Page Size must be Letter 8.5 inch x 11 inch NOT A4, which is often standard in Europe and Asia. Click on Page Layout and then Size to set page to Letter 8.5" x 11”
Each section should be clearly defined
Font style should be Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, Garamond or Tahoma
Body font should be at a minimum size 10, maximum size 12
Your name should be the largest font on the page
Margins should be no less than 0.5 inches on each side
Use only one font throughout
Set proofing language to US English for spelling and grammar check. Click on Review then Language then Set Proofing Language and choose English (United States)
Resume Sections
Header
Name: legal First Name followed by legal Last Name
If using a preferred name, the recommended format is:
Preferred Name (legal First Name in parentheses) legal Last Name
Address: where to mail physical offer letter
Phone number in the US with 3 digit area code. Do NOT include the country code +1.
Email must be professional and allows you to be easily identifiable. We strongly recommend using your Columbia email address.
Webpage (eg, LinkedIn Profile)
Education: schools and degrees in order of attendance starting with the most recent
Do NOT list high school
Clearly indicate name of undergraduate institution, the location, degree program and month and year of graduation
Include any additional graduate degrees in the same format as undergraduate institution
Academic performance indicators (ie, GPA, honors, awards). If GPA is not on 4.0 point scale, you can indicate ranking or percentile.
You may list titles of relevant courses. Do NOT include course numbers.
You may briefly summarize projects or thesis
Professional and academic experience starting with the most recent
Name of organization
Location of organization
Title of position
Duration of experience (month and year started to month and year completed). Always include month (ie, October or Oct), NOT season (ie, Spring or Summer)
Description of experience
Use action verbs to start all bullet points
Past experience should start with a verb in the past tense, and current experience in the present tense.
Make resume relevant to the role you're applying for; use 3-5 job descriptions to guide your choice of words and how you prioritize and present your background.
Quantify and highlight your accomplishments (eg, include metrics for money or time saved, efficiencies increased, customers acquired, etc)
Do NOT use personal prounouns, such as I, me, we, etc
Interests: what are your passions outside of school and work?
Activities: what activities exemplify your values, motivations, perseverance, and leadership qualities
DO NOT Include
Personal information (too personal)
Age, gender, marital status, number of children
Repetitious use of phrases, such as responsible for, duties include, etc
Your GPA, if less than 3.0
Long narrations
List of references or the phrase reference available upon request
JPEGS, TIFFs, or animation
Questions to ask yourself
Does this resume communicate the message I want to send to employers?
Your resume should be a purposeful presentation of yourself, marketing your relevant skills and experience to the employer through your curation, phrasing, and organization of the information on this document. Does your resume clearly illustrate the kind of professional you want to be, or does it leave the employer confused and wondering where you fit?
Which three people can I show my resume to for a variety of responses and constructive feedback?
You need a resume that can appeal to both technical and non-technical people. Find this mix of people to learn how your resume is being perceived.
