A strong resume is concise, easy to scan and tailored to the opportunity. These guidelines follow best practices from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and what employers tell us they look for.
Use them alongside our resume templates, and then have the Eberly Career Development Center (ECDC) review your resume before you apply.
Format
Keep your resume to one page. A second page makes sense only with more than five years of experience.
Use a professional font, such as Calibri, Arial or Times New Roman, in 10- to 12-point size.
Set 1-inch margins and keep spacing and formatting consistent from top to bottom.
List experience in reverse chronological order, with your most recent role first.
Choose a simple layout. Complex templates with tables, text boxes or graphics can break applicant tracking systems (ATS), the software many employers use to screen resumes.
Save your resume as both a Word document and a PDF. Submit the PDF unless the application asks for another format.
Sections to include
Most resumes use these four core sections, in this order. Each starts with a simple heading and a line underneath, just as it would on your resume.
Header
Your name, phone number, professional email address and LinkedIn profile URL.
Education
Your degree, major, West Virginia University and your expected graduation date. As a student or recent graduate, place this near the top.
Experience
Jobs, internships, research, projects and volunteer work. Use bullet points that start with action verbs and describe accomplishments, not just tasks.
Skills
Technical skills, software and languages, plus specialized lab skills for research and technical roles. Show soft skills, like teamwork, through your experience bullets instead of listing them.
Volunteer and campus experience
Volunteer work, student organizations and leadership roles are a great way to show transferable skills such as teamwork, leadership, problem solving and communication. Where you list them depends on how closely they relate to the job.
List it under Experience when
The work is directly relevant to the job you’re applying for.
You’re a student or recent graduate with limited professional experience.
Create a separate section when
You already have substantial professional experience.
The work isn’t directly related to the field. Place it near the end with a heading such as Volunteer Experience, Community Involvement or Leadership and Activities.
Either way, list the organization, your title and your dates of service, and make it clear the role was a volunteer position so it isn’t mistaken for a paid job. For example:
Community Food Pantry, Volunteer Shift Manager, 2024–Present
If you managed projects or people as a volunteer, highlight it. That experience counts.
Writing strong content
Start with action verbs. Use words like organized, led, managed and developed.
Quantify your results. Numbers show scope and impact, such as “Managed a team of five volunteers” or “Raised $2,000 for a campus food drive.”
Tailor every resume. Customize it for each application, emphasizing the experience that fits the role.
Use keywords. Include industry terms from the job posting, as long as they truthfully describe your experience, so your resume gets through applicant tracking systems.
Show the skills employers want
NACE identifies eight career readiness competencies employers look for. Use your experience bullets to show them in action:
