CV Reviews

Resume / CV

A resume/CV is a brief, informative summary of your abilities, education, and experience. It should highlight your strongest assets and skills to differentiate you from other candidates seeking similar positions. Although it alone will not get you a job or internship, a good resume/CV is an important element towards obtaining an interview. Employers typically scan a resume for no more than 15 to 30 seconds. Take advantage of that time by crafting a resume that is clear, concise, and quickly demonstrates how you meet their needs.

How to start?

Make a list of special qualities that sets you apart from the other applicants. Employers will be looking for examples of :

How your skills / experience / knowledge fit with the position / industry / organization
Your ability to deal with high-pressure situations
Willingness to assume responsibility
A high energy level
Strong interpersonal skills and initiative

Think of specific examples of where and how each skill or attribute led to a tangible result or achievement. Include work experience, internships, volunteer activities, clubs and organizations, research projects, sports, etc.

Resume format – Do and Don’ts

Length	1 page for undergraduate and recent grads. Fill the page completely. 2 pages may be acceptable for grad students and others with extensive relevant experience.
Font	Size: 10 – 12 points Type: Avoid unusual fonts. Use front type that is easily legible e.g. Georgia, Arial, Garamond are some of the commonly, used font types. Color: Black is preferred. Color may be difficult for some to see and/ not industry-appropriate.
Margins	0.5″ to 1″ on all sides
Name & Contact	At top of resume, centered or justified to left or right. Your name should be larger by at least 4 points May include contact information on one line, separating address, phone, and email.
Category Headings	Left justified (preferred) or centered. All caps and bold (preferred). May include a bottom border line.
Bold	Typical items to bold include Name and Headings. You may hold whatever content is most relevant to the position, remaining consistent throughout the resume: Education: your university and / or degree. Experience: your position title and / or company.
Dates	List all dates along the same margin (right-hand side preferred). Best to include months and years for each experience (instead of year only, or quarter / season). You may format dates as numbers (09/20XX), words (September 20XX), or abbreviate (Sept. 20XX). Be consitent.
Bullets	Experience descriptions should be in bullet list format. Use either • or
Spacing	Include white space between the sections of your resume
Tables / Text Boxes	Avoid these and other complex formattings, as they may make your resume difficult to scan for keywords

Layout and design of a single page resume

Example of a single page resume

Q&A on CV