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Resume

A resume is a short document that summarizes your educational background, career experience, qualifications, skills, achievements and more. A good resume will advertise your unique capabilities to a potential employer and show them why they should hire you. A resume is one of the most important parts of a job application, so you should put a lot of effort into creating a great one.

A resume is typically 1-2 pages. Resumes are similar to CVs, but CVs are used mostly in academia, while resumes are usually used in industry. CVs are also longer than resumes (2+ pages).

Organization

The way in which you organize information on your resume can help you highlight your strengths and give a good first impression. Undergraduate students should typically list their university and GPA first, then relevant work experience, then skills and related interests. Here is the typical structure of an undergraduate resume:

Header

• List your name, contact information (phone and email), and LinkedIn profile if you have one.

Education

• Major(s)/minor(s)

• GPA (if over 3.0)

• Academic awards and scholarships.

• GPA in major if it is much better than overall GPA

• Expected graduation semester and degree type

Work Experience

• Relevant jobs with dates of employment, listed in reverse chronological order

• Include research experience here, and list conferences/papers/awards associated with research positions. May be broken up into research/teaching/other, scientific/other, etc.

• Use action verbs (developed, designed, etc.) to describe work duties and accomplishments

• Use present-tense verbs for your current job and past-tense verbs for previous jobs

• Specific details about your accomplishments in these roles- ex. improved motor efficiency by 5%

Technical Skills

• Any programming/software skills, listed in order of relevance. Could include Microsoft Office software.

• Certifications and special trainings

• Specific equipment and laboratory experience

• Can list any general skills from courses that you have taken, such as group leadership, technical writing, and data analysis

Community Service and Professional Activities

• Volunteer work and community outreach

• On-campus organizations and societies- be sure to list any leadership roles

• Related interests and activities- Robotics Club, Web Design, etc.

Check out some example resumes/templates to figure out what you want yours to look like. When looking for examples, search under university websites and try to focus on science/engineering resumes. For example, University of Maryland available.

Special Resume Types

Federal

If you are applying for a federal position, use the to follow the proper format for federal resumes.

Veterans

If you are a military veteran, your military experience will be valuable on a resume, but you will need to present it in a way that civilian employers and organizations can understand (without jargon, acronyms, etc.) You should also show how your military experience can translate to valuable skills in a civilian workplace. There are many resources online available for writing a resume as a student veteran; for example, see from Morgan State University.

Non-Traditional Students/Transitioning Careers

If you have vast career experience unrelated to your major at CU Boulder and are hoping to transition careers, your career experience can offer you an advantage as a job candidate. However, you will have to consider how to present your past career experience on a resume and which skills/accomplishments from your previous career will transfer to your new career. There are a lot of resources online for writing a resume while transitioning careers; for example, see from San José State University.

Social Media Profile

It is a good idea to have a professional profile linked on your resume. Employers may look you up on social media, and having a great LinkedIn profile can make a positive impression. LinkedIn can also help you connect with employers and find opportunities (see Job Search/Events). Use a headshot or other of yourself for your profile picture, enter your academic information and qualifications, and join several Groups that you are interested in.

You can use other social media like Twitter and Instagram to post about your projects and creations. If you do this, you should keep the entire profile professional. Note that employers may look at your personal profile on Facebook, Twitter, and more. You should avoid posting anything negative about potential or current employers, and never post sexual, drug-related, or violent/hateful content. While you can control your own posts, you may be tagged in photographs showing behaviors you do not want companies to see. Keep your security settings maximal if you choose to use personal social media accounts.

Elevator Pitch

You should develop a 30-second "elevator pitch" to use at. The elevator pitch is a brief "advertisement" of your skills, interests, and experience. You should use your elevator pitch when you first speak to a recruiter or employer at a fair or event. In your elevator pitch, you should:

• Greet the recruiter/employer, give a natural smile and a firm handshake, and tell them your name, degree, major, and year or graduation date

• Describe your background and skills, with a focus on how they will apply to the employer's industry

• Demonstrate enthusiasm for the organization and show why you would be a great fit

• Explain what kind of position you are seeking

CSU Fullerton cites this  for a 30-second elevator pitch. There are more resources on the web, but note that organization and timing varies a lot. Some sources say to develop a 10-second pitch, while others say to develop a 60-second pitch. 30 seconds is standard for university students.