Resumes are used for a variety of purposes. Whether applying for a scholarship, student organization leadership role, research opportunity, co-op or internship, or full-time job, your resume is used as a tool to market who you are and highlight your background, experience, and skills. It's critical to know your audience and customize your resume for the specific purpose where you will be using it!
Attend a one-hour workshop about the basics of building a resume
Meet with an Engineering Career Coach at drop-ins or schedule an appointment in Handshake
What's on a Resume?
| Identifying Information | Name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. You may also choose to include your pronouns. If you have an ePortfolio, professional blog, or LinkedIn profile, you may include that information as well. |
| Objective or Summary | This is optional. If you choose to include one, it should be a short, specific statement that includes position, industry, and relevant skills. These can be useful during recruitment events, such as career fairs or tabling events, as well as when connecting with specific employers or industry professionals virtually. |
| Education |
In reverse-chronological order, this section includes the schools you have attended, graduation date or dates of attendance, as well as degrees sought or completed. Although there is no requirement to list your GPA, you may include your cumulative GPA, major GPA, or most recent semester GPA, labeling it appropriately. This is a topic that will come up throughout an interview process. |
| Experience |
This section includes all experience types such as work, volunteering, extracurricular activities, class projects. List in reverse-chronological order and include the following information:
This section may be divided into multiple subsections with separate headings. Examples include:
Focus on what you want employers to notice first. They will read top to bottom, so make sure the sections most relevant come at the top of the page after education. |
| Skills |
This may include knowledge of specific computer programs, lab test methods, language skills, or earned certifications. Depending on your industry area of interest, you may choose to place this section closer to the top of the page. Qualify skills (proficient in, expert in) only when it is advantageous due to a high skill level. Don't list soft skills in this area. Soft skills need to be expressed in your bullet points. |
Language
Resume language should be professional, succinct, and expressive. Make the reader pay attention by using strong action verbs.
- Use the minimum number of words necessary to convey meaning
- Use precise action verbs to describe accomplishments and responsibilities (i.e. "Supervised 4 accounts that resulted in..." rather than "Responsible for supervising 4 accounts...")
- Avoid personal pronouns, but write in the first person
- Leave out articles: a, an, the. Use short sentences or phrases
- Use parallel grammatical structures and consistent verb tenses
Build Your Bullet Points
In your experience sections, describe what you achieved in each of your roles. Go beyond the "duties" of your role and describe specific tasks and accomplishments! Help the reader to understand the context, scope, and significance of your experience.
PHRASE FORMULA
SKILL [strong action verb] + SPECIFIC TASK [job / responsibility] + OUTCOME / IMPACT [how / why]
Try the "5 W and H" questions to help you brainstorm what to include
- WHO | Who did your experience help?
- WHAT | What did you actually do? What was the result of your actions?
- WHERE | Where did your experience take place?
- WHEN | When did this happen?
- WHY | Why did your experience matter? What was the overall impact?
- HOW | How did you do your work? How does your experience relate to what you're applying for?
EXAMPLES
- Wrote C++ static performance code to calculate performance data
- Managed capital projects with budgets up to $20,000 from the design to startup phases
- Conducted sieve analysis and verified quality of mortar per the requirements of ASTM C790 standards
- Procured $5,000 in donations for University funds from 25+ alumni
TEAM PROJECT EXAMPLE
Senior Design Project | Department Name January - May 2023
Team Lead
- Coordinated with a team of four engineering students to design plans and renovate a building on campus while pursuing a LEED Platinum certification
Resume Types
Master Resume
Every resume you send with a job application should be customized to that specific opportunity. However, you won't want to begin each resume from scratch. A "master" resume should house a wide variety of experience and serve as a digest from which to draw upon for your industry-specific resumes.
Tailored Resume
You need a customized resume for every job application. A tailored resume signals two important things to employers:
- It makes you stand out as a more appealing and relevant candidate.
- It shows the employer you put forth time and thoughtfulness when applying and didn't simply send your general resume to every employer you could find.
Action Verbs
Each descriptive phrase in your resume should begin with a strong action verb, and verbs should not repeat themselves throughout your document. Use the list below to identify verbs descriptive of your experiences.Each descriptive phrase in your resume should begin with a strong action verb, and verbs should not repeat themselves throughout your document. Use the list below to identify verbs descriptive of your experiences.
RESUME PRINTING
Do you need printed copies of your resume for an upcoming interview or career fair? We have you covered!
The CDCR offers up to 10 free resume paper prints.
- Step 1 – Get a resume review with the Engineering CDCR. Make an appointment with a career coach (review must take place during the current semester)
- Step 2 – Make resume revisions
- Step 3 - Submit your revised resume for free printing
- Step 4 – Pick up your resumes from Brown-Kopel 1133 once you have received a confirmation email stating your resumes are ready. Please allow a minimum of 24-48 hours turn around time for resume pick up.
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