SUGGESTIONS FOR DEL NICHOLAS SCHOOL RESUME CONTENT

Name: Center on resume and use all CAPITAL letters. Use your first, middle initial and last name.

Address: Current address; email and phone; no personal website links

career interests

List the career fields/areas of specialization most relevant to your academic preparation and career goals. Start broad and winnow to more specific career interest or skill. Career interests do not need to related, but each one must be substantiated inyour resume.

Education: The Resume Book “resume format” has the required information for your Nicholas degree. Add any additional degrees, certificates or concurrent programs you will complete by graduation may be added.

See handout for listing certificates and additional degrees.

Optional information for graduate education:

  1. Master's project
  2. Concentration -- can be actual program of study or description of an area(s) of specialty. Avoid repetition of career interests listed on resume.

Ex: Concentration: Environmental Leadership with focus on climate policy.

  1. Summary of Competencies/Courses -- list most important/relevant courses to career interests and goals. As practicing professional summary of competencies may portray your qualifications more effectively. If listing courses consider describing skills gained from courses rather course name. You can group courses/skills by functional areas: quantitative, scientific, management, technical, etc.

Tip: Think ahead; include courses/projects you will complete by your graduation date.

  1. Professional activities, leadership roles and awards -- list professionalactivities you are most active in professional career or personal life, awards received or leadership roles held during this time.

Post-Baccalaureate Study or Post-Graduate Study: Include if you completed significant coursework, training (ex: LEED), but not a degree, between undergraduate and graduate school. Do not use if courses were for Nicholas school prerequisites. The heading goes before your undergraduate education section and after your graduate education, and is formatted like the undergraduate education section.

Undergraduate Education: See handout for specific formatting.

Undergraduate information required on resume: For those whose undergraduate degree was a few years back, this minimum description is all you may want to have on your resume!

Degree, month/year received

School, City, State

Major(s). Minor(s) graduated with honors

Optional information for undergraduate education Section:

  1. Graduate with honors? Insert cum laude, summa cum or magna cum, with honors, with distinction between degree and date receivedusing all lower case italicized letters.
  1. List courses or competencies that complement your graduate program, and are supportive of your career interests or professional skills in general.
  1. Senior thesis or Honor’s project: Title.
  1. Honors: scholarships -- include name of scholarship and purpose -- academic excellence for outstanding senior, membership in national honor societiesand other accolades.
  1. Community service, leadership roles, personal initiatives.
  1. Intercollegiate athletics, significant extracurricular activities.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Include any paid and unpaid experiences, volunteer activities, special work projects, and MP work. Think beyond tasks, think about the complexity of assignments—the “for whom, why and how” part of the experience, even lessons learned. Think about “transferable skills” (management, team building, strategic planning, leadership, etc.).

other optional categories: Use only if applicable

Other Experience: Uses the same format as Professional Experience section, but this section does not always require a description. If describing the experience choose skills used or gained that will transfer to your career interests.

Publications: See handoutfor format. Publications may be incorporated as part of Professional Experience description or listed in Additional Information section. A separate section may be warranted if more than two publications.

Professional Affiliations: Name of Association, any leadership roles, length of membership.

Military Experience: Can be separate or incorporated into Professional Experience.

Additional Information: Think of as your professional skills or qualifications summary. Focus on "value-added" information;desirable skills and competencies from an employer’s point of view.

  1. Specific career knowledge.
  1. Job-related training courses or certifications. Ex: NEPA, OSHA
  1. Advanced computer skills and applications– yes employers want to know!
  1. Project management skills, financial or budget administration, supervisory experience, etc.
  1. Field skills/Laboratory skills/Use of scientific equipment – be specific.
  1. Participation in professional conferences, seminars, skill modules -- focus on topics not necessarily name of conference(s) attended. Professional memberships.
  1. Types of communication experiences, foreign languages, special certifications.
  1. Personal achievements/recognition.
  1. Something unique or distinctive about you.