Experiential Education & Career Services - Resume Guidebook - Graduate Resume Checklist

Sep 13, 2026

Experiential Education & Career Services resume guidebook for graduate job seekers, centered on a complete, ATS-aware resume structure and practical writing guidance. Covers resume margins, contact information, qualification highlights, education and work experience layouts, and how to craft achievement-focused bullet statements with quantified results. Provides common resume mistakes to avoid, including pronoun use, ordering, formatting consistency, keyword gaps, and negative personal information, plus a sample cover letter checklist for career services support.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResumes

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time6 min

AccessFree to download

JWU Resume Checklist

Contact Info

Highlights of Qualifications (Summary of Skills)

Education

Work Experience

Bullet Statements

Other Categories (Accomplishments, Volunteer, Honors)

Resume Mistakes to Avoid

EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION & CAREER SERVICES RESUME G U I D EB O O K G R A D UAT E INCLUDES: • Resume Examples • Tips & Tools • ATS Resume Format • Bullet Statements • Key Action Verbs • Resume Don’ts • Sample Cover Letter • Checklist Experiential Education & Career Services JWU Resume Checklist | | MARGINS
Typically your resume document will be formatted with 1-inch margins. As long as information is relevant flexibility may apply. In most cases, margins any smaller may cause your resume to appear crowded, and difficult to read. | | --- | --- | | | CONTACT INFO
• Name – should be in bold and larger font than the content of your resume
• Phone Number with area code (just your cell phone and make sure your voice message is professional)
• Email (make it professional, [not pinklady@aol.com](not pinklady@aol.com)); JWU email address suggested
• Customized LinkedIn URL, and if you have your own blog or website, add it if it’s relevant to the position | | | HIGHLIGHTS OF QUALIFICATIONS (or SUMMARY OF SKILLS)
Use this section to showcase 3-5 bullets outlining your most relevant skills to the position you are applying to. This can include certifications, computer/technical skills, language skills, relevant coursework, specific results you have achieved in a professional setting. Use the job description as a guide to choose the skills and abilities you showcase. | | | EDUCATION
• School Name, City, State Initials, Month/Year
• Degree Earned, Major, Graduation Month/Year
• Concentration
• GPA (if above 3 .0) and Honors
• If appropriate, list relevant coursework and projects
Only list high school, if it’s specialized to your major. If you are a transfer student, only list the college from which you earned your degree. | | | WORK EXPERIENCE
• Company, City, State
• Job Title, start date month/year –to-end date month/year
• list 3-4 qualified and quantified bullet statements for each relevant position | | | BULLET STATEMENTS
Showcase your accomplishments. Focus on the results you achieved and how you achieved them. Don’t re-write your job descriptions-be brief and to the point. You want the first few words of each bullet to be
action-and results-oriented (verb). Quantify and qualify ($,%,\#). Start with your most recent job and provide 3-4 primary duties highlighting your most important achievements. One way to craft solid statements is to ask yourself the questions – who, what, when, why and how. Use these helpful questions to guide you:
• What was the situation or challenge presented to you?
• What was the goal you worked on?
• How big was the project?
• Who was involved? How many people did you supervise?
• How much ahead of deadline or under budget?
• What were the specific actions you took to reach the goal or complete the project?
• How often or when did you perform this task or responsibility? | | | OTHER CATEGORIES (Other Accomplishments, Volunteer Activities & Interests or Honors & Associations) In this section you can really enhance your resume by highlighting alternative experiences that are valuable in the workplace. Include honors, awards, projects, professional memberships, volunteer work and military service.
• Name of organization, Date (month/year)
• Role and activities (e.g. award name, leadership positions held)
Students with less work experience and more volunteer experience may develop this section in more detail. | Constructed With Input From Avoid These 10 Resume Mistakes By Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., [Quintcareers.com](Quintcareers.com)[ ](Quintcareers.com)And 10 Résumé Killers By Kate Lorenz, [Careerbuilder.com](Careerbuilder.com) Editor Resume Mistakes to Avoid Here are some classic resume don’ts direct from the mouths of our JWU employers who want to hire YOU. Common mistakes include: 1. Assuming spell-check is good enough 2. Using“I”,“We”,“Me” anywhere on your resume. Pronouns should never be used on

FAQs

What margins should a resume use?

Typically, use 1-inch margins. If information remains relevant, flexibility is allowed, but overly small margins can make the resume crowded and harder to read.

How should bullet statements be written for work experience?

Focus on results and how you achieved them. Start each bullet with an action verb, keep it brief, and quantify/qualify using metrics such as dollars, percentages, or numbers.

What common mistakes should be avoided when creating a resume?

Avoid using pronouns like I/We/Me, ensure bullet points start with action verbs, list experience in reverse chronological order, maintain consistent formatting, use enough keywords for ATS, and avoid negative personal or irrelevant details.

Sep 13, 2026

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