Get expert advice for writing your resume or curriculum vitae (CV), view samples and templates, and learn how to tell your unique story.
A resume is a one- to two-page document that outlines your education, skills, accomplishments and experience. Its purpose is to help you capture the attention of an employer so you can get an interview.
When seeking a job or internship, design your resume to highlight your most related experience and skills. Write about internship(s), related volunteer experiences; academic or individual projects depending on your field of study or career goals.
Objective (optional): An objective is used to explain why you are creating this resume and can be an opportunity to connect you to a specific job/internship, but they are not mandatory.
Objective
Seeking an internship in human services for the Summer of 20XX utilizing demonstrated interpersonal and helping skills.
Education: List your degrees, majors, minors, study abroad and/or any other relevant training/opportunities.
Education
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
Master of Art, Major, Graduation Month 20XX
Bachelor of Arts or Science, Major, Graduation Month 20XX
Experience: Any employment, internships, significant campus leadership offices, volunteer work and class/research projects.
Human Services Experience
Kids 1st Therapy, Getzville, New York April-July 20XX
Intern
Skills: Use this section to highlight skills that are specifically related to the job/internship you are seeking.
Skills
Languages: Fluent in Cantonese and basic Mandarin
Software/Programs: Adobe Creative Suite, CAD, Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Publisher, Access)
Certifications: American Heart Association CPR (June 20XX)
Relevant Projects: Projects that you did in class that are related to your major/career interest.
Relevant Projects
Marketing Plan, University at Buffalo Spring 20XX
Involvement: List clubs, sports, leadership roles and/or volunteering that you've done. This is especially helpful when looking for internships or part-time job without having a lot of work experience. Include accomplishments using strong action words.
Leadership Experience
UB Club Hockey, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
Captain
Achievements: Indicate noteworthy academic, athletic, community, club and employer recognition.
Note: If you are only listing 1-3 honors, consider incorporating into education section rather than creating separate section.
Honors and Awards
The length may vary but a general rule is keep your resume between 1-2 pages, preferably 1 page if possible.
1-inch margins are best, but you can use .5 inches if you need room.
Keep your text and bullet points aligned-left to keep your resume clean and easy to read.
Save your resume as both a Word (.doc) document and as a PDF.
Use an easy to read font like Arial, Calibri, Garamond, Georgia, Helvetica or Times New Roman.
*Choose one font and stick with it.
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Most resume bullet points start with an "action word" that helps clearly illustrate what you did and why you did it well. Action words help highlight your skills and engage the resume reader.
Abstracted
Achieved
Acquired
Acted
Adapted
Addressed
Administered
Advertised
Advocated
Aided
Allocated
Analyzed
Answered
Anticipated
Applied
Appraised
Approved
Arranged
Ascertained
Assembled
Assessed
Assisted
Attained
Audited
Augmented
Authored
Bolstered
Briefed
Brought
Budgeted
Built
Calculated
Cared
Charged
Chartered
Checked
Clarified
Classified
Coached
Collaborated
Collected
Comforted
Communicated
Compared
Compiled
Completed
Composed
Computed
Conceived
Conducted
Conserved
Constructed
Consulted
Contracted
Contributed
Controlled
Converted
Cooperated
Coordinated
Correlated
Counseled
Created
Critiques
Cultivated
Debated
Decided
Delegated
Delivered
Designed
Detected
Determined
Developed
Diagnosed
Directed
Discovered
Displayed
Distributed
Drafted
Documented
Edited
Eliminated
Emphasized
Enabled
Enforced
Enlisted
Established
Estimated
Evaluated
Examined
Exceeded
Excelled
Expanded
Experimented
Explained
Explored
Fashioned
Facilitated
Founded
Formulated
Followed
Fixed
Financed
Guided
Gathered
Gained
Helped
Headed
Handled
Interviewed
Integrated
Instructed
Instituted
Inspected
Informed
Influenced
Increased
Improved
Implemented
Imagined
Illustrated
Identified
Investigated
Invented
Introduced
Judged
Launched
Learned
Lectured
Led
Lifted
Listed
Listened
Located
Logged
Made
Maintained
Managed
Manipulated
Mapped
Mastered
Maximized
Meditated
Memorized
Mentored
Met
Minimized
Modeled
Modified
Monitored
Motivated
Narrated
Negotiated
Observed
Obtained
Offered
Operated
Ordered
Organized
Originated
Overcame
Oversaw
Participated
Perfected
Performed
Persuaded
Planned
Practiced
Predicted
Prepared
Presented
Prioritized
Produced
Programmed
Projected
Promoted
Proposed
Protected
Proved
Provided
Published
Purchased
Queried
Questioned
Raised
Ran
Ranked
Read
Reasoned
Received
Recommended
Reconciled
Recorded
Reduced
Referred
Related
Relied
Repaired
Reported
Represented
Researched
Resolved
Responded
Restored
Revamped
Reviewed
Scanned
Scheduled
Screened
Selected
Served
Set goals
Shaped
Sketched
Solved
Spearheaded
Specialized
Spoke
Strategized
Streamlined
Studied
Succeeded
Suggested
Summarized
Supervised
Supported
Surveyed
Sustained
Talked
Taught
Tended
Tested
Theorized
Trained
Translated
Tutored
Undertook
Updated
Upgraded
Utilized
Validated
Verified
Visualized
Weighed
Won
Wrote
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