Resume Basics

A resume is a snapshot of your professional qualifications and experience. It’s meant to quickly inform potential employers that you could perform the duties of the position they are looking to fill. It acts as a marketing tool for your skills and helps you get noticed by recruiters. You don’t need to include your entire professional life in a single resume. See the Career Design Center Resume & Cover Letter Handout for examples.

Since resumes are only one to two pages in length, they have a limited set of components. The most typical components that make up a resume are contact information, an objective and/or summary statement, education, experience, and skills.

Resume Formats

The first step of creating your resume is using a suitable resume template. There are three universal resume formats used by candidates.

Reverse Chronological Resume Format: This resume format starts by beginning with your most recent experience followed by your previous experiences in reverse chronological order. This helps you to highlight your most recent skills and experiences in a systematic way.
Functional Resume Format: The functional format focuses more on your core skills than your recent experiences. That is why this resume is best if you have a career gap or you are switching industries.
Hybrid Resume Format: The hybrid format has features of both reverse chronological and functional resumes. This helps you focus more on skills along with you recent professional experiences.

QUICK TIPS: For most college students or recent graduates, the reverse chronological resume format works well to accurately present your most recent experiences and skills to the recruiters, and it is also highly Applicant Tracking System (ATS) friendly.

Resume Sections

Resume Summary/Contact Information

If an employer likes what they see on your resume, they need a way to contact you to set up an interview, which is why it’s important to provide the best ways to get in contact with you.

Use your first & last name as the resume header
Below your name, list your current phone number, active email address, and your location in City/State format. Such as Logan, UT
Add a link to your LinkedIn profile, provided it's optimized for recruiters

QUICK TIPS: Make sure to exclude any personal information that could lead to any sort of discrimination (photo, age, height, religion, marital status, etc.)

Profile Objective (optional)

An objective is a good way to inform an employer your intentions and why you applied for the position. Some employers want to see an objective on your resume, and others do not. Either way a targeted objective can help the employer recognize the position you are applying for with a quick glance.

For example: “Marketing professional seeking the position of brand manager with XYZ Corporation”

Profile Summary (optional)

A summary may be the first key section in your resume. In your summary, give a brief snapshot of your skills and accomplishments to get the recruiters’ attention and convince them to read the whole resume. It is recommended to write the summary in a single paragraph not exceeding 3-4 lines and avoiding the use of personal pronouns.

For example: “High-achieving college student with an aptitude for marketing, social media, and brand management. Experienced in building advertising campaigns through related course projects and student organizations. Eager to use skills in a marketing internship with an advertising agency.”

Education

If you are an entry-level professional with limited experience, place the education section directly under the resume summary or objective. Include the education you are currently obtaining and education you have previously received; this includes any certifications or licenses. Education example:

BS, Computer Science December 2022
Utah State University, Logan UT GPA 3.76
• Minors: Statistics and Spanish
• Certified Data Professional (CDP)
• Awarded Dean's Scholarship

QUICK TIPS:

Once you reach your junior year in college, you can eliminate your high school-related information
List two or three courses that you have taken that you feel are relevant to the job you are applying for; this is especially helpful in showing that you have the knowledge of certain topics if not yet the real-world experience
List honors and awards related to your education in this section
Add any study-abroad experience to your education section as well

Internship and Professional Experience

When listing your work experience, start with the most recent and work backwards. Make sure that each position is relevant showing that you have skills and experience pertinent to the position or that your skills and experience are transferrable to the position you are applying for. Include job titles, the company name, date of employment by month and year, and a list of responsibilities that focuses on any achievements for each position that you list.

Write your experience and accomplishments using bullet points
Begin each bullet point with power verbs and focus on achievements/accomplishments/results

Key Skills

The skills section of your resume allows you to inform an employer of any skills you have that may not have been specified in your work experience. Remember to keep your list applicable to the position you are applying to. Employers don’t care if you are great at knitting if you are applying to a computer science position.

Search the job description and look for skills and expertise, and then make sure you include all the skills you match with the description.

Additional Resume Sections

These sections are generally at the end of a resume and highlight your strengths to help you stand out. You can include leadership, volunteer and community involvement, and membership and offices in clubs and organizations.

Resources

Drop-in Appointments

Students can get their resume reviewed by one of our graduate Career Peers. Drop-in Appointments are held via Zoom or in-person during fall and spring semesters, and typically last between 10-15 minutes. The Career Design Center Resume Handout will help you prepare for your appointment.

Career Tutorials

Access the career development content anytime, anywhere! The Resume Module is filled with great, short, videos and content so it is convenient to you and easy to follow. The Resume Module delivers excellent advice for tailoring your resume.

Career Coach

Students can also meet with their designated Career Coach for a deeper review of your resume. To prepare, you can view sample resumes related to your major. Set up an appointment with your Career Coach on AGGIE Handshake or by contacting our office.

ATS Compatibility

The Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a resume screening tool companies use to sort resumes according to specific skill criteria. More than 95 percent of Fortune 500 companies use an ATS to streamline the recruiting process and keep up with the thousands of applications received weekly, but plenty of smaller employers have embraced the tool too, according to data collected by Jobscan.