Comprehensive Resume Guide 3
A resume is a one page document summarizing your work experience, education, and skills tailored to a specific job.
A CV, on the other hand, is a comprehensive document that provides a detailed overview of your academic and professional achievements, typically used in academic and research settings and can be multiple pages long.
Whether you are applying for internships, jobs, leadership opportunities or research opportunities, your resume is an essential marketing tool. A strong resume can serve multiple purposes:
- To introduce yourself: A resume provides an introduction to your professional self, marketing relevant professional, educational and leadership experiences, skills and achievements.
- To showcase your qualifications: A resume summarizes your qualifications and demonstrates how you are a suitable fi t for the position you are applying for.
- To differentiate yourself: A well-crafted resume can set you apart from other candidates, showcasing your unique strengths and accomplishments.
- To demonstrate your professionalism: A resume is a formal document that reflects your professionalism and attention to detail.
- To secure an interview: The ultimate goal of a resume is to land an interview, where you can further showcase your qualifications and convince the employer that you are the best candidate for the job.
A resume is a “pointed narrative of relevance,” not a “laundry list” of accomplishments. It is a fluid and adaptive document which should be regularly updated and tailored to fit the individual opportunity to which you are applying. Consider the following strategies:
- Tailor your resume to the job: Customize your resume to the specific job you are applying for by reviewing the job description and highlighting relevant skills, experience, and achievements. Use keywords from the job posting to ensure that your resume matches the employer’s requirements.
- Highlight your achievements with impactful descriptions: Use specific examples to highlight your achievements and the impact you’ve made in previous roles. (See ATOP, below)
- Make it easy to read: Use clear and concise language, bullet points, and headings to make your resume easy to skim. Use a professional and easy-to-read font and keep the formatting consistent throughout the document.
The Dartmouth Center for Career Design strongly recommends using one of our resume templates to ensure proper formatting, appropriate font sizes, and other common best practices.
Learn how to assemble your resume.
Check out these action verbs!
Learn how to curate and adapt experiences for your resume.
Examples will be featured on a linked page.