Hiring managers scan resumes quickly, and software often reads them first. A few choices decide whether yours gets a fair look. These six come from career-center guidance at UC Berkeley and the University of Pennsylvania.
1. Keep It to One Page
For students, recent graduates and professionals with under ten years of experience, one page is the norm. Berkeley says to go longer only with extensive experience related to the job. Penn’s career services, reposting a Vault article, lists a few cases for two pages, such as very senior candidates or engineers with a detailed projects section, and warns that even then it may count against you.
2. Use Three to Seven Bullets per Role
The Vault article suggests three to seven bullets per job: up to seven for a recent graduate with one internship, about five for the most recent of several jobs and about three for the earliest. Keep each bullet to about two lines.
3. Start With a Strong Verb
Both sources point to concise phrases that start with an action verb. Vault advises cutting filler such as “responsible for” and weak verbs, and gives “directed” in place of “managed” as an example.
4. Put Numbers on Results
Berkeley says to build a list of accomplishments for each section, focus on outcomes and quantify results where you can. Vault adds that numbers help you decide which weaker bullets to cut.
5. Tailor It to the Job
Berkeley suggests reading each position description and noting the required and preferred qualifications. Then adjust your accomplishments to address that employer’s needs. Vault says to include only tasks relevant to the job description, and that experienced candidates can usually omit entries more than 10 to 15 years old.
6. Make It Readable for Screening Software
For applicant tracking systems, Berkeley advises a standard font such as Times New Roman, standard section titles such as Education or Experience, and a position title, company name and dates for each work entry. It says to avoid headers, footers, text boxes, tables, colors, pictures and graphics. Submit the file type the application asks for, which may be a Word document, a Google Doc or a PDF.
Berkeley also suggests having a career adviser or a peer review your resume before you send it.
Sources
- UC Berkeley Career Engagement, “Resumes”. https://career.berkeley.edu/prepare-for-success/resumes/
- University of Pennsylvania Career Services, “How Long Should Your Resume Be?” (originally published on Vault), URL dated 6 July 2023. https://careerservices.upenn.edu/blog/2023/07/06/how-long-should-your-resume-be/
