Since recruiters spend only about 6 seconds (on average!) looking at your resume, the type of sections and order matters because you want to make sure they can scan it as fast and efficiently as possible. Below are how the sections should be ordered an what they should include:
Email address (should be short, professional, and easy to type)
Phone
LinkedIn (should be formatted as Linkedin: Username and hyperlinked)
Github (should be formatted as Github: Username and hyperlinked)
Grad date ( month and year, don’t include starting date)
GPA
Major and Minor
Relevant Coursework
Technical Skills
Languages
Tools & Frameworks
Certifications
Should include internships, research experience, TA experience, Tutoring experience, and any other paid experience
Bullet points should be formatted using Question model explained below
Should include class, personal, or open source projects
Bullet points should be general overview of project and include technologies utilized
No more than 3 one line bullet points should be used, preferably use 2
Should include organizations. awards, scholarships, and any other extracurricular activities
If you run out of space, you can create 2 columns
What a resume is and how to build one
What sections to include on your resume
How to craft impactful bullet points
Best resume templates to use
A resume is the FIRST interaction a company has with you
A resume is you when you’re not in the room
A resume will follow you during the interview process
A resume is only ONE of the components of the job search process, try to look at other areas of your job search, too, to figure out if anything else is holding you back
Verbs to use
The verbs you use in your resume matter because they showcase leadership qualities, confidence, and show more impact. Use active verbs vs. passive verbs in all your bulletpoints, examples of active vs. passive verbs are below:
Bullet points are one of the most important parts of your resume because they showcase you impact and can help recruiters gauge your value-add to the company. Bulletpoints should be formatted in the following format:
This model should be used in each bullet point. It shows impact by answering 3 questions to showcase context , skills, and impact through answering the following questions:
Explains what you did, what you built, what you contributed
Should say what project you built
Explains how you built it, what skills you developed
Should list all technologies used and learned
Explains why it mattered, what impact you had on the company
Should list number of people impacted, money generated, or efficiency increased
Developed a website extension (what) using HTML, Node JS, and CSS (how) resulting in an increase in website traffic of 20% (why)
Created a database (what) using Python, React, and C# (how) in order to help the college make strategic decisions for 10K students(why)
Assisted 150 students in a CS course(what) in learning C++ (how) resulting in an average class average of a B+(why)
The verbs you use in your resume matter because they showcase leadership qualities, confidence, and show more impact. Use active verbs vs. passive verbs in all your bullet points, examples of active vs. passive verbs are below:
| Do | Don't |
|---|
Make it one page | Lie about experience |
Create a master resume listing everything | Get in the weeds with your bullet points |
Keep it simple and easy to read | Add an objective statement |
Utilize a Resume Template | Get too creative with fonts/colors |
Use a different version for each type of role | Include pictures |
Create bullet points answering What, How,Why? | Downplay your accomplishments |
Brag about yourself and what you’ve done | Use long bullet points or too many words |
Save and Send as a PDF with your name (ex. “Last Name First Name” Resume 2022) | Re-edit too much |