Creating Your Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Your resume or CV should be something you’re proud of, but getting started can feel overwhelming. We have examples and frequently asked questions, along with knowledgeable staff and useful tools, to help you incorporate your experiences and accomplishments into a resume tailored for your next steps. Resume FAQs and examples can be found below and in the resource section.
Want to Improve Your Resume? Or Don’t Know Where to Start?
Try VMock! With VMock, you can build from scratch or receive instant and personalized feedback on your existing resume across three core parameters: Impact, Presentation, and Competencies. Get targeted sample suggestions for each bullet point, word choice, and section. Compare your resume to a job description to see how well your experience and keywords align. Share your resume through Network Feedback and receive insights from mentors, faculty, or career advisors to create a standout resume.
Resume FAQs
Whether you have a resume from high school, a general list of your past involvements, or just a blank page, Career and Professional Development is here to help!
- Start with brainstorming all of your past experiences (paid or unpaid), education, skills, and other relevant information that you might include on your resume using our Resume Planning Worksheet.
- Once you have your content, try using one of the provided resume formats in VMock to plug in your information and get feedback on your initial draft. See FAQ on resume bullet points to learn how to describe your experiences on a resume.
- Want to talk with a human to dive deeper? Schedule an appointment via Handshake to meet with a Peer Career Advisor or Career Coach.
A resume is a concise document that summarizes your background, and is tailored to your purpose, which could be to seek an internship, a post-graduation job, admission to graduate school, etc. It is the most commonly preferred document in business and industry positions.
A curriculum vitae (CV) is a document that gives much more detail about your academic and professional accomplishments. It is most often used for academic or research positions.
Both objectives and summaries are optional sections located at the top of a resume, below your header information, that give the reviewer a quick snapshot of who you are and your current career goal relating to obtaining an opportunity or experience. It is important to understand the difference and which type of statement is most common and most relevant for your situation.
An Objective Statement is a brief introduction that explains the type of position you are seeking, the timeframe you are looking to start the experience, and how it aligns with your career goals. It is most effective for students, career changers, or anyone applying for internships or entry-level roles who may not have a strong history of related experience in the target field.
- An objective can be helpful when attending career fairs or networking events where you do not have the opportunity to tailor your resume to every individual organization or person you may meet.
- When applying to a specific position, it is important to tailor your objective to align with that role and organization. Since it is optional, you might choose to remove your objective to allow additional space for your relevant experiences, or when you have included a cover letter in your application.
A Professional Summary is a brief introduction that highlights your most relevant skills, experiences, and accomplishments. It shows employers the value you can bring and is typically recommended for more seasoned candidates with multiple years of relevant work, internship, research, or leadership experience.Â
Effectively describing your experiences is the most important – an often most difficult – task to showcase your skills and accomplishments. The descriptions you include on your resume provide the majority of the content and context for reviewers. These are often referred to as “resume bullet points” due to being listed in a bulleted format under each experience. To clearly showcase your skills and knowledge, these bullet points should go beyond the task or responsibility from your job description, and instead demonstrate accomplishments and impact.
We have put together the below linked resources that include a formula to help you write stronger descriptions as well as a reference sheet of action verbs you can use that highlight key skills.
Applicant Tracking Systems – often referred to as ATS – are software platforms employers use to collect, organize, and manage job applications throughout the hiring process. While some ATSs can search for keywords or rank candidates based on recruiter-defined criteria, most are primarily used to store applications and help recruiters efficiently review resumes. An ATS may incorporate AI-based tools and automation that assist in candidate ranking or summarization of skills match to the relevant job description, however, a human is still the one making the final decision on which candidates to move forward in the process.
Career and Professional Development provides students with free 24/7 access to VMock where you can build an ATS-compatible resume and test how an ATS may identify keywords, skills, and experience in your resume through the Resume Optimization tool.
