Write your resumé

Your resumé is your first introduction to a potential new employer—so give it the time and attention it deserves. Rather than simply listing your past jobs in order, think carefully about your goals and what your target company values. Then present your work experiences to show you have the skills, knowledge, and confidence to deliver results.

What you need to know

During your time as a graduate student, you'll have multiple opportunities to design and refine your resumé. For example, if you're pursuing a corporate residency, graduate co-op, or micro-internship, you'll hone your resumé-writing skills through that search process, preparing you to present yourself expertly when you seek full-time employment.
With guidance from Graduate Career Center advisors, you'll learn to break down your accomplishments into transferable skills, tailor a resumé for multiple employers, and express your ambitions clearly and confidently.
You'll also receive pointers on writing style—so you can deliver impact and interest in limited space.

Common questions

We've developed a simple, easy-to-read resumé template based on the input of our corporate partners. Download our resume development guide here.

Think of your LinkedIn profile as a public extension of your resumé. It should be up-to-date, relevant, consistent—and aligned with the type of position you want to pursue. To maximize the impact of your page, make new connections regularly, interact with your network, and use LinkedIn's tools for requesting testimonials from previous colleagues and employers.

Achievements show your capabilities much more effectively than a laundry list of duties. When you break down your experiences into Situations, Tasks, Actions, and Results (the STAR model), you'll hook the reader and clearly communicate your potential impact on the organization. Use quantifiable results whenever you can—they'll make you stand out.

If you want to include the skills you've developed or recognition you've achieved outside the workplace, add a section to the end of your resumé with an appropriate subhead depending on the activity. Some examples of experience you may want to include: