WRITING A WINNING
RESUME
Writing a Winning Resume 2
Table of Contents
Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………………………… ......2
Introduction and Objectives.………………………………………………………………………………....3
Format………………...….…………………………………………………………………………………………......4
Resume Formatting Checklist……………………………………..…………………………………… …....5
Content and Tips for Writing a Winning Resume..………………………………………………..7
List of Resume Action Verbs………………………………………………………………………………….12
Developing Strong Accomplishment Statements Worksheet Sample.…………......14
Developing Strong Accomplishment Statements Worksheet.………………………......1 5
Writing a Winning Resume 3
Introduction and Objectives
Introduction
Your resume is a marketing tool to promote your experience and background throughout your
career. Crafting a compelling resume will distinguish you and your experience and will propel
the reader to want to learn more about you.
A resume should not present everything there is to know about you. It is a selective, yet
factual, summary of your most significant professional and educational experiences, as well as
additional interests and activities. It is tailored to present the accomplishments, skills, and
experiences that are transferable to the position you seek. A well-constructed resume
increases your chances of getting an interview. A resume with errors, misspellings or irregular
formatting will usually disqualify a candidate from serious consideration from a position.
Objectives
The purpose of this guide is to provide you with reference material for both the format and
content of your resume.
Please read through this guide as you craft your resume and to revisit it periodically as you
transition through the phases of your job search.
Writing a Winning Resume 4
Format
There are many different formats for writing a resume. There is no one right or wrong way to present
your information. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when selecting a format:
1. Select a font that is easy to see and read such as Times New Roman or Calibri.
2. Make sure that your font is not too large or too small. Any of the following work: 10, 10.5, 11,
11.5 or 12 point.
3. Be consistent (i.e., if you use a period at the end of one bullet, use a period at the end of all
bullets or vice versa).
4. Do not include personal information such as marriage status, photo, age, religion, etc.
5. Margins should be no less than 0.5” on each side.
Writing a Winning Resume 5
Resume Formatting Checklist
Please use the following checklist as a guide for writing and editing your resume. A clean, well-
formatted resume will make it easier for readers to find the critical information they need to
know about you.
1. General Formatting Guidelines
Resume is one to two pages
Formatting is consistent throughout entire resume (i.e., headings, font type, font sizes)
Font and size = Times New Roman or Calibri are recommended; 10-point – 12-point
font (anything less than 10-point is too small)
Margins no less than 0.5” on each side
Dates – be consistent, use months and years throughout resume.
Month and year: (July 2016 – April 2018 or 7/16 – 4/18)
Bullet points should be very basic () and used consistently
Either use periods at the end of each bullet or do not use periods (be consistent)
2. Contact Details
Name at the top of the page (you may want to bold and capitalize your name to make
it stand out)
Mailing address – address where you receive your mail
Telephone – number you can be contacted; country/area code in parentheses
E-mail – firstname.lastname@schoolname.edu or use a simple Gmail account name
3. Professional Experience
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4. Education
List education in reverse chronological order, with the highest degree achieved first
List your school name; degree and majors listed below school name.
Note: you may want to list school name in BOLD CAPITAL letters. Next, list your
degree as B.A. or B.S., and then your major.
School location with city and state (and country if not in the US)
Date for all schools is graduation year only (20XX). If you are in the process of
obtaining a degree, please state anticipated graduation year
Academic achievement should be reflected.
Undergraduate – include Latin honors or if GPA > 3.0/4.0
Education related activities included in bullet points (i.e., academic awards, exchange
programs)
Everything listed in this section should be post-high school
5. Additional Information/Other Sections
Include technical skills, or activities that show professional or personal commitment,
leadership outside of work. This can go under an “Additional Information” section. If
you have strong computer skills, you may want a separate “Technical Skills” section. If
you have licenses, memberships or accreditations, you may want a separate
“Professional Affiliations” section. If you have spent a good deal of time volunteering
outside of work, you may want a separate “Community Involvement” or “Volunteer
Experience” section.
Do not include anything that could screen you out such as political or religious
organizations. The exception is if you hold a leadership position (i.e., coordinated a
political event where you oversaw 250 volunteers)
Use consistent format (i.e., if you include years that you volunteered at one
organization, make sure to include the years that you have belonged to a professional
association)
6. Other things to keep in mind when crafting your resume.
Be honest – make sure all statements are true
Proofread Proofread Proofread: grammar, punctuation, spelling
Writing a Winning Resume 7
Content and Tips for Writing a Winning Resume
The format of a resume is important for the reader to be able to locate the information
seamlessly, but once they have found what they are looking for, the content becomes the
most important part. Here are some guidelines:
SECTION I – Contact Information
Personal information goes at the top of the resume and is a simple identifier. This section
should include your full name and contact information, including your email address (note:
when applying internally to positions at Yale, we recommend using your Yale email address).
Recommendations
• Please ensure you have an appropriate and professional voicemail message on your cell
phone.
• As a rule, it’s a good idea to put your address (which many candidates do not like to do).
Examples
• SALLY SMITH
1114 Main Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
Tel. (203) 555-5555: [email protected]
SECTION II – Education
The Education section is typically listed after the Professional Experience section of the
resume. The exception to this rule is if you have recently obtained a degree (in the last year).
Then you may want to put the Education section at the top if you would like the new degree to
be the first thing the reader notices.
Recommendations
• Present your graduate and undergraduate institutions in reverse chronological order with
the most recently attended school first.
• If you have graduated (undergraduate or graduate program) within the past ten years and
your GPA was greater than 3.0, you may list it in this section.
• List any Latin honors (i.e., cum laude) or scholarships from previous degrees.
• Include leadership roles, extracurricular activities, and related coursework (if applicable).
Writing a Winning Resume 8
Examples
• Elected to Student Government as Treasurer
• Awarded All-Conference for 2013; three-year Captain of Varsity Track team
• Awarded Dean’s list for 2016 – 2017 academic year
SECTION III – Professional Experience
The heart of your resume is the organization and presentation of your professional experience.
Your goal is to highlight the skills/achievements most relevant and directly transferable to the
position you’re seeking. Describe your major activities (transactions and projects) but place the
greatest emphasis on accomplishments you can legitimately claim as your own.
Recommendations
• Use strong action verbs to begin each bullet (see list of examples on pages 12 – 13 in this
guide).
• Do not use personal pronouns such as “I,” “my,” “me,” etc.
• Include the city and state/country of work experience, don’t assume.
• Draw the connections between past experiences and the occupational skills required in the
role you are applying for. Readers often lack the time needed to draw inferences and make
connections based on resume bullets. Be as clear as possible about how your past
achievements relate to the position of interest.
• Ensure each bullet point reflects an accomplishment vs. a responsibility.
• Use the “SAR” (Situation – Action – Result) framework to write the accomplishment
statements. This includes describing the Situation (S), the Action taken (A) which might
include the analysis of the opportunity, the planning and preparation, and the resources
involved, and the Results (R) obtained. Be sure to state if you presented your results to
management and what next steps were taken.
• Expand upon accomplishments wherever possible:
o Improved quality, productivity, teamwork
o Increased sales, profits
o Reduced costs
o Planned/designed a program/training process to improve, reduce or change some
factor
o Decreased turnover, failures, breakdown, shrinkage, overtime, etc.
• To help you identify some of your accomplishments, consider:
o Did I train or in any way develop other employees?
o Did I receive any recognition or award?
o Did I point out the need for or create a new procedure?
o Did I improve customer service?
Writing a Winning Resume 9
o Did I reduce turnover?
o Did I meet or surpass standards for speed or accuracy?
o Did I do something special?
• With every question, ask yourself this follow up question:
o What were the results?
• Quantify impact as often as possible (i.e., % sales growth). If possible, try to relate the size
and scope of accomplishment (i.e., “first,” “affecting 13 of 15 clients”, “increasing audience
200%”, etc.). Focus on your individual impact and be careful not to exaggerate or
misrepresent your background. In situations where the responsibility and activities had
little quantitative benefit, you should make an effort to “qualify” results. For example,
“Championed a quarterly learning seminar that increased collaboration between sales,
marketing, and finance” or “Developed a proposal to refocus traditional media spend on a
social media strategy; the recommendation was supported and acted upon by senior
leadership.”
Examples (Accomplishment Statements):
• Prospected 15 potential new customers and signed 10 of them within a one-week period –
a record for the department.
• Reorganized department files using a color-coded system which resulted in a 20%
improvement in the retrieval of key documents.
• Initiated advanced assembly procedures to increase production 10% by reducing turn-
around time from five to four days. Presented report on procedural improvements to
senior management, informing next round of strategic planning.
• Earned promotion to Senior Administrative Assistant within ten months of start date.
• Led sales team of 12 professionals in doubling market share of company’s largest product
segment from 15% to 30%, despite negative economic indicators in the industry sector.
• Developed a spreadsheet for determining salary and benefits plan impact on finances; the
model has become company-wide standard and is still utilized.
• Led a 10-member cross-functional task force charged with improving administrative
processes, resulting in overall savings of $300,000 annually.
• Analyzed statistical reports to pinpoint cost overruns, saving $500K annually in raw
material sourcing.
• Created and presented a program to educate regional branches in anti-fraud compliance
best practices.
• Compiled and distributed weekly activity reports to all vice presidents (meeting all
deadlines and attaining the highest degree of accuracy).
Writing a Winning Resume 10
• Prepared budget and P&L analysis for product lines, providing management with estimates
of product profitability for Northeast market.
• Trained approximately 50 new employees in customer service, secretarial, and telephone
procedures, generating a 30% reduction in customer complaints. One of five employees
nominated for annual Customer Orientation Award by supervisor.
• Studied 30 bids and contracts from outside service providers, totaling more than $30M
annually, and presented recommendations to senior managers.
• Created new loan procedure that resulted in $200K savings and 50% improved processing
turnaround time.
• Analyzed, approved and documented over $75 million in new business. Earned unanimous
perfect ratings in peer appraisal reviews as a result.
SECTION IV – Additional Information
The additional information section holds great importance in making a strong statement about
you. If you have strong computer skills, you may want a separate “Technical Skills” section. If
you have licenses, memberships or accreditations, you may want a separate “Professional
Affiliations” section. If you have spent a good deal of time volunteering outside of work, you
may want a separate “Community Involvement” or “Volunteer Experience” section
Recommendations
• Do not include anything that could screen you out such as political or religious
organizations. The exception is if you hold a leadership position that you want to highlight
(i.e., coordinated a political event where you were in charge of 250 volunteers). Note: you
may want to leave out the name of the political affiliation.
Examples
• Software Skills: Advanced Microsoft Excel Modeling and Programming, ArcGIS, Stata,
Microsoft Access
• Volunteer Coordinator, United Way campaign
• Language Skills: Proficiency in Brazilian Portuguese (advanced) and Mandarin Chinese
(beginner)
Writing a Winning Resume 11
List of Resume Action Verbs
Achievement
Accelerated
Accomplished
Achieved
Activated
Attained
Awarded
Circumvented
Completed
Conserved
Earned
Elected
Executed
Expanded
Expedited
Generated
Identified
Improved
Increased
Manufactured
Marketed
Mastered
Mobilized
Obtained
Orchestrated
Overhauled
Produced
Reduced
Reorganized
Reproduced
Resolved
Restructured
Revitalized
Simplified
Streamlined
Succeeded
Upgraded
Administrative
Amended
Arranged
Collected
Compiled
Computed
Consulted
Contributed
Coordinated
Deducted
Dispensed
Displayed
Distributed
Documented
Established
Executed
Hired
Hosted
Implemented
Installed
Maintained
Measured
Nominated
Ordered
Outlined
Partnered
Performed
Prepared
Processed
Provided
Purchased
Recorded
Rendered
Served
Serviced
Sourced
Supported
Communication
Addressed
Advertised
Arbitrated
Articulated
Assembled
Bridged
Briefed
Charted
Circulated
Cited
Communicated
Conducted
Contacted
Conveyed
Convinced
Corresponded
Critiqued
Debated
Delivered
Demonstrated
Edited
Informed
Interviewed
Lectured
Mediated
Negotiated
Persuaded
Presented
Promoted
Proposed
Publicized
Reported
Represented
Responded
Suggested
Translated
Creative
Adapted
Authored
Blended
Built
Changed
Commissioned
Conceived
Conceptualized
Constructed
Created
Cultivated
Customized
Designed
Developed
Devised
Directed
Drafted
Envisioned
Established
Formulated
Founded
Illustrated
Influenced
Initiated
Introduced
Invented
Launched
Modeled
Originated
Revamped
Revised
Shaped
Spearheaded
Staged
Updated
Visualized
Financial
Accounted
Adjusted
Allocated
Analyzed
Appraised
Assessed
Audited
Balanced
Budgeted
Built (models)
Calculated
Capitalized
Classified
Compared
Compiled
Consolidated
Constructed
Controlled
Created
Disbursed
Diverted
Estimated
Evaluated
Exchanged
Figured
Financed
Forecasted
Formulated
Increased
Modeled
Projected
Reconciled
Reduced
Researched
Saved
Tabulated
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Won
Tracked
Wrote
Valued
Teach
Accommodated
Advised
Awarded
Certified
Clarified
Coached
Collaborated
Consulted
Counseled
Educated
Exhibited
Explained
Facilitated
Fostered
Guided
Helped
Informed
Instructed
Mentored
Modeled
Navigated
Participated
Taught
Trained
Tutored
Manage
Acquired
Administered
Advanced
Approved
Assigned
Authorized
Chaired
Challenged
Closed
Contracted
Controlled
Decided
Delegated
Designated
Directed
Enlisted
Handled
Initiated
Instilled
Instituted
Issued
Managed
Motivated
Presided
Recruited
Retained
Reviewed
Organize
Allocated
Anticipated
Appraised
Arranged
Cataloged
Categorized
Classified
Collected
Consolidated
Convened
Edited
Eliminated
Employed
Finalized
Gathered
Grouped
Incorporated
Linked
Mapped
Monitored
Organized
Planned
Regulated
Scheduled
Research
Analyzed
Assessed
Collected
Compared
Critiqued
Defined
Derived
Detected
Determined
Disclosed
Discovered
Dissected
Evaluated
Examined
Explored
Inspected
Interpreted
Investigated
Located
Measured
Predicted
Proposed
Qualified
Rated
Recommended
Researched
Reviewed
Searched
Studied
Technical
Adapted
Adjusted
Applied
Built
Computed
Constructed
Converted
Designed
Diagnosed
Diagramed
Engineered
Experimented
Fabricated
Innovated
Integrated
Maintained
Modified
Programmed
Proved
Purchased
Repaired
Resolved
Restored
Solved
Specified
Systematized
Tested
Writing a Winning Resume 13
Developing Strong Accomplishment Statements Worksheet
Sample
Think about a specific experience or accomplishment.
Context
Situation
Summarize the nature of the problem you faced
or the goal you sought to accomplish.
I oversaw processing expenses for everyone
in the department (22 staff members).
Your Role
Action
Describe the action taken. What did you do?
What skills, knowledge, and expertise did you
demonstrate? Include an analysis of the
opportunity, the planning and preparation, and
the resources involved. Use action words and
avoid passive constructions such as
“participated in.”
I processed all expenses within two business
days of receiving receipts and details from
staff.
Impact
Result
What resulted from your effort? What impact
did your actions make?
Expenses were reconciled, and employees
were reimbursed promptly.
Draft one accomplishment statement using the SAR framework
Managed expense reimbursement process for 22 employees in department. Ensured
staff were reimbursed promptly by processing all expenses within two business days.
Writing a Winning Resume 14
Note: S-A-R does not have to be presented in that order. In this
example, the order is S-R-A. Developing Strong Accomplishment
Statements Worksheet
Think about a specific experience or accomplishment.
Context
Situation
Summarize the nature of the problem you faced
or the goal you sought to accomplish.
Your Role
Action
Describe the action taken. What did you do?
What skills, knowledge, and expertise did you
demonstrate? Include an analysis of the
opportunity, the planning and preparation, and
the resources involved. Use action words and
avoid passive constructions such as
“participated in.”
Impact
Result
What resulted from your effort? What impact
did your actions make?
Draft one accomplishment statement using the SAR framework