Resume Content: Making the Most of Your Experience
Ideally, the information on your resume should demonstrate that 1) you are qualified for a particular position, and 2) that you would be an asset to the organization. If you're unclear about what type of position you actually desire, or if you're applying for a number of jobs in different fields, design a more general resume. A general resume should show your professional skills and your accomplishments in related or diverse fields. As always, give the employer reason to believe that you'd learn quickly on the job and have some vested interest in pursuing this new career field or position.
Resumes entries are usually listed in reverse chronological order (recent experiences first, "oldest" experiences last). Davis Scholars and alumnae who have a variety of experience and/or time gaps between jobs should consider "gap-minimizing" techniques, or may design a functional or combination resume.
In terms of content, most resumes should contain the following information:
Name and Address
For verification purposes, use the official name that appears on your college records (e.g., transcripts) and other legal documents. It's best to center your name at the top of the resume and highlight it by using a slightly larger font size and bold typeface. Do not put your name in the top left corner, which may be obscured by a staple or paperclip.
Home and school addresses can be shown in two columns (left and right margins, respectively), or in separate linesunderneath your name, one address per line. International students may refer to the International Students Section regarding international home addresses, or speak with a CWS career counselor privately.
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Names in foreign languages . If you prefer a nickname instead of your given name, or if you use an English name instead of your foreign-language name, you can designate this name on your resume. Quotation marks usually denote nicknames; parentheses indicate an English name instead of a foreign-language name: Folsom "Folly" Patterson Tien-Hwei (Alisa) Wong In an interview setting, be proactive by introducing yourself politely with your preferred nickname, or by clarifying pronunciationof a foreign-language name. If you go by an English name but have not communicated this on your resume, your mutual introductions at the interview would be an appropriate time to mention it.
Education
Primary college (from which you will earn your Bachelor's Degree): List the name of the college, geographic location, degree earned or expected, and graduation date. Wellesley College awards Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees only. If you've taken a course outside of Wellesley, you can mention it with your primary college entry; however, with the exception of MIT, the GPA for such courses is calculated separately. Also consider listing relevant coursework (completed and/or anticipated), GPA, honors and awards in the "Education" section.
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For most undergraduates, it is not mandatory to mention the year matriculated or to specially note any gap years or breaks in college years. Davis Scholars who have significant gaps (5+ years) in their college experience may wish to speak with a CWS career counselor regarding how to present this information most favorably.
Junior year abroad or courses at other colleges and universities. If you've taken multiple classes at MIT, Babson, or other universities, you may feature these institutions as separate entries in your "Education" section. Include geographic locations, dates, academic program, coursework, and other noteworthy academic accomplishments while at that institution.
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Experience
This section should include your past experiences—salaried professional work; paid, stipended, and non-paid internships; volunteer or campus experience—all of which are relevant to the position sought. Consider experiences which are directly related, in terms of job and career field, as well as experiences whose capacities, duties, and skills are not directly related but are transferable to the position sought. Arrange your experiencesin reverse chronological order, with the most recent activity listed first. Each entry should include employer/organization name and location, your position title, and the corresponding dates. Utilizing either paragraph or bullet format, provide a brief description of your job duties, beginning each phrase with an action verb. For more details, refer to Resume Format: Text and Space.
Employer name vs. position title. Entries can be listed according to employer name or position title. Decide whether it would be better to present the organizations at which you've worked, or the positions which you've held. A general rule of thumb is that if you've worked for a number of recognizable or cutting-edge companies, it may be better to list by employer. If you've consistently held leadership roles or positions of influence, it may be better to list by position title. Whichever category you choose, be consistent within your "Experience" section.
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Dates . Dates can be listed in any of the following formats. The important thing is to keep one's listing of dates consistent throughout the resume. For typographical correctness, use an "en dash" ( ctrl num - ) between dates rather than a hyphen.
- Fall 2001 (a seasonal notation is most useful during school semesters and summers, less advisable for other times of the year)
- Oct. 2001-Mar. 2002 (if you abbreviate the months, be consistent for all months)
- 2001-2002 (for the academic year, or to de-emphasize dates)
- 9/01-6/02
The physical placement of the dates on your resume will either highlight or de-emphasize the dates themselves. For most undergraduates, it's not advisable to use a strategic position on the page for dates, which tend to be relatively short-term for summer or semester jobs.
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Language. The language that you use to describe your position will affect how the potential employer sees you. In other words, for any job, one performs a number of duties and usually occupies a number of roles. Your task is to figure out which aspects of the job you want to emphasize, based on your knowledge of the position sought. Begin each description with an action verb. Use present tense for current positions and ongoing duties, past tense for completed positions and duties.
For example, let's say that in your summer position as a senator's intern, you wrote letters to constituents in response to their complaints. If you're applying for a job in publishing, you might describe your position thus: "Handled unsolicited letters from the public; wrote, proofread, and edited official correspondence." In contrast, if you're applying for a position in public policy, you could describe the same duties by saying, "Fielded inquiriesfrom political constituency, represented senator's office and policy through responses to public concerns." Both descriptions are true, and your choice of language creates the context for how you are viewed by the potential employer. See more language possibilities.
Activities and Leadership
Campus activities and leadership positions can communicate your professional and avocational interests as well as your skill sets. If you've held significant leadership roles or are committed to certain campus activities, consider listing them as relevant to your career goals, alongside previous work experiences. In such cases, describe your leadership duties in detail.
If you list your activities and leadership as secondary to your work experience, you may only the name of organization and dates, with title of the leadership role if applicable, but without a detailed explanation of duties. This can be a space-saving device.
Racial and ethnic organizations . Some companies may be actively seeking to diversify their work populations, so if your name does not directly suggest your race or ethnicity, it may be advantageous to include your participation in racial and/or ethnic organizations. Racial and ethnic organizations which are not immediately identifiable by name should include a short description in parentheses [e.g., Ethos (Organization for Students of African Descent)]. You may also want to consider including minority leadership programs such as Prep for Prep, INROADS, and the SEO minority internship program. If you prefer not to specifically disclose your racial or ethnic status before the interview, you may want to omit or de-emphasize such organizations on your resume.
Skills and Interests
The "skills" portion of this section should briefly include any of the following and may list them by category:
- Computer program and word-processing skills . Consider desktop publishing, Internet research skills, CAD, statistical analysis programs, field-related databases, systems operations, programming, and technical support skills.
- Scientific laboratory techniques , such as titration, dissection, electron microscope skills.
- Foreign languages skills. Levels of proficiency may include basic or working knowledge, reading/speaking/writing only (as apply), "proficient in," "fluent in," bilingual, and native speaker.
- Editing and proofreading skills. Include tape transcription skills, shorthand, desktop publishing.
- Any other job-related skills that might be considered an
asset in the position sought.
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