Sample Resume Template For Biology Major (Page 5 of 8) in pdf

Sample 3: Kristin Plasmid’s resume

Kristin is applying for a summer program at the University of Tennessee that gives undergraduate

students an opportunity to participate in research.

The Tennessee program is specifically designed to prepare students for graduate school so that they

can have a career in research. For this reason, Kristin has included an Objective statement that she

thinks will appeal to the directors of the program. She is letting them know that she is specifically

interested in obtaining a Ph.D. degree in Microbiology. This should enhance her chances of getting

into the program.

Note that Kristin is not reporting her GPA. Right now, her GPA is just a 2.8. She knows that she

needs to get that up! She also knows that you generally do not report your GPA unless it is 3.0 or

higher.

Kristin has listed her relevant coursework, including all the science and math courses she has had so

far. She has also made a list of all the technical/laboratory skills with which she has become familiar

in the laboratories of her science courses, including BIOL 201 and BIOL 318 (Microbiology) and

CHEM 131/132. This is an impressive list and should appeal to the directors of this program and

professors that might supervise her summer research.

Kristin is a sophomore and does not yet have science-related job experience. She also has not yet

done an internship. However, she has secured an entry-level research position in the laboratory of

Dr. Matthew Hemm, TU’s microbiologist. She lists that. Good for her taking the initiative to get her

foot in the door in a research lab! After another semester, she will get her own research project.

Kristin has had a variety of jobs and done some volunteering, but none of it has been research-

related and so it is probably of little interest to the directors of the research program. Thus, instead of

providing a specific list of her jobs, volunteer work, etc., she has very wisely put together a section

highlighting the "transferable skills" that she developed from these experiences. Note that she

provides evidence of her transferable skills. For example, she not only says she has “interpersonal

skills” but she lays out the evidence (promoted by manager based on high-quality interactions with

customers). All of these transferable skills are skills that could come in very handy when working as

part of a team in a research laboratory and should be very appealing to the directors of this program.

One other note: Unlike the other resumes, Kristin has chosen not to put a comma between the city

and state. That’s OK, but she has to do this consistently throughout the resume. Inconsistent

punctuation, capitalization, spacing, etc. can suggest that one has a lack of attention to detail and this

can be the kiss of death!

Sample Resume Template For Biology Major Page 5