Step-by-Step Resume Guide & Templates

Your resume is a marketing piece that will help employers determine if your skills and experience meet the
requirements to perform a specific job within their organization. Its purpose is to get you an interview. This
guide will help you create a resume that clearly and concisely describes pertinent information about your skills,
experiences, and accomplishments. A resume is made up of sections that help employers learn about a
candidate; some sections are essential, while others are considered optional. Through the resume writing
process you will receive feedback from other people and ideas from sample resumes, but you must decide
what best communicates the most important information about you to a potential employer and what will
resonate most with the employer’s hiring goals.

Examples have been included in this step-by-step guide to emphasize basic resume structure and to guide the
development of your resume. Resume templates are located at the end of the guide.

Resume Guide Contents and Links to Sections:

o Sections of a Resume:
o Contact Information
o Education
o Experience
o Projects
o Skills
o Activities, Honors, Publications, Conferences, Patents, etc.
o Objectives
o Strong Verbs List
o Resume Self-Review
o RESUME TEMPLATES: Master’s and PhD

THE RESUME - FORMAT & CONTENT AT A GLANCE:

Format---The Basics:
 Use only one font for the body of the resume
 Use an easily readable font that is 10-12 point (Times New Roman or Arial). Your name may be larger
 Use formatting, such as boldfacing, underlining, and italicizing for emphasis only and not in combination
 Abbreviate states with capital letters (PA) when applying for positions within the United States
 If including a location outside of the United States, include City, Country
 Keep margins and spacing uniform/consistent
 Length: Master’s Degree Students’ resumes should be one page. PhD students’ resumes should be
two pages for industry job searches (see sample templates)

Content---The Basics:
 Within each heading, items should be listed in reverse chronological order
 Headings/sections should be listed in order of importance/relevance
 Avoid jargon that isn’t universal to your field. Simple, common language is best when possible
 Ensure experience and qualifications are accurately represented
 Avoid abbreviating names of organizations, titles and descriptors
 Include your personal phone number
 List an e-mail address: use your CMU email and/or a professionally named personal account (ex:
[email protected])
 You should include your customized LinkedIn profile link in your contact information section
 Do not list references or “References available upon request”
 THE SECTIONS OF A RESUME

RESUME HEADINGS
The top of your resume should highlight your name, address, email and phone number. Unlike the remainder
of your resume, no heading is required for your contact information. All sections that follow should have
headings that accurately describe their content. This guide will review the basic headings that you may include
in your initial resume. You must evaluate the most important items from your background and determine the
most appropriate order for the sections of your resume. Your career consultant can assist you in this process.

CONTACT INFORMATION
You should begin your resume with this information at the top. Be sure that the phone number you list will be
answered by YOU and has a professional outgoing voicemail message. You SHOULD also list your email
address (same rule applies, use one that you check often, preferably your CMU email) and LinkedIn address in
this section.

For example:
Firstname M. Lastname
[email protected] ♦ (412) 555-5555 ♦ www.linkedin.com/firstlast

You SHOULD NOT include:

 Personal information: birth date, marital status, height, weight, personal identity information (social
security number, passport info), etc.
 Any pictures.
 References: It is not necessary to indicate references are available upon request. You should have
contact information for your references, on a separate document, as some companies may require
them.

EDUCATION

Education should appear as the first section of a graduate resume. Start with your most recent educational
experience: Carnegie Mellon University. Bold university names and spell them out completely. List your
Degree Program and Graduation Date.

Must include:
Name of Institution and location Month & Year of graduation OR anticipated graduation date
Major and Minors/Field of study Degree awarded or to be awarded
Optional to Include:
GPA Foreign Study and Exchange Programs
Selected Coursework Name and brief descricption of thesis topic (if applicable)

Below is an example of the education section:

EDUCAT ION
Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA
Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering May 2015
GPA: 3.71/4.00

Indian Institute of Technology Mumbai, India

Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering May 2012
GPA: 9.0/10.0
 GPA: If you include your GPA, make sure you include the scale (ex. 3.3/4.0 or 8.7/10.0). If it is above a
3.0, include it. See your Career Consultant to discuss if you have questions.
COURSEWORK

Any relevant coursework that you include is recommended to be listed under a separate heading or
subheading (within Education), as “Relevant Coursework” or “Selected Coursework.” Do NOT simply list every
course you've taken. Only highlight those courses that are most relevant to the positions/field that you plan to
pursue.

For Example:

RELEV ANT COURSEWORK

Energy (Conversion and Utilization) Energy (Policy and Economics)
Combustion and Air Pollution Energy System Modeling
Advanced Thermodynamics Industrial Ecology
Sustainable Engineering Environmental Life Cycle Assessment

It is sometimes of greater value to instead include the skills you learned in the courses in a more
robust “skills” section. Information in the “skills” section is included later in this document.

The location of the “coursework” section varies depending upon the contents of your other sections. Contact
your career consultant for advice on the order of your resume content.

EXPERIENCE

We advise you to have your resume reviewed by your Career Consultant as she may provide feedback
regarding the customization of your resume/experience section(s) and what content to include. As you gain
experience you may have more narrowly focused sections such as “Academic Research Experience,”
“Professional Experience,” etc. “Experience” as a standalone title implies employment. If the information you
have previously included in an “Experience” section is not in fact employment, then you should rename that
section to more accurately reflect the nature of the entry.

A header for each employment experience entry should include:

Job/Position Title
Organization name
Location (city and state or equivalent)
Dates (month and year format or term and year for academic year related experiences)

Bold the most important piece of information which is typically your job title or the company.

For Example:

EX P ER I EN C E
Best Engineering Company Palo Alto, CA
Hardware Engineering Intern June-August 2014
 Led a four-week project evaluating the design of a product in development to identify cost reduction of
10%
 Developed factory test requirements and participated in factory site visits to oversee successful testing
 Presented project proposal and findings to senior leadership, resulting in favorable feedback and
recommendation for inclusion in the new product’s design

After the header, describe your experience and results using action-oriented statements. Start each
statement with an action verb. You should use consistent punctuation for your bullets (remember, these bullet
points do not require periods, semi-colons, etc.).

Try to write one phrase per line when possible, but no more than two lines per bullet point. Use bullets to
indicate new lines. Review the Action Verbs List (enclosed) for assistance in selecting a variety of strong verbs
for your resume.
PROJECTS

We also suggest that you select a number of academic and/or research projects to highlight on your resume.
This serves to further provide examples of your experience and to illustrate practical applications of your
skillset.

For Example:

ACADEMIC PROJECTS
Robot Design and Build Fall 2015
Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA
 Designed and constructed circuits using a protoboard to power a beeper, LED, clock, memory chip, and two
motors
 Combined circuits to create a mini programmable robot and successfully programmed the robot to complete a
test course with zero failures or errors

FOCUS ON RESULTS- Experience & Projects

Employers assess your resume to determine if candidates have the appropriate proven results and experience
for their organization/position. List your key achievements and add details which show your demonstrated
results.

Begin sentences with action verbs (past tense unless it’s a current activity/project) and be specific when
detailing your results and the value you added to each experience.

Use this formula to get started:

Action Verb + Context (tell the what) + Result (Metrics, Outcome, and/or Impact)

Look at the following samples:

 Combined circuits to create a mini programmable robot that was successfully programmed to complete
a test course with zero failures or errors
 Developed MEP 3D model using Revit, collaborated with architectural and structural groups to integrate
models in Solibri and performed clash detection to overcome discrepancies in design and model
 Designed a carry-on suitcase that can increase storage capacity by 133% to reduce the need for
checked luggage as part of a team of five
 Researched and analyzed the data of different cells to determine the optimal experimental parameters
and to understand the diameter-dependent lithium storage performance
 Developing a tool using Qt for urban and highway driving that will enable more human-like autonomous
behavior
When constructing the detail of this section, as a graduate student, your resume should encompass the most
relevant experience from your undergraduate work to present day. The more current/recent an experience, the
more detail you should provide.

SKILLS

List any relevant skills specific to your field including technical, lab, and knowledge-based skills you can apply
to your field. Sub-categorize your skills whenever possible. List/label skills and foreign language proficiencies
(if your proficiency levels vary). Do not include soft skills such as “teamwork” or “leadership” in this section.

For example:

S KI L L S
Application Software: MATLAB, Minitab, Maple
Programming Languages: C/C++, Java, Python, Visual Basic, MIPS Assembly, Verilog, HTML
Languages: English (Fluent), French (Fluent), Hindi (Native Speaker)
ACTIVITIES, HONORS, PUBLICATIONS, CONFERENCES & PATENTS

Activities
List memberships in campus and professional organizations or other activities that show involvement in your
academic community or profession. Especially include those in which you had a leadership position.

Honors
Honors, Scholarships, Fellowships, and Awards should be listed, if received. Depending on the type of honor,
these honors may be imbedded within other sections or experiences OR if robust/ varied enough, included as
a standalone section. Select only those awards or honors that represent your strengths and are timely (i.e. you
likely will not include high school honors).

Publications
Publications can be listed in a separate section if numerous, or under the relevant research/work experience.

Conference Presentations
Conference presentations can be listed in a separate section if numerous, or under the relevant research/work
experience section to which they apply.

For example:
HO NO R S & L E A D ER S HI P
Dean’s List, College of Engineering Spring 2014-Fall 2016
Chapter President, Society of Women Engineers Fall 2015- Spring 2016

OBJECTIVE/SUMMARY

The use of an objective/summary is optional.

If you decide to include an objective or summary, describe the career path that you are pursuing, and your
skills/experiences that will enable you to add value to an organization. If your objective/summary isn’t adding
clarity and advancing your purpose and resume, remove it. If you have questions, contact your Career
Consultant for a resume review.

WHY INCLUDE A CAREER OBJECTIVE OR SUMMARY ON YOUR RESUME? If you have a diverse or
varied background, it may help to focus your resume and provide clarity to an employer on your career goals,
your related skills and the value you can add to the prospective organization.

Consider the following when writing an objective/summary:

 Focus on what skills, experiences and abilities that you possess that would bring value to the
employer and position to which you intend to apply.
 Avoid broad/generalized statements such as, “To pursue the electrical and computer engineering
field.”
 Avoid listing several fields or positions.
 It is acceptable to have two resumes with two different objectives or summaries and to tailor
resumes to different job searches.
 Strong Verbs List
accomplished collected elevated increased performed salvaged
saved
achieved communicated eliminated inferred persuaded schedule
adapted compared empathized influenced pioneered screened
addressed compiled empowered informed pioneered searched
administered completed enabled initiated planned secured
administrated composed encouraged innovated prepared selected
advised compromised enforced inspected presented served
aided computed engineered inspired prioritized shaped
allocated conceptualized enhanced installed processed sold
altered concluded enlisted instilled procured solicited
analyzed conducted ensured instituted produced solved
applied confronted established instructed programmed spearheaded
appraised consolidated estimated integrated projected specified
approved constructed evaluated interpreted promoted spoke
approximated consulted examined interviewed provided sponsored
arbitrated contacted exceeded introduced publicized started
arranged contributed excelled invented published stimulated
ascertained converted executed investigated purchased strengthened
assembled convinced expanded suggested
justified rated
assessed cooperated expedited summarized
recommended
assigned coordinated explained launched supervised
reconciled
assisted counseled extended lectured supplemented
recorded
attained created extracted led supported
recruited
attended critiqued listened surveyed
reduced
audited customized fabricated synthesized
maintained referred
augmented facilitated systematized
debugged managed refined
authored finalized
deciphered marketed reflected taught
automated forecasted
decreased mastered reformed tested
formalized
balanced delegated measured remedied traced
formed
boosted delivered mediated remodeled trained
formulated
briefed demonstrated mentored reorganized transformed
fostered
broadened designed minimized repaired translated
founded
budgeted determined modeled reported troubleshot
fulfilled
built developed moderated represented tutored
devised gained modernized researched
calculated
diagnosed gathered monitored resolved uncovered
captured
directed generated motivated responded updated
catalogued
disassembled grew restored upgraded
centralized guided negotiated
discovered retrieved utilized
chaired
dissuaded operated revamped
charted helped
distributed orchestrated reviewed
clarified validated
documented organized revolutionized verified
classified identified
drafted overhauled
coached illustrated wrote
educated oversaw
collaborated implemented
elaborated
 RESUME SELF-REVIEW
GENERAL FORMATTING
☐ Margins are the same for the top, bottom, and sides and no smaller than 0.5 inches, no larger than 1 inch
☐ Font size is between 10 pt and 12pt font for the body of the resume, the same font is used throughout the resume
☐ Bullet points and sections are aligned uniformly throughout the resume
☐ Dates are written consistently
☐ Bullet point punctuation is consistent
☐ A consistent format is used throughout the entire document and within each section
☐ Sections/headings are listed in order of relevance/importance
☐ Information within each heading/experience is listed in reverse chronological order

CONTACT INFORMATION
☐ Full name (First and Last), cell phone number and professional email address (CMU or professionally named private
email) are located at the top of your resume

EDUCATION AND COURSEWORK

☐ College/university names are spelled out (i.e. Carnegie Mellon University not CMU)
☐ The official name of your degree and program is listed
☐ You have listed only the month and year you earned your degree(s) and/or expect to earn it/them (no date ranges)
☐ GPA is listed (where applicable) and GPA scale is included (i.e. 3.75/4.0)
☐ Coursework list is limited to the courses most relevant to your job search and does not include future coursework

WORK, PROJECT AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

☐ Organization/Company name and location are clearly listed (city, state in United States; city, country if international)
☐ Job title is clearly displayed (when applicable)
☐ Course name and/or project name listed (when applicable)
☐ Dates of experiences are listed for each position, company and /or project
☐ Dates and location are on the right side of the page, organizations and titles are on the left side of the page
☐ Each phrase starts with an action verb in the appropriate tense (present for current, past for completed experiences)
☐ Bullet points include accomplishments, results, metrics, outcomes, etc. whenever possible

SKILLS
☐ Relevant skills are listed (Programming Languages, Software, Lab Instrumentation, Foreign Languages, etc.).
☐ Skills are subcategorized, specific skills are listed in each subcategory (i.e. Programming Languages: C, Java, C++)
☐ Skills are labeled with proficiency levels IF you have a range of proficiencies within the skills listed
☐ No soft skills are listed

ACTIVITIES/HONORS/LEADERSHIP
☐ The activities, honors/awards, and/or leadership experiences relevant and timely
Firstname M. Lastname
[email protected] ♦ (412)555-5555 ♦ www.linkedin.com/firstlastname
EDUCAT ION
University Name Location (City, State)
Master of (Degree Program) Graduation Date (Month Year)
GPA: XX/Scale (i.e. 3.5/4.0)
Selected Coursework: [Optional- list only the coursework that is most relevant to your job search 3-6 classes]

University Name Location

Bachelor of (Degree Program)- Major Graduation Date (Month Year)
[Optional- List high academic honors]
GPA: XX/Scale (i.e. 3.5/4.0, 8.0/10)
Selected Coursework: [Optional- list only the coursework that is most relevant to your job search 3-6 classes]

SK ILLS
Category 1: [List only skills in which you are proficient]
Category 2: [List only skills in which you are proficient]
Languages: [Optional- list spoken languages multiple proficiencies exist. i.e.: English (Fluent), Hindi (Native Speaker)]
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Company A Location
Job Title Duration (Month -Month Year)
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
Company B Location
Job Title Duration (Month -Month Year)
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
Company C Location
Job Title Duration (Month -Month Year)
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result

ACADEMIC PROJECTS
Project Name Location
University Name Semester/Date
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
Project Name Location
University Name Semester/Date
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
LEADERSHIP
Title, Organization Name- Location Duration
Title, Organization Name- Location Duration
Firstname M. Lastname
[email protected] ♦ (412)555-5555 ♦ www.linkedin.com/firstlast
EDUCAT ION
University Name Location (City, State)
Master of (Degree Program) Graduation Date (Month Year)
GPA: XX/Scale (i.e. 3.5/4.0)
Selected Coursework: [Optional- list only the coursework that is most relevant to your job search 3-6 classes]

University Name Location

Bachelor of (Degree Program)- Major Graduation Date (Month Year)
[Optional- List high academic honors]
GPA: XX/Scale (i.e. 3.5/4.0, 8.0/10)
Selected Coursework: [Optional- list only the coursework that is most relevant to your job search 3-6 classes]
SK ILLS
Category 1: [List only skills in which you are proficient]
Category 2: [List only skills in which you are proficient]
Languages: [Optional- list spoken languages multiple proficiencies exist. i.e.: English (Fluent), Hindi (Native Speaker)]
ACADEMIC RESEARCH EXPERIENCE AND PROJECTS
Organization Location
Project Title and/or Research Position Title Duration (Month -Month Year)
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
Organization Location
Project Title and/or Research Position Title Duration (Month -Month Year)
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
CONFERENCES
Last Name, First Name. "Title of Presentation/Speech." Name of the meeting and organization, Location (City,
State OR City, Country), Day Month Year (i.e. 12 May 2015). Descriptor of Presentation (i.e.Keynote Address,
Conference Presentation, etc.).

Last Name, First Name. "Title of Presentation/Speech." Name of the meeting and organization, Location (City,
State OR City, Country), Day Month Year (i.e. 12 May 2015). Descriptor of Presentation (i.e.Keynote Address,
Conference Presentation, etc.).
PUBLICATIONS
Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Journal Volume.Issue (Year): pages. Medium of publication. [note
submitted, under review, etc. if not yet published)
Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Journal Volume.Issue (Year): pages. Medium of publication. [note
submitted, under review, etc. if not yet published)
PATENTS
[Last name, first name of the inventor.] [The year the patent was filed.] [The title of the invention.] [Country
Patent Application number,] filed [Month Date, Year.] Patent Pending.

[Last name, first name of the inventor.] [The year the patent was issued.] [The title of the invention.] [Country
Patent number,] filed [Month Date, Year,] and issued [Month Date, Year.]
LEADERSHIP
Title, Organization Name- Location Duration
Title, Organization Name- Location Duration
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE or AWARDS/HONORS or VOLUNTEER WORK
List Teaching Assistant Positions, Competitions, Honors, Awards, etc. in associated sections as your experience dictates
Firstname M. Lastname
[email protected] ♦ (412)555-5555 ♦ www.linkedin.com/firstlast
EDUCAT ION
University Name Location (City, State)
Doctor of Philosophy in (Degree Program) Anticipated Date
Thesis: (State the title of your Thesis)
GPA: XX/Scale (i.e. 3.5/4.0)

University Name Location (City, State)

Master of (Degree Program) Graduation Date (Month Year)
GPA: XX/Scale (i.e. 3.5/4.0, 8.0/10)
Selected Coursework: [Optional- list only the coursework that is most relevant to your job search 3-6 classes]

University Name Location

Bachelor of (Degree Program)- Major Graduation Date (Month Year)
GPA: XX/Scale (i.e. 3.5/4.0)
Selected Coursework: [Optional- list only the coursework that is most relevant to your job search 3-6 classes]
SK ILLS
Category 1: [List only skills in which you are proficient]
Category 2: [List only skills in which you are proficient]
Languages: [Optional- list spoken languages multiple proficiencies exist. i.e.: English (Fluent), Hindi (Native Speaker)]
THESIS
University Name Location
Thesis Title Duration
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Company A Location
Job Title Duration (Month -Month Year)
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
Company B Location
Job Title Duration (Month -Month Year)
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Organization Location
Project Title and/or Research Position Title Duration (Month -Month Year)
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
Organization Location
Project Title and/or Research Position Title Duration (Month -Month Year)
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
 Verb + Context + Result
CONFERENCES
Last Name, First Name. "Title of Presentation/Speech." Name of the meeting and organization, Location (City,
State OR City, Country), Day Month Year (i.e. 12 May 2015). Descriptor of Presentation (i.e.Keynote Address,
Conference Presentation, etc.).

Last Name, First Name. "Title of Presentation/Speech." Name of the meeting and organization, Location (City,
State OR City, Country), Day Month Year (i.e. 12 May 2015). Descriptor of Presentation (i.e.Keynote Address,
Conference Presentation, etc.).

Last Name, First Name. "Title of Presentation/Speech." Name of the meeting and organization, Location (City,
State OR City, Country), Day Month Year (i.e. 12 May 2015). Descriptor of Presentation (i.e.Keynote Address,
Conference Presentation, etc.).

Last Name, First Name. "Title of Presentation/Speech." Name of the meeting and organization, Location (City,
State OR City, Country), Day Month Year (i.e. 12 May 2015). Descriptor of Presentation (i.e.Keynote Address,
Conference Presentation, etc.).

PUBLICATIONS
Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Journal Volume.Issue (Year): pages. Medium of publication. [note
submitted, under review, etc. if not yet published)
Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Journal Volume.Issue (Year): pages. Medium of publication. [note
submitted, under review, etc. if not yet published)
Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Journal Volume.Issue (Year): pages. Medium of publication. [note
submitted, under review, etc. if not yet published)
Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Journal Volume.Issue (Year): pages. Medium of publication. [note
submitted, under review, etc. if not yet published)
PATENTS
[Last name, first name of the inventor.] [The year the patent was filed.] [The title of the invention.] [Country
Patent Application number,] filed [Month Date, Year.] Patent Pending.

[Last name, first name of the inventor.] [The year the patent was issued.] [The title of the invention.] [Country
Patent number,] filed [Month Date, Year,] and issued [Month Date, Year.]
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
[List items like Teaching Assistant Positions, Grader roles, etc. here]
University Location
Title/Role Duration (Month -Month Year)
 Verb + Context + Result
LEADERSHIP
Title, Organization Name- Location Duration
Title, Organization Name- Location Duration
Title, Organization Name- Location Duration
AWARDS and HONORS
Name of Award Date Received (Month Year)
Name of Award Date Received (Month Year)
Name of Award Date Received (Month Year)
VOLUNTEER WORK
Position, Organization- Location Duration
Position, Organization- Location Duration
Contact your Career Consultants with questions and to schedule an individual appointment to review
your resume:

Marcie Foy & Shaina Tsupros

Electrical & Computer Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Energy Science Technology &Policy,
Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, & the Integrated Innovation Institute

Shelby Ikeda
Civil & Environmental Engineering

[email protected]