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. 

Education: List your degrees, majors, minors, study abroad and/or any other relevant training/opportunities.

Experience: Any employment, internships, significant campus leadership offices, volunteer work and class/research projects.

• Explain what were your key tasks and outcomes/results by using bullet points and action words.

• Avoid passive phrasing such as “duties include,” “responsible for” or “project was completed by using.”
• Quantify information by including numbers, percentages and dollar amounts.

Skills: Use this section to highlight skills that are specifically related to the job/internship you are seeking.

Relevant Projects: Projects that you did in class that are related to your major/career interest.

• Identify team/classroom/individual noteworthy academic projects.
• Concisely demonstrate your skills and knowledge.
• Integrate other skills when communicating specific accomplishments.
• Include your individual contributions and outcomes. 

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.

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. 

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.

• 14 to 16 for your name and bold text.
• 11 to 12 for phone number, email and LinkedIn URL.
• 10.5 to 12 for body text.

Enroll in our How to Write a Resume course, an online course that guides you through creating an eye-catching resume, letting your professional strengths shine.

• Customize your resume to each application.

• Pick a format and stick to it. Use consistent spacing, font and format and save as a word document.

• Try to avoid the use of first and third person pronouns, such as “I,” “he” or “she.” 

• Spell out all acronyms the first time they are used, followed by the acronym in parentheses e.g., University at Buffalo (UB). 

• Use a variety of "action words" to bring your skills and experiences to life and avoid using each word more than once. 

• Use Keywords. Scan the job description, see what words are used most often and make sure you’ve included them in your bullet points.

• Refrain from using slang or jargon.

• Name Your File Smartly. Save it as “Jane Smith Resume” instead of “Resume.”

• Proofread, Proofread, Proofread. Ask family or friends to check for spelling and grammatical errors.

• Get your resume reviewed. Hint: Book a resume review appointment with a career expert.