Resume tips

October 19, 2023

What makes an effective resume?

Your resume may be your first contact with a future employer. If you make a positive impression and show how you can be a valuable addition to the team, you may be called for an interview.

Top tips

Tailor your resume with keywords, backing up with evidence of accomplishments for every application to demonstrate your area of focus
Keep it to two pages and prioritize quality over quantity
Include your LinkedIn URL so readers can access more information about you if they wish
Know your industry and use relevant terminology
Write strong accomplishment statements using action verbs to describe your capabilities instead of your tasks or duties
Every experience counts. A one day job shadow, a weekend volunteering opportunity or a part-time summer job all have transferable skills
Consider organizing your sections in a way that the hiring committee will think is most important

Common mistakes

Not tailoring your resume to your audience, or using keywords without proof
Making your resume overly short so hiring managers read it. This has the opposite effect, as it can be perceived as not putting effort into your resume
Including spelling and grammar errors
Not using your education section to present skills and knowledge
Only taking advice from one person or people who are in different fields or industries, as they may not have information relevant to your application
Utilizing AI tools such as ChatGPT to write your resume

Access more support on your resume

Drop in to a virtual online chat to ask questions or upload your resume for a critique. Register and attend through Brazen
Attend one of SSC’s resume presentations
Schedule an appointment on OSCARplus for a critique if you have additional questions

Example

Your Name
Current Address (include at least City, Province, Postal Code)
Phone Number
Email
LinkedIn URL

Highlights of Qualifications (optional/job specific)

Experience related to the position (include number of years if applicable)
Credentials/training/education relevant to the position
Skills/strengths or knowledge relevant to the position with qualifying statements to back it up
One or two skills/strengths that could be considered assets to the position
Work ethic or values or technical skills relevant to position [Text Wrapping Break]

Education

Bachelor of Major area of study; Minor; Specialization (in bold) Year – Present
McMaster University, Hamilton, ON

Add any relevant subjects taken with a brief description
Add research/projects undertaken with brief description or results if relevant
Add academic awards if significant

Employment Experience

Position Title (in bold) Timeline (Month, Year)
Name of company or organization, city, province

Use 1-2 lines to describe your relevant activities in that position
Use action verbs to give your bullet points more impact
At least one of the bullet points should describe an initiative you took or an achievement you had with results
Emphasize your transferable skills (leadership, organization, team work, etc.)
Consider using SAR formula (situation, action, result). Refer to the Creating effective accomplishment statements section on Page 5

Extra Curricular Activities and/or Volunteer Experience

List the positions in student and volunteer organizations; treat them like regular jobs. Examples of extra-curriculars can include: Job Shadow, MSU Clubs, Faculty Associations, etc.

Position Title (in bold) Timeline (Month, Year)
Name of club, charity, event, city, province

Describe what you did in this position
Emphasize your transferable skills and any achievements
Consider using SAR formula (situation, action, result)

Technical Skills (optional)

You can adjust headings to be more specific or general (for example, Computer Skills, Language Skills, Business Skills, Additional Skills, Related Skills, etc.). This is where you add any relevant “hard skills” or knowledge areas. Depending on the importance to the position, this heading may be better suited on the first page.

Programming Languages: C/C++, Visual C++, Visual Basic
Graphic Programs: Corel Draw, AutoCAD
Office Applications: MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint

Professional Development (optional)
This is where you can add additional relevant training (e.g. LinkedIn Learning courses) to showcase your interest to the industry/field.

Name of Training/Course/Workshop/Conference (in bold) Timeline (Month, Year)
Name of company or organization, city, province (if applicable)

State any license/certificate/designation received and expiration date (if applicable)
A brief overview could be provided if the title of the training isn’t self-explanatory

Interests (optional)

Tennis: Competed extensively through Canada in various junior and senior tournaments
Drama: Took major roles in high school and university drama
Public Speaking: Joined the local toastmasters group to improve speaking skill

*Review the alternative resume section titles below to market your experiences most effectively.

Examples of alternative resume section titles

Objective
Career Objective
Professional Objective
Career Focus
Career Goal

Profile
Key Competencies/Skills
Highlights of Qualifications
Career Profile
Professional Qualifications
Professional Profile

Education
Academic Background
Training
Professional Education
Additional Training
Professional Development

Experience
Relevant Experience
Employment History
Work Experience
Additional Experience
Professional Background
Professional Experience

Other Skills
Projects
Career-Related Skills
Computer Skills
Technical Skills
Certifications
Specialized Skills

Achievements
Accomplishments
Awards
Recognitions
Scholarships

Professional Affiliations
Associations
Professional Memberships
Professional Associations
Memberships
Affiliations

Activities/Interests
Community Involvement
Volunteer Activities
Related Activities
University Activities
Professional Interests

Academic Presentations Publications
Conferences Attended Conferences/Conventions
Papers Presented
Professional Presentations

Creating effective accomplishment statements

Create an effective resume by tailoring it to the position to which you are applying, and create accomplishment statements that give a clear impression of your capabilities and success.

1. Identify your target audience and skills they want

2. Reflect on your achievements

Consider your past experiences from work, internships, volunteering, community involvement, etc., and identify your achievement(s). Think of times when you…

Solved a problem
Received praise/awards
Created efficiencies
Exceeded expectations
Achieved a goal
Initiated something
Prevented an issue
Improved something
Demonstrated leadership
Were selected for added responsibility or promotion

3. Follow the formula

Phase I: Begin with an action verb

Refer to the list of action verbs in this booklet. Take inventory of skills you used, then use asterisks* to mark the skills that are most relevant to your target audience’s needs. For example: organized, initiatied*, developed*, coordinated

Phase II: Relevant information

Briefly describe the relevant information such as: actions taken, time, people involved. Be particular in including information that provides the relevant context. For example: effective filing strategy, including over 5 years of records, used by staff.

Phase III: What was the result, purpose or benefit?

Where possible, quantify your results. For example: saved time for staff when solving client issues

Final accomplishment statement

Initiated and developed a more effective filing strategy for over 5 years of records, which saved time for staff when solving client issues.

Example accomplishment statements

The following are pairs of statements identifying the same role. Consider how the second statement of each pair is written as an effective accomplishment statement.

Provided customer service
Provided customer service in a busy retail environment resulting in the creation of a loyal customer base and improved sales by 10%
Initiated reorganization of file system
Initiated reorganization of file system which made client information more accessible to staff of non-profit organization
Initiated and completed system of data entry from manual to computerized
Initiated and completed system of data entry from manual to computerized system, resulting in improved account analysis and report generation for tax and other purposes
Maintained and updated files
Maintained and updated patient files for rehabilitation clinic with approximately 340 regular patients
Trained administrators and other staff
Trained administrators and other staff at physiotherapy clinic on MS Excel, saving outside training expenses of more than $1000
Created manual for volunteers
Created procedural and responsibilities manual for volunteers at a community agency, which reduced overlapping duties and increased efficiency.
Worked on product layouts
Revised merchandise layout and recommended changes that resulted in increased product visibility and increased sales by 33%
Work well in a team environment
Collaborated with team members to complete a group marketing project for final year commerce class ensuring tasks were identified and completed by the team members on time