How to Write a Resume or CV

Include: Name, email, phone number.

Optional: Home address, customized LinkedIn URL.

Pro Tip 1: Don’t include your home address if posting your resume to an online platform.

Pro Tip 2: If your resume is two pages, copy your header to the next page and indicate the page number.

Include: Institutions where you have completed, or will soon complete, some level of education, the city and state where the institution is located, the name of your degree(s), major and minor fields, and date (month, year) of graduation. High school may be included through your 2nd year of college.

Optional: List honors, related coursework, and/or study abroad opportunities here or create separate sections.

Optional: List your grade point average. Recommended to include if 3.0 or higher.

Pro tip: Bold your degree name and major so it is easily seen on the page.

General/starter resume, including high school info

Grad Student example

Include: Job title (bold), name of organization, city and state, start and end dates (month, year).

Bullet point statements for each experience that begin with an action verb and provide details on the skills, tasks, knowledge, and results from each experience. See below for more tips on writing these bullet points

Pro tip 1: Include experiences that are paid, unpaid/volunteer, full- and part-time experiences. Types of experiences to potentially include: internship, co-op, practicum, leadership roles, student teaching, field placement, job (on/off-campus, summer), and/or volunteer. 

Pro tip 2: If you have experience directly related to what you are applying for, list it in a section with the name of the experience. For example: Sales Experience; Research Experience, Relevant Experience. Experience not directly related to what you are applying for may be listed in an Additional Experience section where bullet statements are optional depending on space.

Action Verbs by Category

Use bullet points to share impactful information on the achievements and value you brought to your roles. It is best practice to include 3-5 of these statements with each job, but depending on your past experiences, you may also craft bullet points for clubs, volunteer work, or projects.

Formula to create strong bullet point statements:

• Strong action verb + What you did/context + The measurable outcome or purpose

Quick Formatting Rules

• Skip first-person language like "I", "me", or "my".
• Start each bullet point with a strong action verb in the past tense, and vary the verbs you use.
• Each bullet point should be 1-2 lines.
• Elevate your skills by saying why they mattered, or what impact they had in your role.

Pro Tip: Tailor Your Content

• We strongly recommend tailoring your bullet point statements to what you are applying to by using keywords from the job description and listing the statements in order of importance to the relevance of the position.

Before & After Examples

Add details to task-based bullet points to show your accomplishments.

• Before: Worked the cash registers and helped customers.
• After: Operated POS terminal to process $3,000+ in daily transactions while consistently maintaining a 95% customer satisfaction rating.
• Before: Managed company social media accounts.
• After: Developed and executed weekly social media campaigns, increasing Instagram engagement by 23% over three months.

Current Student & Recent Graduate: 1 page

• Exception: Education and Human Service professions can have 2 pages if needed

Curriculum Vitae (CV): As long as it needs to be

Include: title of research, academic department/research program/research advisor, bullet statements describing what you did, the techniques, equipment or software used, results, and dates you worked on the research. You can also highlight if your research resulted in a poster presentation and/or a publication. Include course-based research, faculty-led labs, and programs such as UROP & SURP. 

Research in coursework example
Research outside of class example

Publications: Include the title of publication, name of publication source, and date published formatted in the citation style appropriate for your field. Publications can be listed as "pending" if they have been submitted.

Presentations, Exhibitions, Performances: These could include presentations at conferences or a showcase for your major/dept (e.g. senior design for engineering), a poster session showcasing your research, an exhibition for your art work, a theatre performance, and much more. 

Include: Title of project, course name (if applicable), dates, and bullet point statements describing the project. Projects are a way to showcase working with a team, applying concepts or skills learned in class, and/or working to meet a client’s needs. Projects can be course-based or personal projects that are relevant to whatever you're using your resume for.

Recommended Majors: STEM Majors (especially Computer Science & Engineering), Marketing, and any other major where you complete major projects.

Example:

Solar & Wind Energy, Class Title, MM/YYYY - MM/YYYY

• Consulted with the city of Ely, MN and Riverfront Energy to propose a wind and solar system.
• Researched bird friendly turbines, wind speeds, and cost; submitted written proposal to stakeholders.

Projects on resume example (STEM) 
Senior Research Project example (human services)

Include: List the name of courses you have taken that are most relevant to the opportunities you are looking for, requirements for a particular position or program, or courses that speak to skill building within your desired industry.

Optional: Relevant coursework can be included as part of the Education section or in its own section.

Coursework in Education section example

Include: Honors might include academic honors, dean's list, awards, special recognition, and/or scholarships. List the exact name of the award and date (month, year) received. 

Pro tip: You can include Honors in the Education section or in their own section.

Honors on resume example

Include: Skills can include technical, software programs, lab skills, foreign language abilities, and/or skills related to your field. 

Optional: If your skills fall into a specific category, you can name the section by topic, such as Computer Skills or Language Skills.

Pro tip: Avoid simply listing transferable skills (communication, time management, team player) in a Skills section, and instead demonstrate how you use these skills by incorporating them into your Experience section bullet statements.

• Technical skills: environmental example, engineering example
• Industry-related skills: business, healthcare, human services
• Language skills resume exampl

Include: List licensures, certifications, and exams (upcoming or taken) relevant to your search in either the Education section or a separate section.

Potential licenses, certifications, or exams: Actuary, CNA, CPR, EMT, First Aid, Excel, Professional Engineering, Social Work, Teaching, Water Safety Instructor, Leave No Trace.

Exam on resume

Certifications

Studying abroad and study away experiences can add much to developing your future career path. It is also an experience that can be used to showcase skills in language, adaptability, independence, global awareness, and more. Depending on your experience, you could include your study abroad experience in your Education, Experience, Projects, and/or Extracurricular Involvement sections. 

Education Section:
Include: Program, University (if applicable), Dates
Optional: You may also want to include a few details about your experience abroad.

Examples:

Study in New Zealand, University of Waikato    March 20XX - June 20XX

Coral Reef Studies in the Bahamas, Study Abroad   May 20XX

• Studied the interactions between physical and biological factors of coral reefs using biological and geological field techniques

Experience/Projects Section: 
Include: Position (paid or volunteer) or project, organization/class, location, and dates. Showcase relevant skills used and developed through the experience.

Experience Example:

Intern, Office of the Major, Clermont-Ferrand, France      Aug. 20XX - Dec. 20XX
Mission des Relations Internationales

• Supported the administration of sister-city projects in Anglophone countries
• Facilitated the organization of a celebration for more than 500 visiting international students

Project Example:

SPAN, Student Projects for Amity Among Nations           May - July 20XX
University of Ibn Zohr, Morocco

• Conducted independent cross-cultural research on relational development 
• Edited and aided in website and social branding as a volunteer for RDTR, a tourist organization

Include: The name of the organization, city, state, and dates (month, year) you were involved. You can also include bullet point statements for these experiences if relevant or if you have additional space on your resume. 

You can list activities like sports (team or club), music, volunteer opportunities, student organization involvement, and any other relevant co-curricular or community activities. 

Optional: Include any leadership positions and including bullet point statements can showcase skills in team building, delegating, facilitating, organizing, planning, and much more. 

Involvement included with simple format on resume
Volunteer & student organization with details example
Student organization experience in project section example

Include: Position, Branch of Military, Location(s), Years of Service. Format similarly to the Experience section detailed above.

Pro tip: Including your military experience can showcase skills related to your major and career path, along with other core skills such as leadership, discipline, teamwork, and communication.

Military on resume example