A typical reader only spends about 10-15 seconds skimming a résumé. Therefore, it is important to make sure your résumé looks polished, presentable, and emphasizes the most relevant content in a way that best grabs your audiences’ attention.
Formatting
While résumé writers always have creative freedom when it comes to the final product of their document, there are a few general rules you should follow when formatting your document. Proper formatting is especially important in helping your résumé make it through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), which is a type of software many employers use to filter résumés and rank candidates. Learn more about ATS and see additional formatting tips in this section of the guide.
| Margins should be equal on all sides of the page; between 0.5 inch and 1.0 inch | Font size should be between 10 and 12 point | Use a universal font like Times New Roman or Garamond |
| Avoid the use of templates containing tables and grids | Avoid abbreviations except for states and universal acronyms | Your name can be 1 to 2 points larger than the rest of the text |
| Maintain consistency with font and text styles throughout the document | Files should preferably be saved as a .doc, .docx, or PDF | Ensure there are no spelling errors or general mistakes – do not rely on spellcheck |
Organizing Content
The physical placement of content on the résumé is just as important as what is being written. Since we all read top to bottom, you want to make sure the most relevant information appears as high on the document as possible and descends in order of relevance to keep your reader engaged. Ask yourself the following three questions to determine how you should prioritize the order of content on your résumé:
| 1. What does my reader NEED to know? |
This information should occupy the first third of your résumé and include all the details your reader NEEDS to know about you to determine if they should continue reading the rest of the document. The information contained in this section should include:
- Contact Information
- Résumé Objective/Summary (if applicable)
- Education
- Skills and Certifications (if relevant to the use of the résumé)
| 2. What does my reader WANT to know? |
This information should occupy the second third/middle of your résumé and include all the details your reader WANTS to know about your skills and experiences as they relate to the opportunity. The information contained in this section could include experiences such as (but are not limited to):
- Relevant Work/Internship Experience
- Shadowing Experience
- Research Experience
- Academic Projects
| 3. What might my reader find NICE to know? |
This information should occupy the bottom third of your résumé and should include all the details your reader might find NICE to know. This includes extra skill sets beyond the minimum requirements or unique experiences that set you apart from other applicants. The information contained in this section could include experiences such as (but not limited to):
- Leadership/Volunteer Experience
- Campus Involvement
- Presentations and Conferences
- Skills and Certifications (if not immediately relevant to the use of the résumé)
Résumé Categories
Résumé categories (or Section Headers) are title lines that attract your reader’s eyes to relevant content areas of your résumé. We have outlined some examples of these categories below, but this list is not inclusive of the many categories you could choose to use. While some of these categories are required, others are just strongly recommended or optional. To learn more about which categories you could consider using on your résumé, schedule an appointment with a member of our staff.
Required Sections
These sections should always be included on your résumé:
Contact Information
Where Does It Go, and What Should Be Included?
- Always at the top of your document
- Includes:
- Full name (preferred name optional)
- Mailing address OR geographic location
- Phone number (make sure you have a welcoming voicemail)
- Email address
- LinkedIn URL (optional)
- Design/project portfolio (optional)
- Pronouns (optional)
Example
Jonathan Husky
Storrs, CT 06269 ⦁ (555) 555-5555
jonathan.husky@uconn.edu ⦁ www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan_husky
Education
What Information Goes Here?
- Include institution name, location, degree, and graduation date
- Remove high school information by the start of Junior year
- Optional: list GPA, honors or scholarships, relevant coursework, or study abroad experience
Examples
| Education University of Connecticut Bachelor of Science, Nursing | Storrs, CT May 20XX |
| Education University of Connecticut Storrs, CT Bachelor of Arts, Digital Media and Design May 20XX Concentration: Game Design GPA: 3.92/4.00; Dean’s List: Fall 20XX-Present Relevant Coursework: Game Systems Design, Advanced Game Scripting | May 20XX |
Note: It is important that the majors, concentrations, and/or minors you’re pursuing are formatted correctly in the education section of your résumé. Use this resource to view how degrees, majors, concentrations, and minors should be formatted as well as a reference list (broken up by school/college) of the official name of each undergraduate major and concentration offered at UConn.
Skills
Important Features of a Skills Section
- Highlights your technical/measurable skills
- May also include certifications
- Can and should be customized based on document use
- Examples of skills categories:
- Computer
- Languages
- Certifications
- Social Media
- Laboratory
- Medical Software
- Programming Languages
- Editing Software
- Operating Systems
- Classroom Technology
- Teleconferencing Platforms
Example
Skills
Computer: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint; Google Docs; Canva; Prezi
Languages: Spanish (fluent), Italian (conversational)
Social Media: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube
Other Résumé Sections
Objective/Summary
What is an Objective or Summary?
- Optional statements that go under your contact information
- 1 – 2 lines of text (summary may be slightly longer)
- Objectives answer three main questions:
- What are you looking for?
- Where are you looking for it?
- What relevant skills are you trying to highlight?
- Summaries are more flexible
- More descriptive
- Help highlight specific requirements like years or hours of experience or specific interest areas
Examples
Objective: Seeking a position as a paraprofessional within the Vernon Public School System utilizing excellent teaching, communication, and interpersonal skills.
Summary: Certified Nursing Assistant with over 90 clinical hours completed in various settings including hospitals, elementary schools, and extended care centers. Specific areas of patient care include pediatrics and cardiology.
Experience
Current and past experiences are always something you want to display on a résumé as they can demonstrate the skills and competencies you possess. These experiences come in many shapes and forms and are not limited solely to work experience.
Key Features of Experience Sections:
- Listed in reverse chronological order within the section
- Includes the “Core 4:”
- Name of organization
- Location
- Position Title
- Dates of Involvement
- Contains 1-4 bullets demonstrating transferrable/technical skills and the actionable impacts made to the organization
- Is tense specific
Example
Applebee’s, Willimantic, CT
Shift Leader, October 20XX – Present
- Supervise up to 15 servers and 2 hostesses per shift to ensure quality customer service and efficient turnover of tables
- Train new staff on company’s customer service policies, philosophy, and general shift responsibilities
- Analyze sales and loss data utilizing SquarePOS to prepare weekly reports for management and bank deposits
Types of Experience Sections
Some students worry that if they haven’t had a part-time job or internship, they don’t have enough experience to showcase on their résumé. In actuality, there are many different sections you could include to demonstrate your experience. Here are some ideas:
- Clinical Experience
- Internship Experience
- Job Shadow Experience
- Leadership Experience
- Military Experience
- Project Experience
- Relevant Experience
- Teaching Experience
- Volunteer Experience
- Work Experience
Additional Ideas for Your Résumé
There are many ways to showcase your competencies and skills outside of your experience, education, and skills sections. Consider incorporating:
- Activities/Extracurriculars
- Academic Projects
- Certifications
- Conferences
- Honors & Awards
- Interests
- Presentations
- Publications
- Related Coursework
Make sure to view our collection of Résumé Samples to see different ways to organize content and highlight skills and experience.
Do Not Include
The following sections should not be used on a résumé:
| References | Headshot | Age/DOB | Marital Status |
