How to Build a Resume
Your resume is a key part of your professional life. It not only describes your qualifications, but should also show how you are unique. To make yourself stand out, you need a resume that markets your strengths and shows you are a match. An amazing resume: grabs the attention of future employers, sells your strongest skills and accomplishments, shows you are right for the job and most importantly, lands the interview.
Where to Start?
- Pick a template - CI provides its own resume templates (MS Word, 41 KB), but there are plenty online or in Microsoft Word.
- Fill in everything you can. Use the samples and materials below as guidelines.
- Visit the Career Center, located in Bell Tower 1548, or have a trusted professional or advisor review your resume.
- Implement changes.
- Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have an amazing resume.
Resume Tools
- General Resume Guide - Gives a brief idea of what should go under each heading.
- Chemistry Resume Example (PDF, 233.3 KB) - This is a generic Chemistry example from the CI Career Center.
- CSUCI Career Center - Extra resume templates, tips, and examples.
- Aerotek - is a staffing agency that has their own resume resources.
Articles
- Resume Do’s - 10 Ways to Build a Resume Like a Professional Resume Writer
- Resume Don’ts - The Top 10 Resume Mistakes to Avoid
Helpful tips:
- Resumes should be tailored to the job that you’re applying to; make edits to your resume that reflect the key responsibilities of that particular job.
- Make sure to list research or relevant lab experience.
- When describing a past job try to list three key duties/responsibilities.
- Jobs that may not seem relevant (like working at In-n-Out) can be seen as relevant due to tenure.
- Try to keep the resume to one page. Adjust margins if necessary.
- If you don’t have a permanent address in the city in which you’re applying in, then just list the city of the job that you’re applying to.
- If willing to relocate, add an asterisk next to your address, followed by “Willing to relocate”.
- Get feedback on your resume multiple times.
Developed by: Nancy Araki and Andrew Yonkers