Resume Development

Your resume is your personal marketing tool—a snapshot of your education, experience, skills, and qualifications designed to capture the attention of potential employers. Your resume doesn't need to include everything—its main goal is to land you an interview, where you can dive deeper into your experience in person or through your cover letter.

Resume Tips & Tricks

  • Provide a one-page summary of your skills, abilities, and accomplishments - Create a master resume of everything you want to touch on. You must craft your resume for each role you apply for. By creating a master resume, it will be easier to update your resume as needed. 

  • Include content that is relevant to the co-op or job posting, demonstrating how you will add value to the organization - Use the job post to your advantage! The job post will tell you what the employer is looking for in a candidate. Tailor your education, experience, and skills to reflect the qualifications and responsibilities outlined in the job description.

  • Use AI to enhance your resume - AI can be a great assistant in creating resume bullet points. However, make sure to personalize the content to make it your own before submitting your resume. Use words that are in your own vocabulary.   

  • Use the full name of your degree, minor and/or certificate programs - Degree names vary among universities, and it is important that the hiring manager or recruiter looking at your resume understands your academic background. 

Key Considerations Before Submitting Your Resume

Design

  • Use readable fonts, Career Services recommends Times New Roman or Garamond.

  • Use bold, italics, and underlining consistently throughout your resume.

  • Use bulleted descriptions rather than sentences or paragraphs.

  • Write 3-5 bullets for each position or experience.

Content

  • Tailor your resume based on each job description.

  • Use strong action verbs when emphasizing results, impacts, or achievements.

  • Quantify when possible.

  • Do not falsify any information. 

  • Save your resume as a PDF file. We recommend titling it as: 

        FirstName LastName_Resume.

  • Remove high school information after your first year of college. 

  • Include your references in a separate document unless explicitly stated in the job postin.

Grammar and Syntax

  • Do not start your bullet points with personal pronouns.

  • Use past tense for completed experiences and present tense for current experiences.

  • Use professional language to frame your content in a positive way.

  • Avoid acronyms and abbreviations. 

Contact Us

If you have any questions about resume development, schedule an appointment with your Career Advisor on My Bearcat Network! 

Fall and Spring Semester Hours  

During the academic year, Lindner Career Services is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

 

Drop-in Hours  

Drop-in peer career coaching is available Monday through Friday from 1-4 p.m. in Lindner Hall, Suite 1420 during the fall and spring semesters.  

Please contact your assigned Career Advisor for their specific drop-in hours.