Table of Contents
What is a Résumé? 3
Types of Résumés 3
High School versus College Résumés 3
CV versus Résumé 3
Résumé Formatting 4
Résumé Versions 4
Résumé Sections 5
Section Content 5-7
Writing Bullet Point Statements 8
Action Verbs 9
Sample Résumés 10-13
Sample References Page 14
RÉSUMÉ GUIDE
TRINITY COLLEGE | CENTER FOR STUDENT SUCCESS AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT
2
3
WHAT IS A RÉSUMÉ
A résumé is a branding document that highlights your relevant education, experiences, and skills. Résumés are often required when
applying to jobs, graduate schools, internships, co-ops, fellowships, scholarships, campus organizations, volunteer opportunities, and
more. Your résumé is your first opportunity to make a good impression to a potential school, employer, or organization. This guide
will provide you with strategies to develop the content and formatting for your American-style résumé. It provides guidelines for
applying to entry-level roles. Meet with a Career Coach to learn strategies for applying to international opportunities or for tips on
customizing your document for specific industries.
TYPES OF RÉSUMÉS
Master
Industry/Field-
Specific
Position-Specific
Audience
Only you
Employers
Employers
Purpose
Keep track of experiences
and descriptions
Customize to an industry as a
baseline for specific search
Customize to specific
position description
Length
No minimum
Varies by industry; generally
one page
Varies by industry; generally
one page
HIGH SCHOOL VERSUS COLLEGE RÉSUMÉ
When applying to college you might have used a high school résumé that listed all of your school activities. A college résumé is more
detailed than a high school résumé. It uses bullet point statements to highlight not just what you did, but what you accomplished. By
the start of your junior year, typically high school experiences should be removed from your résumé. Exceptions may be made to
highlight your network or a specific relevant experience. It is important to get involved early at Trinity by participating in clubs,
athletics, part-time jobs, volunteering, internships, and more.
IDP STUDENTS
If you gained full-time work experience before enrolling at Trinity College, your résumé may differ slightly from the samples in this
guide. Depending on the amount of work experience and additional education you have, you might incorporate the following:
-
An objective, headline, or summary statement
-
Re-order your résumé sections to highlight your experience (ex. moving education to the bottom of the résumé)
-
Expand your résumé to two pages
It is important to tailor your résumé based on your experiences and career aspirations; schedule an appointment with a Career Coach
to customize your résumé to your goals.
CV VERSUS RÉSUMÉ
A traditional CV or Curriculum Vitae is a longer document, commonly used in academia, that includes one’s “life’s work.” Most
undergraduate students will not need a CV unless applying to specific research positions, fellowships, or graduate schools.
Internationally, many employers refer to a résumé as a CV. In these circumstances the employer is requesting a one-page résumé.
For strategies on writing a CV schedule a career coaching appointment in Handshake.
4
RÉSUMÉ FORMATTING
Employers spend between 10 and 30 seconds making initial decisions on résumés. By using simple and consistent formatting you can
ensure employers can easily find your relevant experiences and skills.
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
-
Create your résumé in Microsoft Word; Do not use templates, Pages, or Google Docs which will complicate formatting
Trinity students can download Microsoft for free through the Trinity Help Desk
-
Margins between .5-1 inch and equal on all sides
-
Use the same font throughout the résumé; Stick to basic fonts such as Arial, Times New Roman, or Garamond
-
Font should be between 10.5-12pt
-
Every experience should consistently include the organization name, position title, location, and dates
-
Lines, bolding, underlining, and italics should be used consistently and sparingly
RÉSUMÉ VERSIONS
There are generally two ways to apply to positions online: uploading your materials into a recruiting software or emailing your
application directly to the employer. When applying through recruiting software, the organization is most likely using an
Applicant
Tracking System (ATS)
. ATS allows employers to use computers to quickly scan applications for keywords, education requirements,
skills, and other desired qualifications.
The chart below recommends strategies for optimizing your résumé based on the audience and method of application. If you are
applying to online postings and not hearing back, we recommend following the ATS-optimized guidelines.
Human-Optimized Résumé
Applicant Tracking System (ATS)-
Optimized Résumé
Audience
- Potential Employer/School directly
- Computer/ATS System before reaching
human employer
Formatting
- Use font, capitalization, spacing, bolding,
underlining, and italics consistently to
emphasize specific content
- Dates and locations can be along right
margin
- Avoid templates
- Minimal bolding, italics, underlining
- Do not right align dates
- Avoid text boxes, templates, tables, headers,
and footers
- Only use basic round circles for bullet points
Sections
- Customize sections to highlight relevant
experiences
- Use traditional sections: Education,
Experience, Volunteer, Activities, Skills
- No Objective Statement
Content
- Use keywords from posting
- Highlight relevant skills
- Can list cumulative and major GPA
- Write out degree (Bachelor of Science)
- Write out all abbreviations besides
states
- Use keywords from posting
- Highlight relevant skills
- Only list cumulative GPA
- Write degree based on how it is listed in
posting (B.S. versus Bachelor of Science)
- Abbreviate technical skills if abbreviated in
posting
Saving the
file
- Save and send as a PDF
- Follow directions on how to upload; if not
specified, save as a Word document
5
RÉSUMÉ SECTIONS
SECTION CONTENT
REQUIRED SECTIONS
Every résumé should have these sections
-
Heading
-
Education
-
Skills
RECOMMENDED SECTIONS
Choose your sections based on your background
and which experiences you are trying to highlight
-
Experience
-
Relevant Experience
-
Additional Experience
-
Academic Projects
-
Research Experience
-
Leadership
-
Volunteer
-
Activities
-
Military Experience
-
Practicum
-
Professional Development
-
Publications
-
Presentations
OPTIONAL SECTIONS
Include if space permits and they add specific
value to the résumé
-
Objective Statement/Summary/
Headline/Professional Profile
-
Interests
DO NOT INCLUDE
-
References or phrase “references
available upon request”
-
View sample references page on p.14
HEADING
-
Include Name, Address, Email, Customized LinkedIn URL
-
Do not include: picture, marital status, gender, race, and other personal demographics
-
Name: should be large and bolded
-
Address: Use address closest to the organization are applying to; remove address if posting online
-
Email: Use Trinity email or appropriate personal account (ex. [email protected])
-
LinkedIn URL: Only include if profile is “employer ready” and the URL has been customized
-
Do not write in “header” section of the Word document – ATS cannot read
EXAMPLE:
William Jones
300 Summit Street, Hartford, CT 06106 | william.jones@trincoll.edu | (555) 555-5555 | www.linkedin.com/in/wjones
OBJECTIVE STATEMENT (Not required)
-
Helpful if transitioning career fields – ask a career coach if an objective is recommended for you
-
Highlight transferable skills and what you bring to the role
-
Focus on what you want to do for them versus what you want them to do for you
EXAMPLE:
Objective: Seeking full-time fundraising position utilizing communication, organization, and interpersonal skills to
address food insecurity in the Greater Hartford Area
6
SECTION CONTENT CONTINUED
EDUCATION
-
Include school, degree, minors, concentration, expected graduation, location, relevant coursework, honors, GPA, Study
Away, additional degrees
-
School:
List in reverse chronological order; Trinity College at the top of the section for current students
Remove high school by junior year unless school has well-established alumni network
-
Date:
month and year; only put dates of graduation, not start date
-
Degree:
Write out Bachelor of _______ in ___________, only abbreviate if B.S. or B.A. is used in posting
-
Minors and Concentration:
List under degree
-
Relevant Coursework:
Include advanced, upper-level classes, and relevant courses outside of your major
-
Honors:
List honors underneath each school attended with dates awarded
-
GPA:
Recommended if above a 3.0; If major GPA is higher can be listed on “Human-Optimized Résumé”
Do not round GPA
-
Study Away:
List name of institution, dates, relevant coursework (optional)
-
Additional Degrees:
If you have an associate’s degree or other degrees list them in reverse chronological order
-
Other Institutions:
If you transferred schools they can be listed on your résumé until you graduate or need more space;
helpful to include if your experiences were on your old campus; not required to be included
EXAMPLE:
Trinity College,
Hartford, CT
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Expected May 2020
Minor: Human Rights
GPA: 3.46/4.00
Honors: Dean’s List, Fall 2016-Spring 2017, Design Fellow
Relevant Coursework: Statistics for the Social Sciences, Medicine, Heath, & Society, The Sociology of Food,
Global Gender Inequalities, Law and Poverty
Trinity in Trinidad
, St. Augustine, Trinidad
Study Abroad, September 2017-December 2017
EXPERIENCE – ACTIVITIES – VOLUNTEER
-
All experiences should be listed in reverse chronological order within each section
-
Include organization name, location, position title, and dates
-
Add bullet point statements to highlight achievements and relevant skills; see p.8 on writing bullet point statements
EXAMPLE:
Hands On Hartford
, Hartford, CT
Volunteer, May 2017-Present
Prepare nutritious meals for families and individuals with food insecurity serving over 100 people per meal
Welcome visitors by engaging in casual and meaningful conversations to create a comfortable atmosphere
7
ACADEMIC PROJECTS
-
Opportunity to show how you developed technical skills through research, projects, or papers
-
Include school name, location, class name, project title, dates
-
Use bullet points to highlight skills developed and resources used
EXAMPLE:
Medicine, Health & Society
, Trinity College, Hartford, CT
Project Title: Racial Inequities in Health Care Accessibility in Urban Settings, January-May 2018
Researched peer-reviewed articles on the history of health care access in the United States
Developed qualitative assessment instrument to survey Hartford city residents on health care needs
Presented findings and recommendations to class, professor, and community members, highlighting the need for
greater low-cost preventative care
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
-
Include school name, professor’s name, project title or focus, location, and dates
-
Optional: Add a description of the project’s purpose before bullet points
-
Use bullet points to highlight what you did
EXAMPLE:
Department of Sociology
, Trinity College, Hartford, CT
Research Assistant, Advisor: Dr. Andersson, September 2017-Present
Focus: Masculinity and the social stigma of mental health in minority communities
-
Conduct research on mental health statistics in JSTOR and report findings to advisor
-
Organize survey data in Excel and input to SPSS for analysis
SKILLS
-
Include career-specific rather than transferable skills (Matlab – Yes; Interpersonal – No)
-
Choose relevant sub-sections based on field
o
Computer
o
Language
o
Laboratory
o
Certifications
o
Software
o
Programming
o
Hardware
o
Social Media
-
Include level of proficiency, ex. Fluent French, introductory Excel
-
Do not list English as a skill if applying to positions in the U.S.
EXAMPLE:
Computer: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint; Adobe Photoshop; WordPress
Language: Intermediate French
8
WRITING STRONG BULLET POINT STATEMENTS
Use this guide to brainstorm content for your bullet points. Repeat this exercise for each relevant responsibility at all of
your experiences.
STEP 1: BRAINSTORM
Situation Action Outcome
Be specific about what you did Show how you did it Results or why you did it
STEP 2: ARRANGE ORDER OF CONTENT
-
Arrange the order of your bullet point statement content to highlight relevant skills
STEP 3: CUSTOMIZE
-
Select a descriptive action verb to start the bullet point statement
-
Compile your bullet point content based on flow, clarity, and relevancy
GENERAL TIPS:
-
Remove bullet point statements from industry or position-specific résumé if they are not relevant
-
Not every experience needs bullet point statements; choose based on relevancy and space
-
Vary your action verbs and avoid generic terms such as: “worked,” “assisted,” and “responsible for”
-
No personal pronouns: “I” “me” “we”
-
Be specific; quantify descriptions and results
-
Use the correct tense – current positions = present tense, past positions = past tense
-
Write out numbers less than ten
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
9
ACTION VERBS
Start
each bullet point statement with a strong action verb to highlight transferable skills.
RESEARCH TECHNICAL
ANALYTICAL
administered
allocated
analyzed
appraised
audited
balanced
budgeted
calculated
controlled
developed
estimated
financed
forecasted
formulated
minimized
monitored
multiplied
procured
projected
purchased
raised
rated
reconciled
refined
reformed
researched
scrutinized
secured
substantiated
supplemented
sustained
transferred
COMMUNICATION
addressed
authored
communicated
composed
contacted
convinced
corresponded
developed
directed
drafted
edited
influenced
interpreted
interviewed
lectured
marketed
mediated
moderated
motivated
negotiated
networked
persuaded
presented
promoted
publicized
published
recruited
referred
reported
translated
CREATIVE
composed
conceived
conducted
created
designed
developed
directed
drafted
established
executed
fashioned
founded
illustrated
improvised
instituted
integrated
introduced
invented
modernized
originated
performed
pioneered
remodeled
renovated
replaced
revitalized
sketched
stimulated
strategized
transformed
HELPING
adapted
advised
applied
assessed
assigned
clarified
coached
corrected
defined
demonstrated
directed
educated
enabled
evaluated
explained
facilitated
guided
identified
instructed
interacted
modeled
motivated
observed
praised
reinforced
simplified
synthesized
taught
trained
tutored
MANAGEMENT
centralized
chaired
commissioned
concluded
condensed
confirmed
contracted
consolidated
consulted
correlated
cultivated
delegated
developed
employed
evaluated
executed
founded
fulfilled
headed
hired
managed
maintained
oversaw
prioritized
produced
proposed
recruited
regulated
revitalized
supervised
ORGANIZATION
approved
arranged
catalogued
classified
collected
compiled
consolidated
distributed
enlisted
expedited
extracted
generated
identified
inspected
integrated
monitored
operated
organized
prepared
prioritized
processed
recorded
reorganized
retrieved
revised
scheduled
screened
streamlined
updated
validated
amplified
analyzed
ascertained
authorized
calculated
charted
collected
compared
conducted
diagnosed
designed
determined
evaluated
examined
extracted
formulated
identified
indexed
inspected
instituted
interpreted
interviewed
investigated
minimized
modified
processed
reviewed
researched
studied
summarized
surveyed
tested
activated
assembled
built
calculated
computed
constructed
converted
customized
debugged
deciphered
designed
detected
devised
dispersed
enforced
engineered
enriched
exercised
exhibited
fabricated
finalized
formed
installed
maintained
operated
programmed
remodeled
repaired
resolved
screened
serviced
upgraded
Li (Michelle) Xiu Ying
300 Summit Street, Hartford, CT 06106
(860) 555-5555 | wang.ying@trincoll.edu | www.linkedin.com/in/michelle.ying
EDUCATION
Trinity College Hartford, CT
Bachelor of Arts May 2021
Emerging academic interest: Environmental Science
Honors: East Hartford Garden Club Scholarship
Glastonbury High School Glastonbury, CT
High School Diploma June 2017
Honors: National Honor Society, High Honors
GPA: 4.3/5.2
ACTIVITES & VOLUNTEER
Trinity College Annual Community Events Staff (ACES), Trinity College Hartford, CT
Volunteer/Member September 2016 – Present
Implement annual food drive at local grocery store to collect donations for hungry children and families
Solicit donations for silent auction by contacting local businesses; raised over $1,000 for Hartford
Food System, Inc. to sustain community gardens
Relay for Life Hartford, CT; Glastonbury, CT
Volunteer April 2013 – Present (Annual)
Fundraise over $5000 as member of local team by raising awareness of reasons to support cancer
research funding and participating in annual overnight event
GHS Marine and Environmental Club, Glastonbury High School Glastonbury, CT
Vice President, Member September 2015 – June 2017
Executed annual Ocean Beach Clean Up in New Haven to decrease fresh water pollution
Recruited new members through Facebook and in person tabling campaigns to educate peers on the
importance of sustainable community practices
WORK EXPERIENCE
Multiple Families Glastonbury, CT
Nanny September 2014 – Present
Supervise three children between six months and five years by creating a safe play environment
Prepare and serve healthy meals; organize engaging outdoor activities and day trips
PLAN B Burger Bar Glastonbury, CT
Wait Staff June – August 2017
Managed section of five to six tables during high traffic shifts while providing high quality service
Explained menu items to customers and made recommendations based on customer preferences
Host June 2016 – June 2017
Coordinated seating chart to ensure wait staff received new tables in a well-timed manner
SKILLS & INTERESTS
Computer: Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint
Language: Conversational Mandarin Chinese
Interests: Environmental Conservation, Travel (recently Beijing, China, London, England)
First Year/Sophomore Sample Résumé
Human-Oriented Version
11
Li (Michelle) Xiu Ying
300 Summit Street, Hartford, CT 06106
(860) 555-5555 | li.ying@trincoll.edu | www.linkedin.com/in/michelle.ying
Education
Trinity College, Hartford, CT
Bachelor of Arts, May 2021
Major: Undeclared
Honors: East Hartford Garden Club Scholarship
Glastonbury High School, Glastonbury, CT
High School Diploma, June 2017
Honors: National Honor Society, High Honors
GPA: 4.3/5.2
Experience
Multiple Families, Glastonbury, CT
Nanny, September 2014 – Present
Supervise three children between six months and five years by creating a safe play environment
Prepare and serve healthy meals; organize engaging outdoor activities and day trips
PLAN B Burger Bar, Glastonbury, CT
Wait Staff, June – August 2017
Managed section of five to six tables during high traffic shifts while providing high quality dining service
Explained menu items to customers and made recommendations based on customer preferences
Host, June 2016 – June 2017
Coordinate seating chart to ensure wait staff received new tables in a well-timed manner
Activities
Trinity College Annual Community Events Staff (ACES), Trinity College, Hartford, CT
Volunteer/Member, September 2016 – Present
Implement annual food drive at local grocery store to collect donations for hungry children and families
Solicit donations for silent auction by contacting local businesses; raised over $1,000 for Hartford Food
System, Inc to sustain community gardens
Relay for Life, Hartford, CT; Glastonbury CT
Volunteer, April 2013 – Present (Annual)
Fundraise over $5000 as member of local team by raising awareness of reasons to support cancer research
funding and participating in annual overnight event
GHS Marine and Environmental Club, Glastonbury High School, Glastonbury, CT
Vice President, Member, September 2015 – June 2017
Executed annual Ocean Beach Clean Up in New Haven to decrease fresh water pollution
Recruited new members through Facebook and in person tabling campaigns to educate peers on the
importance of sustainable community practices
Skills
Computer: Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint
Language: Conversational Mandarin Chinese
First Year/Sophomore Sample Résumé
ATS Version
12
Karina Diaz
300 Summit Street, Hartford, CT 02492
EDUCATION
Trinity College Hartford, CT
Bachelor of Science in Economics Expected May 2020
Minor: Urban Studies
Major GPA: 3.72/4.00; Cumulative GPA: 3.23/4.00
Honors: All Academic-NESCAC 2016; Faculty Honors: Fall 2016, Fall 2017
Relevant Coursework: Urban Economics, Public Finance: Economics of the Public Sector, Money and Banking,
Sustainable Urban Development
EXPERIENCE
State of Connecticut, Department of Economic & Community Development Hartford, CT
Community Development Intern June – August 2017
Researched the economic impact of for-profit companies leaving Hartford and organized findings in Excel
Created charts and graphs to present findings to supervisor and department director
Gained exposure to multiple aspects of community development by attending meetings with
communications, legal, government affairs, business recruitment, and compliance departments
ACADEMIC PROJECTS
Urban Research Practicum, Trinity College Hartford, CT
Project Title: The Student Athlete Effect January 2018 – Present
Develop research proposal to assess the impact of participation in high school athletics on graduation rates
of young women living in urban environments
Receive IRB approval to conduct quantitative assessment in Qualtrics and facilitate focus groups with 20
young women attending Hartford High School
Review study findings and present results to Hartford High School administration with recommendations
for future athletic programming for women is sports
LEADERSHIP & VOLUNTEER
Trinity College Varsity Soccer Hartford, CT
Team Member September 2016 – Present
Collaborate with teammates to implement new plays through regular practice and effective communication
Motivate peers to participate in volunteer activities to encourage inner-city youth to play soccer and organize
volunteer opportunities for individuals and small groups
Dedicate 20+ hours per week in season for practice and games while managing rigorous academic schedule
Participate in competitive NESCAC conference in Division III
Hartford Youth Soccer Program Hartford, CT
Volunteer September 2016 – Present
Facilitate weekend soccer tournament for 200 Hartford students aged 12 to 16 by communicating with
school administrators, families, and volunteers to ensure event was fully staffed and ran effectively
SKILLS
Computer: Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint; Qualtrics; SPSS
Language: Fluent in Spanish
Junior/Senior Sample Résumé
Human-Oriented Version
13
Karina Diaz
300 Summit Street, Hartford, CT 02492
(860) 555-5555 | karina.diaz@trincoll.edu | www.linkedin.com/in/karinadiaz/
Education
Trinity College, Hartford, CT
B.S. in Economics, Expected May 2020
Minor: Urban Studies
GPA: 3.23/4.00
Honors: All Academic-NESCAC 2016; Faculty Honors: Fall 2016, Fall 2017
Relevant Coursework: Urban Economics, Public Finance: Economics of the Public Sector, Money and Banking,
Sustainable Urban Development
Experience
Urban Research Practicum, Trinity College, Hartford, CT
Project Title: The Student Athlete Effect, January 2018 – Present
Develop research proposal to assess the impact of participation in high school athletics on graduation rates of
young women living in urban environments
Receive IRB approval to conduct quantitative assessment in Qualtrics and facilitate focus groups with 20 young
women attending Hartford High School
Review study findings and present results to Hartford High School administration with recommendations for
future athletic programming for women is sports
State of Connecticut, Department of Economic & Community Development, Hartford, CT
Community Development Intern, June – August 2017
Researched the economic impact of for-profit companies leaving Hartford and organized findings in Excel
Created charts and graphs to present findings to supervisor and department director
Gained exposure to multiple aspects of community development by attending meetings with communications,
legal, government affairs, business recruitment, and compliance departments
Volunteer
Trinity College Varsity Soccer, Hartford, CT
Team Member, September 2016 – Present
Collaborate with teammates to implement new plays through regular practice and effective communication
Motivate peers to participate in volunteer activities to encourage inner-city youth to play soccer and organize
volunteer opportunities for individuals and small groups
Dedicate 20+ hours per week in season for practice and games while managing rigorous academic schedule
Participate in competitive NESCAC conference in Division III
Hartford Youth Soccer Program, Hartford, CT
Volunteer, September 2016 – Present
Facilitate weekend soccer tournament for 200 Hartford students aged 12 to 16 by communicating with school
administrators, families, and volunteers to ensure event was fully staffed and ran effectively
Skills
Computer: Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint; Qualtrics; SPSS
Language: Fluent in Spanish
Junior/Senior Sample Résumé
ATS Version
14
Sample References Page
Karina Diaz
300 Summit Street, Hartford, CT 02492
References:
Joe Catrino
Director
Center for Student Success & Career Development
Trinity College
860-297-2080
Relationship: Joe was the Director when I interned at the Center for Student Success & Career Development.
Emily Merritt
Assistant Director
Center for Student Success & Career Development
Trinity College
Emily.Merritt@trincoll.edu
860-297-2080
Relationship: Emily was my supervisor when I interned at the Center for Student Success & Career Development.
Heather Hodge
Assistant Director
Center for Student Success & Career Development
Trinity College
Heather.Hodge@trincoll.edu
860-297-2080
Relationship: Heather worked at the Center for Student Success & Career Development when I was an intern, and managed a
number of projects I worked on including developing resources of international students.
