Skip to main content

Resumes

Resume Development: The Key to Initial Selection.

Whether you're a freshman just getting started or a senior exploring the best way to incorporate your summer internship experience, our resources will help you create an impressive resume! 

After you draft your resume using our content development resources, request to have it reviewed by our team via Handshake.

Remember... recruiters spend an average of 10 seconds or less reviewing each resume, which means you only have 10 seconds to win them over.


Tailor Your Resume to Each Employer

The number one question is, “what are employers looking for on a resume?” The good news is you can find this information yourself! With a little research, you can find tips directly from employers on what they want to see in a candidate’s resume. 

For example, 60% of candidates applying to Amazon do not pass the Applicant Tracking System and their resume is never seen by a person because the resume was not tailored to Amazon. 

How to Name Your Resume File

You should have a professional name for your resume file, such as LastName_FirstName_Resume_March20XX.pdf.

How-to Guide

  • Google search the target company and “resume” 
    • If the company has a page, it will show as one first options
  • Verify the URL is a company website
  • You can use this same process for learning about other aspects of the recruitment process

Examples

Deloitte 

  • Emphasizes volunteering and community involvement on a resume
  • Outlines an overview section

JP Morgan 

  • Amplifies achievements, share past projects, and include metrics to measure success 

Amazon 

  • Uses keywords, such as “analytics, process improvement, conversions, and go-to market”
  • Use data and numbers to bolster your achievements

Section Headers in the Templates

Each student and each job search will require different section headers. The headers in the templates were chosen for illustration purposes. Also, research the resume preferences of each company before applying. 

Personal Information

  • Include your first and last name at the top in a large font (14-16pt).

  • Phone Number: List the number where you are most easily reached; set up a professional voicemail.

  • Email Address: Use a professional address, such as firstname.lastname@gmail.com. Avoid inappropriate prefixes, such as mountaineer.cutie@gmail.com. 

  • Address: Different scenarios dictate which address (or addresses) you should include current, permanent, both, or none. If your city/state is close to the job location, include it. If the city/state is far away and you want to include your city/state, it can be beneficial to indicate that you are mobile or actively relocating since some companies find that they better retain talent in close proximity.

  • If you are active on LinkedIn, include your customized profile URL

Formatting & Appearance

  • Keep content to one page in most instances.

  • Use a readable font such as Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman (11-12pt).

  • Differentiate sections by headings (e.g. Education, Work Experience, Involvement, Leadership).

  • Put Education as the first heading, then organize headings in order of importance.

  • Avoid templates with picture, text boxes, and tables which can trigger errors in applicant tracking systems.

  • Do not list professional references or the statement, “References Available Upon Request.” Your reference list should be a separate document not attached to your resume.

Professional Summary

(This is optional, but can be used if you are applying to a position where you have little experience or want a recruiter to know why you want a particular job that may not align with your experience.)
  • Keep your summary short and concise.

  • Avoid phrases that give the impression that you are only interested in the role to benefit your career, for example, “to find a job that will help me grow as a professional.”

  • Eliminate personal pronouns such as “I” and “my” from your objective and resume.

Education

  • Write out West Virginia University at the top of the Education section. Underneath, include Bachelor of Science in Business Administration followed by major and minors/areas of emphasis.

    • West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
      Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
      Major: Accounting   Minor: Business Data Analytics

  • Include your GPA (always if above a 3.0; if below a 3.0, contact the CCD to discuss).

  • Some items might be beneficial to include under Education but also might be better as their own section toward the bottom (depending on size of the list):

    • Study abroad experiences along with 1-2 bullet points about what the experience entailed. Business Data Analytics

    • Honors (Dean's List, scholarships, etc.)

    • Related coursed: highlight only a few courses that showcase your skills or knowledge to employers (avoid basic courses)

Work Experience, Course Projects, Leadership, Involvement, and Volunteering Sections

  • Begin with the most recent position (reverse chronological order).

  • Include full-time and part-time jobs, paid/unpaid internships or practicums, and volunteer work and leadership roles, especially if it is related to your desired job. Often times, unpaid internships, practicums, etc. should be included in separate sections from paid work experience. 

  • Use bold print to highlight your company/organization name and job title stacked on top of each other. Choose the one you want to stand out the most to stack on top (and then be consistent throughout the rest of your employment section).

  • Include city and state for employer location, not the complete address.

  • When listing dates, you may include the month and year or semester and year, but be consistent throughout with the format.

  • List job descriptions/duties using bullets points instead of writing them in paragraph form.

  • Use strong action words (e.g. coordinated, managed, and cultivated) to describe your work experience. Avoid passive phrases such as “responsible for” and “duties included.” 

  • Eliminate personal pronouns (I, me, we) and articles (a, an, the).

  • Use appropriate verb tense. Use present tense action words to describe present employment experience and past tense action words to describe past employment experience.

  • For research projects, include the project scope, what you analyzed, how you did it (research methods), and if you presented your findings.

Building Better Bullets

  • Focus on your accomplishments/results and how you were valuable to past employers instead of your responsibilities. 

    • Instead of "Responsibilities included implementation of policies and procedures, training of new employees, interfacing with subordinates and vendors."

    • Try "Worked with staff and vendors to increase product turnover by 15% and sales by 23%. Trained 14 new employees, 5 of whom were rapidly promoted."

  • Use quantifiable and measurable information in your bullets. For example, # of employees supervised, $ amount of budget managed, # of workshops taught or projects coordinated, $ amount saved by your efforts.

Technical Skills/Certifications

  • Include relevant computer and programming languages skills, proficiency levels, and certifications.

  • Include language skills if applicable. (Non-native English speakers should not include English, it is assumed).

  • Do not simply list soft skills (e.g. teamwork or leadership). Demonstrate them via the bullet points of your experiences.

Additional Categories

You may also include some of the following categories if it will make your resume more marketable to potential employers:

  • Honors/Awards

  • Relevant Experience

  • Leadership Experience

  • Intercollegiate Sports Experience

  • Extracurricular Activities

  • Volunteer Work/Community Service

  • Certifications/Licenses

  • Course Projects

  • Research

  • Publications

  • Presentations