Resume
How will you stand out?
Take the time to find the right words that show why your experience matters.
Watch our 10 Minute Tips: Creating Your Professional Resume video
Virtual Resume Writing Workshop
Writing a Resume
A resume is often the first sense a recruiter has of you, your abilities, and accomplishments. Resumes receive about six seconds of a recruiter’s time, so don’t try to include everything. Think of it as a tool that markets your most applicable skills and experiences.
Resume Samples
Resume Checklist
General Format
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Is the resume one page? |
Yes |
No |
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Is the first and last name at the top of the page in bold? Are address, phone number, and email easy to read? |
Yes |
No |
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Are the headings and statements evenly spaced? |
Yes |
No |
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Does the education section follow directly after the contact information? |
Yes |
No |
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Is formatting (e.g. bold, font, bullet sizes, heading styles) consistent throughout the resume? |
Yes |
No |
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Are verb tenses present tense for current experiences; past for previous experiences? |
Yes |
No |
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Are there approximately 1-4 statements in bulleted format under the Experience section? |
Yes |
No |
Content
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If included, does the Objective statement clearly state industry, position, and 2-3 skill sets? |
Yes |
No |
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Does the resume include the applicable headings? Education, Experience, Activities/Leadership/Service, and Skills? |
Yes |
No |
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Does the Education section state official degree and graduation date? |
Yes |
No |
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Is the cumulative GPA included if higher than 3.0? |
Yes |
No |
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Is the resume free of personal pronouns (e.g. no references to “I”, “we”, “me”, “us”, “my”)? |
Yes |
No |
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Do the bulleted descriptions demonstrate major accomplishments rather than routine tasks/duties and are they quantifiable when possible? |
Yes |
No |
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Do the bulleted descriptions start with action verbs and demonstrate the use of key skills? |
Yes |
No |
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Is the resume completely free from spelling, punctuation, abbreviations, and grammatical errors? |
Yes |
No |
Action Verb List
Resume Action Words
Avoid using common words such as helped, worked, and responsible for.
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A accommodated accomplished accounted for achieved acquainted acquired adapted added adjusted administered advertised advised advocated aided altered analyzed anticipated applied appraised approved arbitrated arranged assisted assumed attached attained attended augmented authored |
B bolstered briefed budgeted built cataloged caused chaired changed charted checked circulated classified cleared up collaborated collected combined compiled completed computed condensed conducted conferred consolidated constructed consulted controlled converted
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convinced coordinated copied corrected counseled counted created critiqued D decided defined delegated delivered demonstrated designed detached determined developed devised directed disclosed discovered dispatched displayed distributed drafted dramatized E edited |
educated entered established estimated evaluated examined executed expanded expedited explained explored extended familiarized filed forecasted foresaw formulated fostered found founded G gathered generated governed H heightened highlighted |
I illustrated implemented improved incorporated increased informed initiated innovated inspected inspired instructed interpreted interviewed invented inventoried invested investigated J judged K L launched lectured lead learned led liaised logged |
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M managed marketed maximized measured medicated merged modified monitored motivated N notified obtained opened operated orchestrated ordered organized |
P perceived performed persuaded planned prepared presented processed procured produced profited programed projected promoted proofed proposed proved provided publicized published purchased Qqualified |
R received recognized recommended recorded recruited reduced referred regulated reorganized repaired replaced reported represented researched resolved restored restructured resulted in returned revealed reviewed revised |
S scheduled screened scrutinized selected sent served set shipped showed sold solved sought specified spoke sponsored stabilized started stopped straightened streamlined strengthened |
studied submitted suggested summarized supervised supplemented surpassed
T terminated tested trained transferred U updated upgraded utilized |