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Building a resume

A resume is a brief summary of your education, skills, and experiences. Employers will read it to understand quickly how you are prepared to fulfill job responsibilities.

Required resume sections

Contact information.

This section should be placed at the top of your resume. It will provide the employer with your professional contact information. For example, provide your IU Indianapolis email address that includes your name instead of [email protected] .

Ensure you include your:

• Mailing address
• Primary phone number
• Professional email
• LinkedIn profile (optional)

This section provides a quick picture of your current educational pursuits. Now that you are in college, you won’t need to list your high school degree. You should include your:

• Degree type and major
• School and its location
• Anticipated graduation month and year
• Degree concentration and minor (if applicable)
• GPA (optional)

This section uses action statements (see below) to highlight any experience that has helped you gain skills valuable to the position for which you are applying. This can include any of the following:

• Volunteer work
• Significant leadership roles
• Paid or unpaid experiences that demonstrate your skills

When listing experiences, include:

• Title of your role
• Company or organization for which you worked or volunteered
• City and state of company or organization
• Time frame that you worked
• Specific action statements to highlight your completed duties

Final tip: List experiences that have ended using past tense and experiences still happening using present tense. Also, if an experience hasn’t ended, list “Present” in place of the end month and year.

Optional resume sections

In addition to the required sections, you may want to include some of the information below. Include optional sections only if you think it will showcase your particular skills or qualities as a potential employee.

Objective or summary statement

If you decide to include this in your resume, keep it concise. This brief statement should summarize the type of work you want and a few skills you bring to a position.  

The goal is to showcase your particular skills in the action statements you list with your experience. If you include this section, focus on technical, language, or professional skills that you have refined in some way. These might be skills you have acquired through academic coursework, trainings, special projects, or leadership roles.

Trainings and certifications

You might include this section if you have completed relevant trainings or earned related certifications or licenses. For example, if applying as a research assistant, you might want to include if you have received Internal Review Board (IRB) training. If applying to a position in education, you might want to include if you have received a teaching license or first-aid training.

Organizations and involvement

You can include this section to highlight involvement that will showcase your skills and interests related to the position, but are not in your experience section. If you had a particular role within the organization, you should include that with the organization. Your list of organizations might include some of the following:

• Student organizations
• Community organizations
• Professional organizations
• Volunteer groups
• Honor societies

Honors and awards

You can include this section to showcase any particular achievements for which you have been recognized. When listing awards, be sure to note who presented the award and when.

Not sure how to start?

Complete resume example.

Check out this example of a finished resume to help you get started.

Resume tailoring tip sheet

Need help tailoring your resume to a specific position? Check out our tip sheet here.

Best practices for formatting

Consider these strategies for formatting your resume.

• Start with a fresh document. Avoid fill-in-the-blank templates because they can be challenging to edit once more content is added.
• Use standard, professional fonts (e.g., Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri).
• Be consistent. If you bold one position title, do not italicize the other. This will create a clean, easy-to-read document.
• Choose 11- or 12-point font sizes for content. Use no more than 14-point font size for section headers.
• Only use bold, italics, underline, and horizontal lines to emphasize important information and to separate your sections.
• Ensure that the spacing between each section is the same. Margins, sections, and bulleted statements should be uniform.

Building a successful action statement

Use action statements to describe your experiences. These will communicate what you did, how you did it, and why it was important.

What? Job Duty

Who? People

Why? Result

Example: Developed marketing materials using Adobe InDesign to promote the Office of Student Employment .

Action verb list

Top five things to know about resumes.

• Organize content in each section of your resume from most recent to least recent.
• Be sure your resume is only one to two pages in length. This means you should only include information that is relevant to the position for which you’re applying.
• Make tailoring your resume to different positions easier by saving a draft of your overall resume with all of your past and current information.
• Save your resume as a PDF before uploading into Handshake or sending to an employer. This will ensure that your formatting stays the way you intended it.
• Change the file name to LastName_FirstName_Resume when sending a resume. Doing this helps employers keep track of your materials.

Need additional help with your resume?

Schedule an appointment or submit your resume for review below!

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Meet with us for resume assistance here.

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Don’t have time to schedule an appointment or attend drop-in hours? Submit your document(s) for review here.

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Office of career development.

Resume and Cover Letters

In your first year of college, you’ll begin crafting a resume, refining and updating it as you actively participate in various experiences and acquire new skills. This process of refining not only reflects your academic journey but also underscores the importance of maintaining a professional approach throughout your college career, especially when it comes to the development and presentation of your resume.

Your resume and cover letter work together as essential documents, strategically showcasing your identity and accomplishments. This synergy becomes even more critical in a college setting, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a high level of professionalism, particularly when crafting and presenting resumes. These documents serve as powerful tools to effectively communicate your qualifications and experiences to potential employers.

Your resume is your personal marketing tool, advertising what you can do for a prospective employer. It summarizes the unique skills and experiences that set you apart from your competitors. The goal of a resume is to get the reader interested in you as a candidate. Remember to customize your resume for each job application, emphasizing the most relevant qualifications and experiences for the specific position.

Your cover letter showcases not only your personality, purpose, knowledge, and writing capabilities but also your professionalism. Serving as a complement to your resume, it provides a valuable opportunity to highlight how your skills and experiences align with the specific needs of a prospective employer.

A few things to remember:

• A resume is a piece of a person on paper. One person could be proud of their resume because it best represents them while another person may not care, both ways are perfectly fine. It is our job to make sure each person feels represented by their resumes.
• There is no perfect resume. Typically, we use chronological resumes, however there are multiple types: chronological, functional, combination, or targeted resume. Each resume is a little different in size, color, formatting, etc. based on the person that creates or edits it. Just ensure the major components are there: Name, contact information, education, and experiences.
• Nearly any experience is a professional experience, we just have to find the words to explain them.

The following are tips for constructing a powerful and professional resume. Use this sheet and the example on the back as a guide while collaborating with your career coach to create a resume that is perfect for you and your job.

PERSONAL BRAND

The top of your document should list your contact information, including your name, address, email, phone number, and LinkedIn domain link.

The formatting you use for this section creates a look you will use throughout your application materials (cover letter, references, etc.). Consider your use of font, font size, color, and spacing to create a professional look. Make sure your name is the most visually prominent piece of the whole document.

In this section, list all relevant education in reverse-chronological order. For each relevant college, university, or certificate program you have completed:

Write the name of the institution, the name of the degree/certificate/diploma, the location, and the date of completion.

Consider including the following if they are relevant to the position for which you are applying or if they have been requested by the employer: GPA (if ≥ 3.5), awards or recognitions, scholarships, student organizations, leadership positions, relevant coursework.

In this section, list all relevant experience in reverse-chronological order. For each a job position, internship, volunteer position, military service, or leadership experience:

Write the name of the organization, the position title, dates of employment/service, and location.

Construct 3-5 concise bullet points which describe the most valuable and relevant skills you gained and demonstrated in this position.

Start each bullet with a strong action verb.

Highlight skills, not responsibilities.

Be quantifiable whenever possible (e.g. generated 15% sales increase).

Use the employers own language to show that you fit what they are looking for.

REVIEWING YOUR RESUME

Employers prefer resumes to be ONE FULL PAGE or never more than TWO FULL PAGES. Arrange the text size and formatting so your text fills the page(s).

Carefully proof-read your document and have a friend or career coach review it for grammar and formatting.

Do not use jargon or informal vocabulary.

Your resume should change depending on what position you are applying for. Be sure your resume is tailored to the relevant position.

Are you fluent, proficient, or conversational in a second language? If so, ask your career coach how you can best highlight this skill in your resume.

Personal statements (a.k.a. objectives or summary statements) are generally obsolete. Include one only if you have a clear career goal that is very relevant to the position for which you are applying.

Many resume templates include a “skills” section. Only include this section if you are otherwise unable to fill one full page or if you have particularly relevant skills that you have not displayed elsewhere.

Project Coordinator

Assess patients for participation in, and coordinate the Pulmonary Rehab program

Monitor and supervise physical conditioning keeping physician informed of patient progress

Provide respiratory-related skills training and coordinate the skill training provided by Pharmacy, Dietetics, and Chaplaincy departments.

Information Specialist

Developed and implemented cross-training for administrative duties to mitigate risk and ensure success

Yielded membership inquiries, comments, and concerns in a high volume, fast-paced call center

Processed data including new membership applications, changes to member information, and dues payments

Advise the new co-presidents on how to structure and organize events, lead an executive board, and discuss ideas on how to strengthen the chapter

Lead and recruit peers by offering challenges and support to event volunteers as they complete tasks

Created new member initiative increasing member success 50% from previous year

Facilitated events held by the School of Liberal Arts. Represented the school’s values by encouraging and teaching new and current IUPUI students the benefits of a liberal arts education

Medical Response Team

Provide first aid in medical emergencies and non-emergencies in and round Indianapolis

Initiated first responder program increasing patient numbers 35% as compared to previous year

Increase organization’s recognition with outreach and communication

Translate the organization’s services for the Spanish community

The following are tips for writing a powerful and professional cover letter. Use this sheet and the example letter on the back as a guide while collaborating with your career coach on how to create a cover letter that is perfect for the position you are pursuing.

As with a resume, your cover letter will be headed by your personal brand which contains your basic contact information, including your name, address, email, phone number, and LinkedIn URL. Mirror or copy the personal brand from your resume to create a clean and unified professional look.

Directly under your header include the date.

Address your letter to the person who will be reviewing your application. If this information is not accessible, consider calling the company to find it. If possible, include their name, job title, organization/company name, and company address.

PARAGRAPH 1: INTRODUCTION

The focus of this paragraph is introducing yourself and demonstrating your knowledge of the company/organization.

Briefly introduce yourself.

Show that you have done your research. Connect with their company goals, mission, or values. Tell them why you are excited about or impressed by their organization or this position.

If you have a connection with the organization, do not be afraid to name-drop.

PARAGRAPH 2: YOUR SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

The focus of this paragraph is the skills that you bring to the position.

Highlight 2-3 skills that you would bring to their team.

Use their language and show that you know what they value. Be sharp and to the point.

Do the work of connecting your skills to their team and their organization. Show them that you fit.

PARAGRAPH 3: CLOSING

Tell them what you would like to happen next (e.g. an interview or opportunity to talk about the position further).

Provide information about how you can best be reached.

Thank them for their time and consideration. Close with a salutation and signature.

REVIEWING YOUR COVER LETTER

Even if the application does not require a cover letter, consider submitting one anyway (unless it specifically says not to). This extra effort shows the employer your sincere interest and could put you a step ahead of your competitors.

Check your grammar and make sure that you’ve tailored your letter to the appropriate position.

Dear Mr. Hiring:

I first heard about Indianapolis Children’s Home as I was preparing for the Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis Annual Career Fair. As I began to research your program, I was immediately interested in your goal of providing service to children in great need here in Indiana. In conversation with Mr. George Recruiter at the Career Fair, I realized even more clearly how you provide practical services while focusing on fostering positive relationships with your youth and their families. This spring I will be graduating from IUPUI with a Bachelor of Science in Education and I am interested in working on your team as an Activities Coordinator after graduation. Throughout college I have been involved in Indiana Urban Outreach and improved the lives of over 950 members of our community here in Indianapolis. This opportunity has granted me experiences building relationships with people from a variety of demographics. Because of this experience coupled with my education, I am confident that I have the ability to identify the needs of and foster positive relationships with your children and their families. In addition, I have two years of experience as a lead teacher for an after-school program at a local grade school, which has offered me the ability to plan and lead educational activities and has effectively prepared me to lead in the role of an Activities Coordinator. I look forward to meeting with you to further discuss what I can bring to your team as an Activities Coordinator for the Indianapolis Children’s Home. Please feel free to contact me by phone or email. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely, SIGNATURE Your Name

Resume Reviews

Need more help with your resume or cover letter?

The Office of Career Development is conducting weekly resume reviews every Wednesday from 2 pm to 4 pm in Cavanaugh Hall, Room 243.

Can’t make it in person? No problem! To have your r esume reviewed via email , students can send their resume to libacdo@iupui.edu. Our team will review it and provide feedback within 3-5 business days. Please ensure to monitor your IU email address, as that is where our staff will send the reviewed document(s).

Ask questions or schedule an appointment by visiting our office in Cavanaugh Hall, Room 243, calling 317- 278-1224, or use our online Student Appointment Scheduler (SAS) .

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A well-prepared resume and cover letter are essential to getting a job interview, as is a concise presentation of your abilities, accomplishments, and future capabilities. For a job search, your resume and cover letter must conform to basic, generally accepted standards, including only information that is relevant to an employer’s needs. In comparison, an academic or international resume is often a curriculum vitae (CV), a much longer and more detailed synopsis of your educational and professional history.

Resume Format and Appearance

Your resume should be organized chronologically with the most recent job experience information first. This format emphasizes job titles and organizations and describes in detail the accomplishments and responsibilities associated with each position.

There is no one correct resume layout to use, and you should avoid using templates. The best resume is one that clearly and effectively communicates your experience, skills, achievements, and future potential. Generally, your resume should be attractive and easy to read: use consistent font, spacing, and formatting with a balance of white space. A resume without white space can appear cluttered and chaotic, but a resume with too much white space gives the impression that you have run out of things to add or say. A balance of white space is reader friendly, as it allows the reader to maintain focus or take notes on the resume, if needed.

Resumes should be free of spelling, grammatical, and typographical errors. Be sure to have several people review your resume for errors and omissions.

Resume Length

A resume should be a single page. Employers generally expect one page per 10 years of related experience or degree earned.  Graduate students or individuals with extensive full-time work experience may have two pages, but the second page must be full (i.e., no half or partial pages).

Common Sections

Must include.

Several sections of information should be included on your resume:

• Contact information
• Technical skills

Optional sections or subsections include:

• Relevant projects or related coursework
• Student or volunteer activities/clubs/organizations
• Honors or awards
• Publications, presentations, or patents
• Language proficiencies

Do Not Include

Aside from contact information, personal and private information is usually excluded from resumes due to job discrimination policies designed to protect you. Therefore, information that should NOT be added to a resume includes:

• A photograph
• Marital status
• Residency status
• Date of birth
• Social security number
• National origin
• Salary expectations
• Reference list (reference lists are a separate document)

Resume Sections

Follow this step-by-step guide to create a draft of your resume.

Contact Information

The heading can be set up in a variety of ways, but your name should be the largest text on your resume. Your contact information must be readable and consistent across all job-search documents (resume, cover letter, and reference list).

The heading should include your:

• Telephone number
• Email address
• Address (optional)
• City, state, zip code (optional)

Optional information includes your portfolio website, your LinkedIn page, or your GitHub link. This information should be included ONLY if the site or profile is current, and it reflects your professional ambitions. Personal websites with non-professional content (e.g., Facebook) should not be referenced and should have restricted privacy settings.

Educational experiences should be listed near the top of your resume, and you should always list your most recent education first.   High school information should not be included.

Education information should include:

• Full name of the school, college, or university
• City, state, or country
• Date of graduation (either past or anticipated)
• Degree (written in full)
• Major and cognate or specialization, and/or minor
• GPA, academic honors, and awards. Your cumulative GPA should be listed if it is above a 3.0. Your major GPA should be listed if it is significantly higher than the cumulative, but it should be specified as the major GPA so as not to mislead employers. If you include major GPA, cumulative must be listed as well.

In this section, include full-time work, summer jobs, internships, co-ops, campus/student jobs, research, and volunteer opportunities that are relevant to the position you are seeking or that highlight transferable skills. Experience information should include:

• Place of employment
• Title of position
• Location of company (city and state or country)
• Dates of employment, including month and year or season
• Responsibilities, qualifications, and accomplishments

Do not include reasons for leaving, salary history, exaggerations of responsibilities, names or phone numbers of supervisors, or jobs you plan to hold in the future.

The responsibilities and qualifications should allow readers of your resume to get an idea of what your work entailed and what you accomplished in that position. This information should be presented in bullet points, each beginning with a strong action verb written in the appropriate tense. Quantify and/or qualify when you can. They should also be written in third person (e.g., no personal pronouns such as me, my, our, etc.).

Achievement Statements: Resume Bullet Points

Achievement (or accomplishment) statements should be used to describe your experiences within your resume. Rather than just describing the tasks you completed, these statements allow you to highlight your particular skills, qualities and characteristics you have and would likely bring to your next organization.

Brainstorming Achievements

To start thinking about achievements rather than job duties, ask yourself some of the following questions:

• What new skills or knowledge have you gained?
• Have you accomplished a project with a team?
• Have you managed or led a workshop, project, or initiative?
• What has been your biggest accomplishment?
• What did you accomplish that exceeded your expectations?
• What difference have you made in your role?
• What evidence do you have of your achievement?
• Did you prevent and/or remedy a problem?
• Did you create something new procedure, event, etc.?
• Have you dealt with difficult individuals?
• Have you increased participation, donations, revenue or productivity?
• What has improved due to your efforts?
• Have you received outstanding feedback on your work?
• What challenges have you overcome?

Once you have determined achievements to highlight, use the formula below to transform them into full statements.

Bullet points should be formatted as such:   Action Verb + Skill/Duty + Accomplishment

• Action verb: “Developed…”
• Action verb + skill/duty: “Developed Company A’s first website using Java and HTML…”
• Action verb + skill/duty + accomplishment: “Developed Company A’s first website using Java and HTML, generating approximately 10,000 potential customer hits weekly.”

Additional Considerations

• Avoid using the same action verb or showcasing the same type of task more than once. This will ensure you give a full picture of your skills.
• Be sure to use present tense verbs for current roles and past tense verbs for past roles.
• Use numbers to accurately express the scope of the work you did
• Check that your statements highlight your unique contributions in a role. Focus less on doing and more on achieving.

Choosing Action Verbs

Use   action words   to begin bullet points that describe your experience and accomplishments.

Technical Skills

Employers recruiting from the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering want to quickly see the technical skills in which you are proficient. Therefore, you should separate these skills into categories (e.g., languages, platforms, databases, etc.), list specific examples such as Python or Java, and include level of proficiency.

These skills can also include fluency in foreign languages, lab skills, or other areas of competence that are related to the job.

TECHNICAL SKILLS Languages: Java, Scheme, C/C++, Python, Visual Basic Platforms: UNIX, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Linux Databases: SQL, Microsoft Access, Oracle, FoxPro Web development: JavaScript, Cold Fusion, HTML, XML Miscellaneous: Microsoft Excel, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign

Additional Sections

Related coursework or projects.

A related coursework or projects section is appropriate if the projects and research you have completed are indications of your knowledge and preparation for the job you are seeking. Related coursework can be included under the education section and should be limited to the titles of six to eight higher-level courses. For example, informatics undergrads can list and describe their capstone project in a few short phrases. Classes are often listed for those who have not had much work experience, and it should be considered optional and/or unnecessary if you have significant experience in your field.

Student Involvement, Leadership, or Volunteer Activities/Clubs/Organizations

Employers like to see that you are a well-rounded student with activities and interests outside of your academic coursework. These activities include professional, educational, or organizational involvement, as well as accompanying leadership positions. They are an indication of your leadership, team-oriented, and organizational skills.

Resume Do’s and Don’ts

• Use experience bullet points to focus on your accomplishments, using action verbs to clearly indicate the skills you’ve used and acquired.
• Be consistent with your use of punctuation, as well as font, style, and spacing.
• Quantify and describe outcomes and accomplishments (e.g., “Created marketing campaign that increased club membership by 25 percent”).
• List experiences in reverse chronological order. Bullet points for current experiences should be in the present tense (e.g., plan, design, analyze), and bullet points for past experiences should be in the past tense (e.g., planned, designed, analyzed).
• Use a related projects section to help employers understand your project experience—the world of work is all about projects. • Keep your resume brief enough to fit on one page. Grad students may go beyond on occasion.
• Include a technology skills section.
• Have others look over your resume for content and grammar.
• Be clear and concise—employers only look at resumes for an average of six seconds.
• When applying online, upload your resume as a PDF.
• Put anything besides the truth in your resume—embellishing or outright falsifying information will never benefit you.
• Use a resume template—they are very restrictive, and employers can spot them easily, giving the impression that you did not care enough to put more work into your resume.
• Include high school involvement. If you do not have enough activities now, get involved.
• Use the same verb repeatedly in multiple bullet points.
• Include personal pronouns (e.g., I, me, we).
• Include personal information, physical characteristics, or photographs on your resume.
• Include “References available upon request” on your resume. Employers will ask for references if they want them.
• Use tables or columns.

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Indiana University Indianapolis

Office of career development.

Cover Letter Sample

YOUR NAME 123 Somewhere Street LinkedIn.com/in/yourname (317) 555-1234 Indianapolis, IN 46202   student.name@iupui.edu April 1, 2020 Irving M. Hiring Director of Training Indianapolis Children’s Home 456 Corporate Boulevard Indianapolis, IN 46202 Dear Mr. Hiring: I first heard about Indianapolis Children’s Home as I was preparing for the Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis Annual Career …

Cover Letter Guide

Cover Letter Writing Guide Office of Career Development – IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI A cover letter displays your personality, your purpose, your knowledge, your writing capabilities, and your professionalism. It enhances the information in your resume. The goal of a cover letter is to demonstrate that you know the company and that …

Action Verbs

Power Verbs for your Resume Office of Career Development – IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI Powerful verbs enhance your job descriptions in a detailed, professional manner. They allow you to summarize the unique job tasks completed as well as experiences that set you apart from your competitors. Training/Advising/Teaching Advised Enforced Inspired Planned Chaired …

Resume Sample

YOUR NAME 123 Somewhere Street LinkedIn.com/in/yourname (317) 555-1234 Indianapolis, IN 46202   student.name@iupui.edu EDUCATION Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies May 2016 Fluent in Spanish Conversant in French EXPERIENCE Community Hospital South, Indianapolis, IN May 2014 – Present Project Coordinator Assess patients for participation in, and coordinate the Pulmonary …

Resume Writing Guide

Resume Writing Guide Office of Career Development – IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI A resume is your personal marketing tool, advertising what you can do for a prospective employer. It summarizes the unique skills and experiences that set you apart from your competitors. The goal of a resume is to get the reader …

• August 2022

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• Career Services

Schedule a PREPs advising appointment

Our staff offers services for all School of Science students and alumni.  Whether you’re taking your first steps toward planning your career, thinking about graduate or professional school, or seeking an internship or post-graduation job, we can provide guidance and resources to help smooth the way.

When you schedule an appointment with one of our advisors, we can:

• Review your resume and cover letter materials
• Guide you through a mock interview to help you prepare for the real deal
• Point you toward the right resources to make your career or academic goals reality
• Provide focused advising on the courses and experience necessary for graduate or professional school admission
• Give guidance and information about opportunities that will help you stand out

And much more! We’ll do whatever we can to help you be successful.

Make an appointment with us

Here’s how to schedule an appointment:

• Log into Handshake Appointments
• Select the Schedule a New Appointment button
• Select School of Science , then choose the appointment reason
• Select a day to see available appointments

Newly Admitted Non-degree students: Call our office to schedule your first appointment prior to registering for classes. 

School of Science Alumni (without a Handshake Account): Complete this form to request your account. Once your account has been created you'll receive an email with log-in instructions. 

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Do not create a Handshake account. Student accounts on Handshake are created automatically 24 hours after you enroll in classes.  You will then be able to login to Handshake using your IU username and password.

If you have a Handshake account at another IU campus, it will need to be deactivated before your IUPUI account can be created. Request to have your previous Handshake account deactivated by emailing [email protected] . 

If you are not yet enrolled in classes, or have questions about your Handshake access, please call our office at 317-274-5677.

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Preparing a resume

Our main goal in having applicants submit a resume is to help applicants become more knowledgeable on how to prepare these essential documents for the future. Every resume will look different because YOU are all different, have different career goals, and are going into different career fields. You will share this resume with the internship site supervisors if you move on to the interview phase.

Visit career services for a review of your resume before you submit the application. We cannot help you write a resume; you must visit your career office or the Office of Student Employment for assistance. 

Visit career services

There is no one right way to do a resume. It varies by field or type of job. Our campus has career services for students based on the school you're in so that you can learn for your specific career. You can get school- or field-specific help with things such as exploring career options, gaining experience, writing resumes, searching for a job or internship, and preparing for interviews. The Office of Student Employment serves all students looking for part-time work.

Get help from one of these offices; they are the experts! It's their job to help you, and it's never too early to meet with a career advisor.  

Applicants who had their application materials reviewed by someone in these offices were more prepared and more successful in our application process. Find help through the links below.

Find your school-specific career office

Contact the Office of Student Employment

Please note:  most offices have drop-in appointments, but these are short and meant for quick questions (15 minutes). You will most likely need to make an appointment.  

Convert a Word document (resume and cover letter) to a PDF

You can submit the resume and cover letter as Word documents or PDFs. One benefit of a PDF is that it keeps your formatting just how you want it, and it can be opened on almost any computer or device. We recommend using a PDF any time you submit an application. It's easy to convert a Word document to PDF, just  follow these simple instructions from Microsoft .

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Resume Template – Editable

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Download this resume template and update with your own information.

Fulfilling the Promise

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Resumes Are A Marketing Tool.

Resume Samples by Major:

Biomedical Engineering

Computer and Information Technology

Computer Engineering

Computer Engineering Technology

Computer Graphics Technology

Construction Management

Electrical Engineering

Electrical Engineering Technology

Energy Engineering

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Undergraduate Resume Standard

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There is no “perfect” format when it comes to resumes; however, you can confidently use the O’Neill Resume Standard knowing it is employer tested and employer approved. Employers who recruit with O’Neill repeatedly compliment and confirm that they like the resume format we provide for our students. It is straight forward and has everything they need to know in a simple, easy-to-scan format.

Additionally, we’ve selected this template because it stands up best against Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Resumes with fancy formatting might look good on the surface and you might even think it will help you stand out in the eyes of employers, but they won’t work if they never get past the recruiting software employers often use. The fancy formatting can get jumbled going through the ATS and either look terrible, or even worse not be readable at all by your target audience.

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This handout outlines useful resume tips, provides an example resume, and guides you through activities to build an effective personal marketing tool.

Herman B Wells

• Facilitated conversations with clients regarding available services
• Launched a fall wellness festival, reaching out to over 100 families in the community
• Communicated with 20 community partners and created booth map for the event
• Ensured customer protection from fraudulent transactions and potential identity theft
• Handled customer transactions, including deposits, withdrawals, and money orders
• Balanced cash flows and maintained accurate records at the end of each day
• Provided excellent customer service to clients searching for appropriate lumber to meet their needs
• Operated technical equipment to move heavy lumber pallets

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

• Renovated animal shelter to help provide better living conditions
• Raised money via campaigning to support renovation costs
• Provided care and companionship to animals during their temporary relocation
• Computer Skills: Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Access)
• Financial Software: Intuit Quickbooks and proprietary banking software

Whether you are creating your first resume or making a few updates, this resume guide provides tips for each section of a resume regarding the formatting and the content. Although there are many ways to create a resume, this guide provides a simple structure to capture all of the important information an employer might want to see. If you want another opinion on your resume, your career coach will be happy to review it with you.

Getting Started

Check out these frequently asked questions for an overview of how to format your resume and what information to include:

What should I include?

The sections on your resume can vary. Always have Education first, and then consider Experience, Activities, Internship Experience, Volunteer Experience, and/or a Skills section.

What font and size should I use?

The resume should be one font type. Make it easy to read, such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri. The body of the resume should have font size between 10-12pt.

How long should my resume be?

Keep your resume to one page with the most relevant experience included. It is ok to leave off irrelevant experiences. Talk with your career coach to learn what would be good include.

What can my margins be?

Margins should be between .5in and 1in.

Is there an order in which I should list my experiences?

Within a section, if multiple entries are present, list in reverse chronological order by date (i.e. May 2017 entry coming before April 2017 entry).

What information does an employer want to see?

For each experience on your resume, you should include the following:

• Name of Business/Organization/Event
• Location (ex: Bloomington, IN)
• Position Title (if applicable)

Use consistent format for all dates in resume (i.e. month, year or season, year). Align with other dates on page. Use consistent dash style.

Should I use bullet points to describe my experience?

Yes! Your descriptions should always be bulleted lists including a skill verb first, then how you completed the task, and lastly the purpose or result of the tasks.

Skill verb + how + why/result

What should I NOT include in my resume?

Do NOT include personal information such as birth date, race/ethnicity, or hobbies and interests.

Should I include references on my resume?

You do not need to mention references directly on your resume. Employers will ask for them and you can include them on a separate document.

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• Create My First IUPUI Account

Steps to follow after admission:

Find one.iu.edu.

Visit one.iu.edu and search for "Create my First IU Account."

Enter requested information

You will need to enter:

• Your last name (you may refer to this as your family name)
• Your date of birth (mm/dd/yyyy format)
• Your IUPUI university ID number

Read the User Agreement

You will be prompted to read and agree to the user agreement. Click "Yes" once you have read the information.

Select a username

The system will give you a list of available usernames you can select from. Keep note of what you select as this will be your username for the time you are at IUPUI. This will also be the first part of your email address. 

Example: Username - jkim233 Email address - [email protected]

Create your passphrase

Enter your passphrase according to the rules. Remember this passphrase! You will need it every time you try to access a university computer or program.

Passphrase authentication

Select at least three different passphrase questions from the drop-down list and type the correct answers into the fields provided. These will be used to help give you hints if you forget your passphrase.

Email Address

By default, IU provides everyone an email address with the @iu.edu domain. Click "Next" to continue.

Remember your information!

It is very difficult to change the passphrase from abroad. Once you set up your accounts, be sure to remember both your  username and  passphrase to prevent difficulty accessing campus accounts and applications.

If you need help with this process, your best option is to contact University Information Technology Services, or UITS.

Connect with us

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Excel through college

Everything that matters during the first year at iu indianapolis.

IU Indianapolis is focused on student success. With more than 20 programs and events, University College is the mecca for excelling through college and graduating on time. Programming includes first-year seminars, themed learning communities, bridge programs, student-focused advising, tutoring, and multiple peer-mentoring initiatives—all designed to aid students in their transition to the university. College is challenging, which is why University College provides dynamic resources to help students meet their goals.

University College provides a setting where faculty, staff, and students share in the responsibility for making IU Indianapolis a supportive and challenging environment for learning.

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Bepko Learning Center

The  Bepko Learning Center ’s programs are based on a belief that highly successful students can play an integral role in the academic development of their peers.

Learn more about the Bepko Learning Center

Bridge is five-day program that teaches you the ins and outs of being a new IU Indianapolis Jaguar. We'll help you feel prepared for your first year of college and beyond! During Bridge, you'll make new friends, learn more about your school and major, and start connecting to campus activities and resources. You might even get started on some of your fall course work.

Learn more about Bridge

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The Health and Life Sciences Advising Center collaborates with campus partners to provide students at all levels in a variety of academic disciplines with the information and guidance needed to explore, plan for, and enter fields in the life sciences as well as traditional health professions.

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A learning community is a first-year seminar linked to one or more general education courses that a cohort of 25 freshmen take together. Students build close friendships with their peers and make connections with their faculty, advisor, and peer mentor. Learning community students explore and apply ideas across courses and through out-of-class activities make connections between classwork and life experiences.

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The Life–Health Sciences Internship program (LHSI) connects IU Indianapolis life and health sciences undergraduates with research and professional experience internships on and near the IU Indianapolis campus.

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The Mathematics Assistance Center (MAC) is a unique approach to education focusing on the potential for building a campuswide support and collaboration for the work done in first access to content (e.g., lecture, adaptive learning technology, flipped classroom engagement). The model further empowers the use of peer-to-peer interactions and collaborations within the context of the teaching and learning of mathematics.

Learn more about the MAC

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The National Student Exchange is a study away opportunity that allows students to take new courses, see new places, make new friends, and enroll in academic options that may not be available on their own campuses. 

Learn more about the National Student Exchange

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Orientation is designed to introduce students to the campus and to the many services and resources provided for all students. Whether students are in their first year or they are transferring from another university, the orientation team is here to ensure students have everything they need for the first day of classes.

Learn more about Orientation Services

The IU Indianapolis SPAN Division allows academically motivated high school students to enroll in college classes on the IU Indianapolis campus. Developed in 1984, SPAN is designed to help students either get a head start on their college education or take courses that are not offered at their high schools.

Learn more about SPAN

Office of Student Employment

The Office of Student Employment provides resources and empowers students to find meaningful, academically relevant work experiences that enhance both academic and personal success.

Learn more about the Office of Student Employment

Celebrating diversity, supporting educational equity

Our Educational Equity Programs empower students from populations that have traditionally been underrepresented in higher education to transition and succeed as college students at IU Indianapolis. We provide you with wraparound support to help you achieve your goals. Explore the programs, and find out how to apply.

21st Century Scholars Success Program

The 21st Century Scholars Success Program supports IU Indianapolis 21st Century Scholars with a diverse array of programs and services.

Learn more about the 21st Century Scholars Success Program

Bowen Scholars Program

Through the generosity of the Bowen Family Foundation, we offer the Bowen Scholars Program at IU Indianapolis for selected Ivy Tech Bowen Scholars. This scholarship provides monthly workshops, mentoring, a computer lab, up to $1,000 per semester toward the cost of attendance, and a living stipend of $1,000 per semester for up to three years.

Learn more about the Bowen Scholars Program

CREA Scholars Program

Through the generosity of the CREA Foundation, we offer the CREA Scholars Program to support the education of students facing financial barriers to success, especially those from affordable housing communities. CREA Scholars receive a scholarship and participate in an Educational Equity Program throughout their college experience.

Learn more about the CREA Scholars Program

Diversity Enrichment and Achievement Program

The mission of the Diversity Enrichment and Achievement Program (DEAP) is to enhance the transition and success of IU Indianapolis students from populations that have been traditionally underrepresented in higher education by addressing academic, social, and personal matters that have an impact on persistence.

Learn more about DEAP

Indy Achieves

Indy Achieves provides additional financial assistance, including Promise Scholarships, and support services to Marion County (IN) residents that are eligible for state financial aid.

Learn more about Indy Achieves

Nina Scholars Program

The Nina Mason Pulliam Legacy Scholars Program offers students who face significant barriers to educational success an opportunity to obtain a bachelor's degree at IU Indianapolis. The program targets lower-income individuals who were either raised in the child welfare system (such as foster care), have physical disabilities, or are returning adults with dependents. Applicants must meet certain requirements to be selected for the program.

Learn more about the Nina Scholars Program

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Student Support Services (SSS) is a program to help specially selected students from the time they come through orientation until they graduate. A proven program of information, support, and guidance helps provide SSS students with the academic and personal support necessary to excel at IU Indianapolis.

Learn more about Student Support Services

THRIVE is designed to empower students to develop their capacity for personal growth and self-authorship. Eligible students who are selected to engage in the program participate in Bridge, a first-year seminar, peer mentoring, success coaching, and coordinated activities. These activities  provide experiences beyond the classroom, such as workshops, cultural events, excursions, and retreats.

Learn more about THRIVE

Upward Bound

IU Indianapolis Upward Bound provides low-income, first-generation potential college students quality instruction and academic support to ensure their successful completion of a bachelor’s degree.

Learn more about Upward Bound

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Division of Undergraduate Education

• Ivy Tech, IUPUI Transfer Success

IUPUI, Ivy Tech pave path to transfer success

By:   Kristin Jones

Wednesday, April 05, 2023

From retention to employment, students transferring from Ivy Tech Community College to IUPUI are succeeding at higher rates than ever before, according to a recently released report . The coordinated partnership between IUPUI and Ivy Tech Indianapolis via the Passport Program bolsters that success.

“The number of transfer students that move back and forth between Ivy Tech’s Indianapolis campus and IUPUI is greater than in any other part of the state,” Kathy Johnson, IUPUI executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer, said. “The Passport Program is jointly supported by Ivy Tech and IUPUI, and it signifies our shared commitment to ensuring the success of our transfer students."

That commitment is evident in Ivy Tech transfer students’ persistence at IUPUI. At all undergraduate levels, Ivy Tech transfer students (78%) were retained at higher rates than non-Ivy Tech transfer students (71%) during the 2021–2022 academic year.

"A lot of these students are adult students or international students who rely on school being affordable and efficient,” Catie Triplet, academic advisor partnership coordinator for the Passport Program, said. “They are balancing their personal and professional responsibilities and goals.”

Strong career outcomes

Through the coordinated educational pathway, students establish a strong career trajectory.

Upon graduating from IUPUI in 2021, Ivy Tech transfer students (66%) were more likely to be employed full time than non-Ivy Tech transfer students (63%), a trend that has persisted since 2018. Over the same period, Ivy Tech transfer students averaged $1,378.25 higher starting salaries than non-Ivy Tech transfer students.

$1,378.25 Higher average starting salary for Ivy Tech transfers than non-Ivy Tech transfers

57% Ivy Tech transfer students came to IUPUI with an associate degree

38% Ivy Tech students transferring to IUPUI were students of color

Seamless transition

In fall 2022, 57% of new Ivy Tech transfer students came to IUPUI already having earned an associate degree, a 5% increase from the previous fall. They also brought more credits; Ivy Tech transfers averaged 45.6 transfer credits, while students transferring from other schools averaged 30.5 credits. “In this job market, credentials and degrees are important,” Katherine Adams, vice chancellor of enrollment services and student success at Ivy Tech, said. “We stress to students that it is important to complete their degree or credential prior to transferring. Life happens, and priorities get realigned to different timelines; degrees earned are accomplishments that cannot be taken away.” The IUPUI Center for Transfer and Adult Students offers Passport Program participants student-centered, holistic support through their transfer experience. “We ensure that students are completing all the courses that they can at the Ivy Tech lower cost of tuition,” Kathryn Bixby, academic advisor partnership coordinator for the Passport Program, said. “We help them step-by-step through the IUPUI application, and we provide programming to help them build community with other transfer students and learn about IUPUI so that they are hopefully in lockstep with traditional students when they arrive.”

Educational opportunity for students of color

In the 2021–2022 academic year, the proportion of Ivy Tech students of color in the Indianapolis service area (37%) was nearly double all other Ivy Tech service areas (20%).

"Ivy Tech Indianapolis is the most diverse campus among the 19 campuses of Ivy Tech,” Adams said. “The Passport Program provides a clear and local connection for students to remain here locally, but have a direct pathway to a bachelor’s degree. IUPUI welcomes the diversity of Ivy Tech’s students and provides support and a place to belong, so our students perform at a high level at IUPUI upon transfer."

IUPUI saw a similar rate of students of color transferring from Ivy Tech to IUPUI (38%), indicating the partnership’s effectiveness in providing educational opportunities to students of color in central Indiana.

IUPUI welcomes the diversity of Ivy Tech’s students and provides support and a place to belong, so our students perform at a high level at IUPUI upon transfer. Katherine Adams, Ivy Tech Indianapolis 

A differentiating partnership

The Ivy Tech Indianapolis and IUPUI partnership positions central Indiana’s transfer landscape well amid concerns of national declines in transfers between community colleges and four-year institutions .

The partnership continues to strengthen thanks, in part, to the institutions’ recent completion of the yearlong Transfer Student Success and Equity Intensive .

"This initiative helped to both refresh and to further deepen our partnership, particularly during a time of profound change as we’ve emerged from the pandemic and welcomed new campus leaders at both institutions,” Johnson said.

The new, co-created vision and mission for the Passport Program highlight the institutions’ commitment to students' educational goals and to providing high-quality support for transfer students.

"We see a path forward that incorporates more involvement and regular communication between teams,” Adams said. “Creating opportunity for student connection is a top priority of the work we are doing."

For more information, contact the Division of Undergraduate Education Office of Communications at [email protected] .

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