Graduate Resume And Curriculum Vitae Guide Page 5
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10FORMATTING YOUR RESUME OR CV:
The length of your resume or CV will depend on your level of experience and qualifications. Generally a graduate resume
should be 2-3 full pages and a CV should be 3-5 pages long. However, based on your experiences, career field, and the position
description, it could be longer or shorter. Whatever the case, only print your document on one side of the paper and include
your name and the page number at the top of each page.
Avoid using a resume or CV template. This decreases your ability to personalize and make changes as your document evolves.
Your resume or CV should be well organized, without spelling errors, and easy to read. An employer spends a short amount of
time reading your document—it is imperative that the employer clearly sees the most important qualifications.
To organize your document, you may choose to use bold, italics, all caps, indenting, and bullets. You will want to use these
sparingly to emphasize the most important information. Avoid pictures, graphics, non-black ink, shading, and symbols instead
of traditional, round, solid bullet points.
It is a good idea to start with a 1-inch margin on each side. You can expand the margins if need be. Font size should be
between 10-12 point, and you will want to choose easy to read font styles, such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Garamond.
Keep font size and style consistent throughout your CV (except for your name, which should be a larger size).
Present your resume or CV on quality bond paper (20 pound)—choose white or off-white to ensure your document is easy to
read.
If you are filling out an online application where you cannot upload your document directly, keep the format simple when
filling in required information.
If you are requested to submit your documents via email, save your resume or CV and cover letter (if applicable) as attach-
ments. Include a brief note in the body of the email stating your purpose.
TIPS FOR RESUME AND CV WRITING:
Make sure that your resume or CV is a unique and personal document. It is a great idea to look at examples of resumes or CVs
but also important to make it your own.
There are some suggestions that we provide when writing a resume or CV, but there are also options and room for choice. If
you give your document to several people, they may all give you different feedback. Beyond some of our strongly suggested
guidelines, resumes and CVs are subjective.
Be 100% honest and factual. Avoid abbreviations.
Organize your document so the most important information is at the top.
Do not include a work history. Rather, include your most related experiences or those where you demonstrated a high level of
skill.
Personal information, such as marital status, age, ethnicity, height, and weight should not be included.
Avoid personal pronouns (I, my, we) and complete sentences to describe your experiences. Start your statements with action
verbs.
Always proofread your resume or CV. Do not solely rely on spell check. Some employers may eliminate candidates based on
errors.
It is suggested that you tailor your resume or CV to the job description. You may have more than one version of your
.
document depending on the positions to which you are applying
You may change the order of sections to list more relevant
areas of your experience closer to the top.
Remember that your resume or CV is YOUR marketing tool. Many times it is an employer’s first impression of you. It is also a
work in progress that you will continually revise.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Visit to view our Resume Writing or Curriculum Vitae Workshops.
Visit the CSE Career Center Resource Center to view our Resume Examples Binder and related books.
Have your resume or CV reviewed by a CSE Career Counselor. You can email to ccse@umn.edu. If you’d like to meet with a
CSE Career Counselor to discuss your application materials, you can make a 30-45 minute appointment or stop by during
Drop-In Advising and Counseling hours (paper copy only; no laptops).
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