Resume
Not sure how to set up your resume and apply for jobs? Let our staff help you each step of the way. Resumes are necessary if you want to get a job, internship, or apply for graduate school or scholarships. Your resume serves as an advertisement. It is used for the same purpose as television commercials and print ads: to sell a product. Only, in this case, the product is you. We encourage students to use our sample resume in preferred format - this format is recommended by the Berry Career Institute and provides a clean and consistent way to list your experiences - we also offer examples of resumes used for different majors:
Computer Science 1 Computer Science 2
Health Sciences 1 Health Sciences 2
CV (Curriculum Vitae) Example- Undercover Recruiter cites that the three major differences between CVs and resumes are the length, the purpose and the layout. A resume is a brief summary of your skills and experience over one or two pages usually for an employer, a CV is more detailed, can stretch well beyond two pages, and is more widely used in academia. Read more.
These examples are available as Word documents by request.Following are other helpful resources to get you started on your resume:
Your resume is an employer's first look at who you are and what you can offer as an employee. By giving an employer your resume, you are essentially trying to sell yourself to that employer and should draw attention to your strengths and skills and highlight your relevant experiences as they relate to the position for which you are applying.
Not only is the content of your resume important, but the way in which you organize your resume is as well. A television commercial is typically 30-60 seconds in length, therefore a company needs to figure out a way in which to make consumers want to buy their product in a very short amount of time. The same is true for a resume.
Because of the large number of resumes an employer may receive, they are typically not going to spend much more than 30-60 seconds reviewing your resume. For that reason, you need to make it as organized, concise, and easy to read as possible. Most college students should keep their resume to one-page maximum.
However, it's always a good idea to keep a "master resume" which contains all of your experience, not just what fits onto one page. If you are just starting to draft a resume, don't worry as much about limiting it to one page since it's more important to first list all of your experience so you and a staff member can then go through and determine what items are most valuable for the position you are applying for.
Whatever stage of writing you're in, whether it's brainstorming or final polishing, the Berry Career Institute can help.
Resume basics—understand why to write a resume and what should go in each section. When writing your bullet points, try to focus on achievements. You can use the STAR method for greater impact:
- Situation/Task - what was the situation or task you worked on? What were your responsibilities or goals?
- Action - What action did you take to complete your job or solve the problem?
- Result - What was the result/outcome/impact of your action? How did it benefit the organization (quantify if possible)?
Resume action verbs—avoid a stale-sounding resume by starting with stronger, more descriptive verbs in your bullet points.
How can I list my language proficiency on my resume?
There are four generally accepted proficiency levels for languages on your resume; beginner/novice, intermediate, advanced, and native fluency. Most employers will recognize these levels on your resume. However, if you are having trouble determining your proficiency level or the position you are applying for requires a more specific indicator, The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) has published a guide to provide proficiency benchmarks to help you understand where your skills are at the moment.
Should I include a summary statement on my resume?
You will find many different opinions on this question, and as the rest of the hiring process, it depends. We recommend that for most students and new graduates, it is best to forego the summary statement unless you are seriously lacking experiences on your resume and could use it to take up some space. Don't forget, you will have the opportunity to provide more context on your cover letter, as well as your Linkedin page.
If you do decide to include a summary statement on your resume, the biggest mistake you can make is to end up writing a regurgitation of your resume bullet points. Rather, your summary statement should be used as a personal branding tool, where you can help a hiring manager get a sense for who you are, what you value, and what you will offer the company as an employee.