Resumes & CVs

GOAL: Get invited to an interview.

Your resume is essentially an advertisement about your qualifications. In this case, each employer is your customer. Your resume (and cover letter) should emphasize how you can meet their needs vs. how the job/internship will meet your needs and desires.

Job seekers today are expected to apply for positions in many different ways: filling out applications by hand, filling out online applications, emailing resumes, uploading documents into employers' platforms, and/or applying via. an online profile in platform like Linkedin. Even when a resume does not have to be submitted, the information included in a resume can be cut and pasted into most application formats.

Give yourself 1-4 weeks to create your first resume. Creating a well-written, organized and effective resume can take time.

Refer to resume writing steps and resources below to draft, update, or refine your resume.

When any of the following resources include a for-fee resume tool or service, ignore them.

Get Resume Development Support
  • Current GCC students (and those who finished classwork within the last 3 months) can email their resume to Shannon Doran for review, feedback, and guidance – after updating and proofreading their existing draft.
  • All Massachusetts residents can get free resume support from their regional MassHire Career Center, after attending a free webinar on resume writing.
  • If you are not a Massachusetts resident, research your state’s un/employment system to find out what public support is available.
1. Resume Template & Guide

1A. Use the GCC Resume Drafting & Editing Guide to create a new resume or improve an existing resume.

1B. Use one of the following GCC resume templates to accelerate the development of a new resume or as a visual on how to improve an existing resume.

  • Skills-Based Resume Template – Emphasizes skills; best for those who have limited relevant work experience. Also a space-saving and redundancy-reducing option for those who performed the same tasks at 2 or more jobs.
  • Chronological Resume Template – Emphasizes (relevant) work history; best for experienced professionals.

DIRECTIONS:

  • Click one of resume template links above.
  • Make a copy and change the document label.  Ex. Your Full Name – Official Name of Position (aka. Full Job Title) – Resume – Date
  • Replace the text in the template with your own information.
  • Create a “catch-all” resume, which includes every skill, strength, accomplishment, and work experience you can think of.
  • Copy the latter and customize it for each position and employer you apply to.

The templates above include very minimal formatting – an extra space between lines that are slightly different for section headers vs. bulleted statements. If you want to remove this formatting: 1) Click the control (Ctrl) button and the letter ‘A’ at the same time (to select all text). Then click “Format” in the menu bar of the template, and select “Clear Formatting.”

2. Different Types of Resumes

2A. Indeed and job scan do a nice job of outlining the 3 main types of resume formats:

2B. For people with a good amount of relevant work experience:

2C. For those with no or very little (i.e. relevant) work experience, a lot of similar work experiences, or a significant work history gap:

2D. For career-changers: 

2E. A Combination (a.k.a. Hybrid) Resume Format 

2F. Video Resumes – Only provide a video resume, if requested by an employer.  This format is not (yet) typically required.

2G. For Internships

2H. Federal Resumes

There is a specific resume convention for federal jobs.  Please refer to these resources to customize your resume accordingly.

2I. CVs

In the US, “CVs” usually refers to a very long version of a resume which professors, scholars and researchers use to apply for new positions.

2J. College Application Resumes/CV 

  • https://novoresume.com/career-blog/college-application-resume
    • I generally agree with what is recommended in this resource – except for how they list and format skills within the ‘John Doe’ resume example. It is much more powerful to include skills in skill/accomplishment statements that indicate how often and well you used skills within specific contexts.
  • https://empowerly.com/applications/resume-for-college-applications 
    • The template included in this webpage/guide includes some great examples of what kinds of projects and experience you can add to and/or emphasize in a college application resume/CV.  However, I do recommend including a photo in the resume. Refer to section 3F for an explanation.
  • Refer to section 2I above for additional insights about CV development.

2K. For Different Industries

Resume for most industries will be variations on the chronological, skills-based, or combination resume format.  However, sometimes there are unique resume trends (subtle or not) in different industries.

Here is a small collection of resources that were reviewed by GCC Career Readiness for your consideration. You can read tips and incorporate them into the GCC Chronological Resume Template & Guide or build off of the examples included within the following articles.

TIP: Avoid any templates that require you to enter information into fields, pay a fee, or conform to a rigid format – especially those with two separate columns of information.

Resumes for Artists

3. Formatting & Stylistic Choices

These are great things to know as you craft and especially when you are putting the finishing touches on your resume.

3A. Length

Unless you have 5-10 years of relevant work experience, your resume should only be one page long.

Additional resources:

3B. Margins

  • Margins, including the top and bottom, can be as small as .5 inches.
  • You can adjust margin sizes to help fill a single page or fit more text into one page.
  • It is best to adjust pages when you are done or almost done drafting your resume

Additional resource:

3C. Fonts

Font sizes in resume usually range from .9 to .12 – depending on the font chosen and how much you text you need to include within a given page.

Additional resource:

3D. Numbers

Do not spell out the name of a number (one).  Instead, represent quantities numerically (1).  In addition to saving space, numerals stand out visually.  Since being specific in resumes is one of the “rules of thumb”, quantifying accomplishments and using numerals to do so, is a high-impact resume development strategy.

3E. Hyperlinks

This is one school of thought, when it comes to the question of whether or not hyperlinks should be included in a resume:

  • Do not hyperlink your email address unless there are other things in your resume which are hyperlinked.
  • If you cite relevant projects, awards or other accomplishments in your resume associated with a website or another electronic format, include a hyperlink. That way application reviewers can opt to find out more if they are inclined to do so.
  • Be selective about what you hyperlink. Hyperlinks should augment the content you provide but not make your resume look cluttered.

Additional resources:

3F. Photos

It is illegal for employers to base their hiring decisions on an applicants age, gender, sex, sexual preference, relationship status, ethnicity or race.  However, if you include a photo in your resume, the decision to invite you to an interview (or not) could be influenced by both conscious and unconscious bias.

There are some exceptions, but this is the standard recommendation.  To learn more, check out the supplemental resources included below and/or talk to trusted professionals within your field.

Additional resources:

4. Create a Catch-All Resume

The catch-all or “origin resume”, is an archive of your qualifications that can serve you in a variety of ways throughout your education and work life.

4A. Create and maintain a catch-all (a.k.a. origin) resume, which includes all:

  • Skills
  • Education credentials, training certificates, and industry recognized credentials (IRC)
  • Professional / work experiences
  • Professional projects
  • Professional accomplishments
  • Relevant projects
  • Awards
  • Etc.

4B. Why?

If maintained, your catch-all resume can serve as a lifelong archive, which you can draw from when:

  • including transferrable skills in your resume for a specific position
  • filling in hardcopy or online applications
  • creating electronic profiles and portfolios
  • applying to colleges or for scholarships
  • creating a career development plan
  • practicing answers to common interview questions

4C. How?

  1. See how much you can add to (or replace in) either of these resume templates:
    1. Skills-Based Resume Template – Emphasizes skills; best for those who have limited relevant work experience. Also a space-saving and redundancy-reducing option for those who performed the same tasks at 2 or more jobs.
    2. Chronological Resume Template – Emphasizes (relevant) work history; best for experienced professionals.
  2. Brainstorm.
  3. Organize the information into various categories. (Refer to “Categories/Section” below.)
  4. Fill in more details whenever you think of them.
  5. Do some word crafting. Use AI to help you come up with words and phrases.
  6. Revise, step away, revise again and again..and again.
  7. Ask at least 2 people you trust to proofread your resume – until no other adjustments are needed.
5. Customize Resume for Each Job Application

5A. Make a copy of your catch-all resume and create a version that is tailored to the position you are applying for.

Your resume should demonstrate how qualified you are for the specific job or internship you are applying for.

Pay attention to the section headers used in the job/internship posting, as well as the values implied and key words (verbs, adjectives, skills, qualifications). Include them, to the fullest extent possible, in the resume you create for each position.

Additional resources – general tips:

6. Stay Organized

6A. Use a consistent labeling convention across all application materials: resume, cover letter, and reference sheet.  In addition to keeping you organized, it will also help human resource professionals, hiring committees/managers, and employers find your application materials (easily), when they need to.

Example:

  • Your Full Name – Official Position Title – Resume – Date (that draft was created or submission date)
  • Your Full Name – Official Position Title – Cover Letter – Date (that draft was created or submission date)
  • Your Full Name – Official Position Title – References – Date (that draft was created or submission date)

6B. Create an electronic file and hardcopy file to store all drafts and versions of your resume.

7. Resume Categories/Sections


7A. Here are some very standard names for different sections of resumes:

7B. However, there are a lot of other options to consider. Sometimes, adding other categories and/or using different category labels will make your qualifications more obvious to employers and resume-reading robots.

7C. What would guide these changes?

  1. Where you are on your career path.
  2. The job descriptions for each position you are applying for.

The easier you can make it for employers (and resume reading robots) to see the connection between your qualifications and what they need, the better. Also, sometimes employers only scan the top half of the resume initially.  Therefore, getting their attention and impressing them early on is a very good strategy. How?

  1. Mark the obvious priorities, values, adjectives, action verbs, and qualifications included in the job description – to make these key words more obvious to you.
  2. Include as many of these key words and phrases in your resume as you can, while maintaining complete honesty.
  3. Rename the categories of information in your resume to match the words used in the job description, when applicable.
  4. Move categories of information within your resume, so the most relevant and impressive information is featured in the top half of your resume.
  5. Split categories of information into subcategories, so the most relevant and impressive information can be read by employers first.

For example:

Dilemma (aka. opportunity):
Let’s say that you have more relevant volunteer experience than paid work experience. Although both types of positions could be listed under the label “Experience” or even “Work Experience”, when you list them together in reverse chronological order, your relevant volunteer experiences will not stand out as much.

Solution:

    1. Split your experience into two sections: “Volunteer Experience” and “Work Experience” (or “Other Work Experience” if you prefer).
    2. Move your new Volunteer Experience section into the upper half of your resume.
    3. Place the “Work Experience” section below it.
8. The Header

8A. The header includes you contact information (and then some). 

TIP: Use the same exact header at the top of your resume, cover letter, and reference sheet. Your header will become your “word logo”, which will help employers more easily identify you (and find your different application materials).

Watch this short video to learn more and see examples of different header formats:

8B. Postal address

You don’t always want or need to include your postal address in your resume.

Do not include your address if you are uploading your resume into a job search engine that can be viewed by almost anyone. Not all employers in search engines are legitimate, and you don’t want just anyone to be able to learn so much about you and also know where you live.

If you are applying for a job that you could easily commute to, include your address or the City/Town and two-initials for the state you live in.  Being local will reassure some employers.

If you are applying for a job that is far away, you might want to omit your address, so they don’t immediately wonder if the distance or moving costs (for them or you) will be an issue.

Additional resource:

8C. Electronic profile or portfolio is becoming more of a norm.

Pros and cons – for starters: 

CONS: If people see a photo of you, conscious and/or unconscious bias can influence employers’ outreach and hiring decisions.

PROS: It is possible (but not a given) that your online presence will impress them or help them recognize your qualifications in different ways.

Additional resource:

8D. Hyperlinks in resumes are becoming more of a norm. It is not required but it can sometimes be strategic to include them. Considerations:

  • If you hyperlink your Handshake or Linkedin Profile handle, then also hyperlink your email address.
  • If you do not include a link to an electronic profile or portfolio in your header, it’s not necessary to hyperlink your email address – for consistency sake.
  • If you include hyperlinks, within the body of your resume (so employers can see examples of your best work; online articles about or by you; blogs or web pages you have created, etc.), then also hyperlink your email address.

Additional resources:

8E. Headshots/Photo

It is illegal for employers to base their hiring decisions on an applicants age, gender, sex, sexual preference, relationship status, ethnicity or race.  However, if you include a photo in your resume, the decision to invite you to an interview (or not) could be influenced by both conscious and unconscious bias.

There are some exceptions, but this is the standard recommendation.  To learn more, check out the supplemental resources included below and/or talk to trusted professionals within your field.

Additional resources:

9. Profile or Summary (vs. Objective)

The position for the summary or profile section is  just under the contact information (a.k.a. header).

9A. The “objective” has become passé. 

Why? The objective usually included a phrase about what type of professional they are (for example: business management professional) and the kind of job they are seeking in what specific industry.  Inevitably, the objective states the obvious and does not provide any substantial information about a person’s qualifications.

9B. The definition of a resume Summary vs. Profile varies from one source to another, but the difference always has to do with the formatting (paragraph vs. bullets). The content included in each is the same.

Learn about this especially impactful section of your resume:

A summary includes a series of sentences (a.k.a. “accomplishment statements”), which do not have to all relate to each other and do not include pronouns or many filler and transition words.

A profile includes the same exact information in a bulleted format and is therefore usually easier to write.

A hybrid summary/profile usually includes 1-4 accomplishment statements in a paragraph format, followed by 3 or more bullets with accomplishment statements. Since the terms “summary” and “profile” are often used interchangeably, either label will do for this hybrid version.

9B. Additional resources

10. The Skills Section

10A. Embed skills within the Summary/Profile and/or Experience section to the fullest extent possible – instead of stacking your most relevant and impressive skills in a Skills section.

Why?: Skills are more impactful and convincing when put into context and linked directly to your actions.

An exception to this “rule”: a short skills section included at the very bottom of a resume can be a great way to efficiently list hard (aka. technological) skills that are relatively standard in the industry but are also essential to the job you are applying for.

10B. Inspirational aids – Use the resources below to jog your mind about what skills you have and to get examples of language used to describe your skills.

  • Marketable Skills – A webpage designed to help you think of your marketable skills and make a plan to get more!

Additional resources:

10C. Languages/Multi-lingual

It’s usually prudent to indicate if you speak and/or understand more than one language (at different levels of proficiency) in the profile/summary section of a resume.  Another option is to add them to a “Skills” section to your resume.  If knowing other languages is a key requirement of the position, you may even want to have a section called “Language Skills” in your resume, so it stands out.  Having a section dedicated to this skill, will also make it possible for you to move this information into a more prominent position within your resume. (For example: the top vs. bottom half of your resume)

Additional resources:

11. The Education Section

11A. The placement of the Education Section should be based on where you are on your education path and how relevant it is to the job you are applying for.

11B. Education experience should be listed in reverse chronological order.

11C. The formatting should be completely or relatively consistent with formatting used in the Experience section of your resume.

11D. If you have earned an associate degree, bachelor’s degree or more, you will no longer need to list a high school diploma, HiSet or GED in your resume. You can include Secondary education experiences, if it is provides you with an opportunity to highlight exemplary and/or relevant achievements.

Watch this short video to learn more!

Additional resources:

12. The (Work) Experience Section

12A. The Experiences section tends to require more reflection, creativity, and word crafting than other sections of the resume. AI, like ChatGPT and Google Gemini, can be used to simplify and accelerate this process.

In addition to watching this short video tutorial, be sure to check out the other resources included below to wrap your mind around how to create an effective, descriptive, easy-to-read, and concise experience section:

Additional resources:

12B. Task & Accomplishment Statements

12C.Word Choices

13. Don't Include or Mention References

Instead of including professional references on a resume, create a separate reference sheet.

Reference Sheet Template & Guide

  • Should You Include References on a Resume? NO! The employer will let you know if/when they want a list of your reference. Usually, this will happen after an interview. Bring a Reference Sheet to your interviews, just in case.
14. Proofreading & Editors

The resume writing process involves drafting, editing, drafting, editing, etc. – until it is polished and employer-ready.

The savvy job searcher drafts their application materials in advance of conducting a job search, and continues to add to their catch-all (a.k.a. origin) resume over time.

Ideally, you will be able to step away from each draft you have “finished” for 2 or more days. When you look at it again, you will notice more things that can be fixed, improved, etc.  Ample time to get feedback from others (GCC Career Readiness Services, MassHire Career Center, family members, and/or friends) can make all of the difference.

You are relying on your resume (and your qualifications) to earn you an interview, and you deserve support.

Additional resources:

15. Submitting a Resume

Submit application materials prior to application deadlines, if possible, since employers sometimes interview and/or hire prior to posted application deadlines.

15A. Use a consistent labeling convention – Please refer to the “Stay Organized” section of this page for an explanation and examples.

15B. Save and share resumes as a PDF

15C. How to email a resume

Resources / guides:

16. Bonus: Fun Facts

Additionally, people usually create many drafts of their resume, cover letter, and (less so) reference sheet before applying for each job/internship.  That means persistence and staying organized is key.

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