Resumes are typically required when applying for part-time jobs, internships, and full-time positions. They capture all of your relevant experiences, so you want your resume to be the best representation of you on paper! Your resume is always a work in progress!
Resume Overview
For an interactive guide to writing your resume, enroll in our Resumes module via My Career Path!
Download the resume guidelines
Writing Bullet Points
Adding bullet points to describe your experiences is a great way to highlight your duties, responsibilities, and accomplishments. Writing strong bullet points can be tricky though, because they need to be descriptive, yet brief.
Add the Who, What, When, Where, Why or How:
- Who: Who did your job help? The company? Clients? Customers?
- What: What happened with the results of the job? If you did research, was that information published? If you had to do a report, what was done with that information?
- When: When did this happen? Daily? Weekly, Monthly? Talking about how often you did something is an easy way to show productivity in your job.
- Where: Where did your duties occur? Did you have to travel for a job? Were you responsible for interacting with people outside of your organization?
- Why & How: Why did you do this? How did your job duties help or add to the organization’s ability to function?
Bullet Point Formula
Use this formula as a starting point when writing your detailed bullet points. All bullet points should begin with a "power" or "action" verb that identifies your tasks (i.e., managed, assisted, supervised, planned).
SKILL (power verb) + What you DID (job responsibility) + RESULTS/OUTCOME (how/why)
Examples
Basic: Assisted with inventory (missing the what)
Great: Collaborated with team members to reconcile inventory discrepancies of 500+ medical supplies accurately (answers the what)
Basic: Provided quality customer service (missing the how)
Great: Provided quality customer service utilizing active listening skills to promptly resolve complaints (answers the how)
General Resumes
Highlighting High School Experiences
Highlighting High School & College Experiences
Highlighting a Class Project Experience
Highlighting Athletic Experience
Highlighting an Internship
Highlighting Lab & Research Experience
Highlighting Study Abroad & Research Experience
Highlighting Professional & Leadership Experience
Highlighting Freelance Experiences
Highlighting Pre-Health Experiences
This sample is ideal for pre-health students who are showcasing lab, research, shadowing experiences, or related work.
Program-Specific Resumes
Elementary Education Resume
Engineering Resume
Secondary Education
Non-Traditional Resumes
Distance Education
We know you want to showcase the experiences and skills you’ve acquired thus far. Our resume samples are designed to reflect the education and work history you might have:
Sample 1 word Doc Sample 1 pdf
Sample 2 word Doc Sample 2 pdf
Sample 3 word Doc Sample 3 pdf
Using AI for Resume Development
When developing your resume, AI can help you:
- Brainstorm accomplishment statements based on your experiences
- Identify transferable skills from coursework, jobs, leadership roles, research, or volunteer work
- Strengthen bullet points using power verbs and measurable results
- Tailor your resume to specific positions or industries
- Improve clarity, organization, and formatting
Sample prompts:
If you need help with figuring out what experience to highlight on your resume:
"What is the most relevant work experience I have that aligns with this role, that I should highlight on my resume? [Enter experience sections from resume (leaving out identifying information) and job description]"
If you need help figuring out what keywords to highlight on your resume to match the job description:
"What keywords from this job description align with my experience that I should mirror in my resume? [Enter experience sections from resume (leaving out identifying information) and job description]"
If you need help with writing bullet points:
"Without changing my bullet points, analyze what is missing of the who, what, when, where, why or how, skills (using power verb), and results/outcomes using the below guidelines, then I will make the appropriate updates myself: [Enter bullet points from resume]
Who: Who did your job help? The company? Clients? Customers?
What: What happened with the results of the job? If you did research, was that information published? If you had to do a report, what was done with that information?
When: When did this happen? Daily? Weekly, Monthly? Talking about how often you did something is an easy way to show productivity in your job.
Where: Where did your duties occur? Did you have to travel for a job? Were you responsible for interacting with people outside of your organization?
Why & How: Why did you do this? How did your job duties help or add to the organization’s ability to function? "
Remember: Your resume should accurately represent your experiences, skills, and achievements. Do not use AI to create experiences, responsibilities, or accomplishments that did not occur. Employers value honesty and integrity, and misrepresenting your qualifications can damage your credibility.
Looking for more career-related prompts? View our complete AI Career Toolkit.
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) Software — What Is It & How to Beat It
99% of Fortune 500 organizations use ATS software. Why? ATS is a software solution designed to help employers source talent, evaluate potential, track interview processes, assess performance, and make offers to candidates quickly.
Unlike applying in person, your resume is seldom sent directly to recruiters or hiring managers when you use it online. ATS is processing it first. You may have a chance to be seen by a human recruiter only if your resume has been optimized for an applicant tracking system.
Here is what to focus on:
- Use the right keywords—tailor your resume to the job description and use similar wording
- Create a simple format—use simple font, avoid multiple columns, logos, pictures, etc.
- Use standard section headings—Education, Work Experience, Course Highlights
- Utilize basic language and avoid acronyms
- ALWAYS submit as a PDF—it is okay to utilize a text box if that is part of the application
For more information on ATS and how it works, please visit these articles below:
How To Write an ATS Resume
Understanding how ATS works is key to crafting a compliant resume that can help improve your profile during your job search. Learn what an ATS is, how to format an ATS-friendly resume, and how to optimize resume content for ATS scans.
How Many Companies Use an ATS
How and why do companies utilize ATS? See how employers benefit from utilizing these systems and get crucial industry statistics and information that can help you think like an employer when creating your resume.
The Top 500 ATS Resume Keywords
By having these keywords on your resume, you’ll improve your chances of being noticed by a hiring manager and landing an interview.
Uploading Your Resume to Handshake
Once your resume is in tip-top shape, it’s time to add it to Handshake! Handshake is Iowa’s online recruiting platform where students can search for volunteer, internship, and employment opportunities. Follow the steps below to upload your resume onto your Handshake account:
1. Log in and then click on your name in the upper right hand corner
2. Click on Documents
3. Click on Add New Document
4. Be sure to set your document as visible if you would like an employer to be able to see it on your profile (you will also need to set your profile to public in your privacy settings). If you receive an error message, make sure there are no special characters in the name and convert to a .pdf before uploading
We Offer Resume Reviews!
If you would like to have your resume reviewed, please schedule a meeting with a Career Coach or Peer Advisor! If you have a time sensitive request, come in to the Pomerantz Career Center (C310) during drop-in hours from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Monday–Thursday. (Drop-in hours are not available during summer, spring, or winter breaks)