Diving into the Resume Reef: Crafting Your Resume

A comprehensive and detailed guide to building your resume!

Mar 08, 2024

Hello sailors! Welcome to your ultimate resume guide with The Career Lighthouse! In this newsletter edition, we're diving deep into the art of resume building. Prepare to navigate through essential tips and strategies as we chart a course toward crafting a stellar resume that will steer you toward success.

How To Use This Guide

This article will help you determine what sections you will use in your resume. Order your sections from most relevant to least. Your resume should start with the header and education. After that, the arrangement will be flexible and depend on your unique circumstances. If you have more projects than work experience, you should list your projects before your work history. If your skills are especially relevant to the job you're applying for, consider putting your skills section right after your education. These are just a few examples to consider when organizing your resume; the key is to prioritize sections based on what's most important for the specific job you're applying to.

After you follow this guide and use the templates below, please send them to me for a FREE review at my services link.

All resources (samples and templates) are linked at the bottom of the page!

General Resume Tips

Use a Clean Font: For example, sans serif fonts like Calibri, Times New Roman, Georgia, etc.

Maintain Continuity Throughout your Resume: Do you abbreviate dates (Ex. Jan. 2024)? Do you bold or italicize certain keywords such as company or program names? Continue doing these elements throughout your entire resume.

Most Recent Experience, the Most Bullet Points: In your experience section, your most recent experience should have the most bullet points (3-4). Your second, third, and fourth experience listed should have a decreasing amount.

Use Keywords: Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen resumes. Incorporate relevant keywords from the job posting to increase your chances of passing through ATS filters.

Keep It One Page: Your resume should only be one page! It may be tricky, but consolidate the most relevant information to the job requirements you are applying to.

Focus on Achievements: Instead of just listing job duties, highlight your accomplishments in each role as well. Employers are more interested in what you've achieved than what you've done.

Resume Sections

Header 🧑

A header includes basic personal information such as name, email, location, and phone number. Your name should be the largest words on your resume. If you're a student, either personal or student email can be used. If you are no longer a student, refrain from using your student email. Using your location on your resume is a personal choice and can be omitted. Keep your full address off your resume; your town and state are sufficient. Links can also be placed in this section; LinkedIn or personal website links are recommended.

Remember, be careful where you post your resume with your personal information. If you want to post it publicly, make a version without personal information like your phone number.

Education 🎓

The education section includes your school name, location, degree, major, and expected graduation date. It is not required to specify the duration of your degree; you only need to indicate when you graduated. If you have not graduated yet, put "Expected Graduation Date: [Month, Year]" in that space instead.

Optional elements include relevant coursework, awards/honors, or GPA. If you need to fill space, add relevant coursework relating to the jobs you are applying to, however relevant course can also be its own section. Write the title(s) of the relevant class(es) you took. GPA is only recommended to be included if you received a 3.5 or higher. It is okay if you did not receive this metric but refrain from putting it on your resume. Your cumulative GPA is your total GPA across all classes, while your major GPA is your GPA only across your major-related classes, not any general education requirements.

Top Line : University Name, Specific College (if applicable), and School Location

Second Line: Degree (B.S., B.A., etc), Major, Specialization, Minor

Additional Line Options: Relevant Coursework, Awards/Honors, GPA
Need to save space? Use a vertical bar ( | ) between sections on the same line.

Experience 💼

The professional or work experience section consist of details of jobs you have previously or currently worked. This section includes the company name, your job title, job location, dates of employment, and bullet points describing your tasks and responsibilities. Your experience header can vary with the type of experience you wish to put: Professional Experience, Research Experience, Selected [industry] experience, etc.

When writing your bullet points, focus on achievements instead of responsibilities. Whenever possible, quantify your accomplishments with numbers or percentages. Statistics help to provide concrete evidence of your contributions.

First Line: Company name, job title, job location, dates of employment

Bullet Points: Action verb (skill) + noun (include what/how many) + results
Example:

NOTE: Use past tense verbs if the job is in the past. Use present tense verbs if you are still working the job.

Example Professional Experience #1 | Source

Skills and Interests 🎨

The skills and interests section showcases your relevant technical and soft skills. Showcase your soft skills, expertise, and personal interests that may not fit into other sections but can still be valuable to potential employers. The skills section can include proficiency in specific software, languages, or project management skills. Depending on the jobs you are applying to, try to match your skills with their requirements. Including personal interests and hobbies can provide a fuller picture of you as a candidate and may also serve as conversation starters during interviews.

Leadership 🗣️

Leadership experience includes any clubs or extracurricular activities where you held a position besides being a member. The leadership section is where you showcase your ability to lead and manage teams, projects, or initiatives. Highlight your leadership roles, responsibilities, accomplishments, and the impact you've had in each position. Use action verbs and quantify your achievements to demonstrate your leadership effectiveness. Additionally, tailor the examples to align with the job you're applying for, focusing on experiences most relevant to the position.

Community Involvement 👥

Don't have leadership experience? No problem! The community involvement section allows you to highlight your engagement and contributions outside of your professional career. Demonstrate your commitment to making a positive impact in your community and your ability to collaborate with others and take initiative. Feel free to expand on these roles using bullet points in your resume.

Bullet Points: Program Name, Role, Dates

Community Involvement Section Example | Source

Projects 🛠

The projects section allows you to showcase specific projects you've worked on that demonstrate your skills, experience, and accomplishments. Depending on your industry, this can be imperative. Projects can be more important than experience. Highlight the projects you've worked on, your roles, your methodologies or techniques, and the outcomes or results achieved.

If your job applications commonly require a portfolio, put a link next to the Projects header or the header at the top of your resume if you have space.

Relevant Coursework 📚

If you have limited work experience, this is a great section to fill your resume. You can highlight specific courses you've taken that are relevant to the job you're applying for. This section demonstrates your qualifications for the job. If you have space, briefly describe each course and highlight critical topics or skills covered.

Honors and Awards 🏆

The honors and awards section allows you to highlight any recognition, achievements, or accolades you've received throughout your academic or professional career. Please include the name of the award, the organization or institution granting it, and any relevant details of why you received it. Focus on relevant achievements to the job you're applying for and demonstrate qualities or skills valued by potential employers, such as academic excellence, leadership, or innovation. If you have multiple honors or awards, prioritize those most prestigious or relevant to the position you're seeking.

Certifications ✅

The certification section shows recruiters any professional certifications or credentials you've earned relevant to the job you're applying for. Include elements such as the issuing organization, skills validated, and certification expiration date (if applicable).

Remember that your resume is more than just a document listing your experiences; it's your personal marketing tool, showcasing your unique skills, accomplishments, and potential to prospective employers. As you craft your resume, remember the importance of tailoring it to each job application, highlighting relevant experiences and skills that align with the position. Don't forget to proofread meticulously and seek feedback from trusted peers or mentors to ensure your resume is polished and professional.

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Resource Links 📁

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