interest monitoring tool to study the effect of rate changes on foreign exchange levels (why)

Basic bullet: Directed actors in productions
Bullet plus: Directed 5-10 student actors and managed technical team in both short and full-length productions attracting audiences of 100+ (impact)

Cover Letter Tips

A cover letter is your way to share your story, showcase your knowledge and understanding of the role and company, and highlight your key accomplishments which set you apart from other candidates. It’s a great way for an employer to evaluate how you communicate professionally while getting to know you a little better, beyond your resume.

What to Include

Your cover letter should include 3-4 paragraphs with the following information:

• First Paragraph
  • The main purpose of the first paragraph is to introduce yourself and tell why you are writing. You want to grab the employer’s attention: why you are interested in this position and/or why this organization. Use your community: if someone has referred you to the organization (a current employee, friend, family member) include his or her name in the first sentence to establish a warm connection.
• Second/Third Paragraph
  • Tell the employer your story: describe your qualifications for the type of position you seek using specific examples from academic, work, volunteer, and/or co-curricular experiences. Connect your accomplishments, skills and knowledge directly to the type of position, organization and/or field. Avoid repeating facts outlined on your resume by focusing on key concepts.
• Final Paragraph
  • Summarize or give a final statement of interest/qualifications. Thank the employer for his/her time and consideration. Plan to follow up with the employer with a phone call or email.

Need help getting started?

Answer some of these questions to help you consider what you want to say in each paragraph.

• Paragraph 1: Why are you interested in this position/this organization? What in the posting made you say “I’ve got to apply!”?
• Paragraphs 2-3: What 2-3 experiences connect your skills to those listed in the position? What made you say “I can do that!”?
• Paragraph 4: What final point do you want to make?

Formatting Quick Tips

• Font: 10 to 12 point, in the same font as your resume
• Margins: 1 or 1.25 inches.
• Layout: Left justified, beginning no more than 2 inches from the top.
• Style: Positive language, confident but not imposing, concise with supporting detail, written in active verb voice.
• E-mail: Use body of e-mail as cover letter starting with salutation.
• Content: 3-4 paragraphs