How to Write Your Resume
A well-structured resume is key to advancing your application and presenting your academic and professional background clearly.
Follow the guide below to create a professional, ATS-friendly resume that highlights your qualifications, experience, and career potential.
Resume Structure
Build a clear, professional, and ATS-friendly resume by organizing your information into the right sections.
Contact Information
Include at the top of your resume:
- Name
- Phone number
- Email address
- LinkedIn profile, optional
- Portfolio or personal website, optional
Professional Summary
Write a concise 2 to 3 sentence summary that highlights:
- Your key skills
- Years of experience
- Career goals or what you aim to achieve
Key Skills
List specific skills related to the job or program you are applying for:
- Include hard skills, such as project management or data analysis
- Include soft skills, such as communication or leadership
- Use keywords from the job description to support ATS readability
Resume Sections Continued
Complete your resume with professional experience, education, certifications, technical skills, and additional achievements.
Professional Experience
For each position, include:
- Job title
- Company name and location
- Dates of employment, month/year started to month/year ended or present
Use bullet points to describe:
- Responsibilities
- Key achievements, quantify where possible
- Action verbs, such as managed, developed, or led
- Keywords from the job description
Education
- Degree earned
- University name and location
- Year graduated
Certifications
List any certifications, such as:
- Certification name, issuing organization, date earned
Technical Skills
Add specific tools or technologies relevant to the field, such as Microsoft Office, SQL, Salesforce, or other professional platforms.
Additional Information
Optional, but valuable:
- Languages spoken
- Volunteer work
- Publications
- Projects or special accomplishments
Key ATS Tips
Use these guidelines to make your resume clean, readable, and applicant-tracking-system friendly.
Use Standard Fonts
Choose Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman, usually in 10 to 12 pt size.
Keep a Simple Layout
Avoid images, graphics, tables, columns, and overly decorative formatting.
Use Keywords
Mirror the language of the job posting to improve ATS screening readability.
Avoid Fancy Formatting
Use standard headings such as Work Experience, Education, and Skills.
Save in the Right Format
Save your resume as a Word document, .docx, or an ATS-friendly PDF.
Create Your Own Resume
Build your resume in minutes using our Professional Resume Builder , or contact our admissions team at [email protected] for personalized support.
Career Support Hub
For comprehensive career development resources, including interview preparation, LinkedIn tips, and employer connections, please visit our Career Support and Opportunities page.
This guide focuses specifically on helping you craft a strong, job-ready resume with tools and templates to support your success.