Creating a Better Resume

Resume Best Practices

Before You Begin

• Think about your experiences and unique skills and abilities
• Review the position and industry to learn the associated keywords and tailor your resume to the opportunity
• Consider these questions when writing bullet points resume to demonstrate your relevant experience
  • What impact did you/your project have on the organization?
  • What technology did you use when completing the project?
  • What did you learn from the experience?
  • What was the volume and duration of your work?

Optimize for Applicant Tracking Systems

• Contact information
• Education
• Skills
• Work experience

Optional Sections

• Summary/Objective
• Awards and honors
• Volunteer work
• Languages
• Hobbies and interests

Overall Format and Appearance

• Microsoft Word is the best platform to create your resume.
• Be consistent in your formatting and style.
• Remove all graphics.
• Proofread regularly, as spelling and formatting errors can get your resume rejected.
• Undergraduate resumes should be one page.
• List content in reverse chronological order, with the most recent experiences listed first.
• Use an easy-to-read font such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri, and use no more than two font types and styles.
• Keep font sizes between 10-12 pt., but your name can be larger than 12 pt.
• Format margins to .75” on all sides is possible, but they should be no smaller than 0.5”.
• Verb tense should match the time frame of the activity with current experiences written in present tense and past experiences in past tense.
• Avoid first-person pronouns (I, me, my) or articles (a, an, the).

Contact Information

• Use an appropriate email address, preferably your Penn State email.
• Include your cell phone number and ensure your voice mailbox is set up with a professional message.
• Do not include photos.

Education

• List your Penn State education first as "Penn State University" or "The Pennsylvania State University".
• Make sure your campus name is listed accurately (i.e. University Park not State College).
• Include your graduation date or expected graduation date.
• Specify your major and option, if applicable.
• Include any certificates you will earn, such as the Certificate of Achievement from the NSA.
• Include your cumulative GPA, and add your major GPA if it is higher than your cumulative GPA.
• If you choose not to include your GPA, be prepared to discuss it with potential employers.

Skills

• Highlight technical skills relevant to the position.
• Show through work experiences and activities (rather than list) your soft skills, such as leadership, teamwork, communication, and project management.

Relevant Experiences

• Share work experiences, course projects, personal projects, and experiences like education abroad.
• Include quantifiable information to show the scope of your work.
• Use bullet points rather than paragraphs.

Activities

• List volunteer experiences and any student organizations you were an active participant in.
• Include any leadership roles you held.
• Include you dates of involvement for each activity.

Document Naming

• For usability and formatting purposes, always send your resume as a PDF to ensure the formatting remains consistent.
• Choose an easily identifiable name, such as "FirstnameLastname_Resume.pdf".