Resume building
We strongly recommend using the W. P. Carey template, which was developed with direct feedback from employers. It’s clean, organized, easy to read, and—critically—it works with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), the software many companies use to screen resumes. While graphic resumes may look attractive, they often confuse ATS systems, distract from your actual experience, and can be seen as unprofessional. Stick to a well-organized, text-based layout with no images, graphics, or fancy fonts. Your resume should be no more than one page, free of any spelling or grammar errors, and formatted for quick skimming.
Take a look at examples of completed undergraduate, specialized master’s, MBA, and Alumni resumes and then create your own using either the undergraduate fillable template, specialized master’s fillable template, or the MBA fillable template.
- Formatting that works
- What to include
- Accomplishment statements
- Key best practices
- What about AI?
- Formatting that works
We strongly recommend using the W. P. Carey template, which was developed with direct feedback from employers. It’s clean, organized, easy to read, and—critically—it works with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), the software many companies use to screen resumes.
While graphic resumes may look attractive, they often confuse ATS systems, distract from your actual experience, and can be seen as unprofessional. Stick to a well-organized, text-based layout with no images, graphics, or fancy fonts. Your resume should be no more than one page, free of any spelling or grammar errors, and formatted for quick skimming.
Take a look at examples of completed undergraduate, specialized master’s, MBA, and Alumni resumes and then create your own using either the undergraduate fillable template, specialized master’s fillable template, or the MBA fillable template.
- What to include
A great resume opens with a header that includes your name, phone number, and email—plus a LinkedIn profile if you have one.
The Education section should list your degrees, minors, relevant coursework, study abroad programs, and academic honors. If your GPA is 3.5 or above, include it as well!
When completing the Professional Experience section, start with the most recent and include your job title, the name of the company or organization, its location, and the dates you worked there. Under each role, include 2–5 accomplishment statements in bullet points that demonstrate how you created impact or added value.
If you have had leadership roles in student or volunteer organizations, add a Leadership Experience section. If you’ve completed significant academic projects, include them in a separate section called Project Experience. This is also a great place to showcase any Forage Experiences you have completed.
The final section is Skills & Activities. Add your technical skills, languages, technology, and any relevant activities. Avoid listing soft skills here—they should be reflected through your experience statements. Extracurricular activities like volunteering or club involvement can be included here if you chose not to add a Leadership Experience section.
- Accomplishment statements
Each bullet point you craft for your experience sections should highlight a challenge you faced, the action you took, and the result you achieved—all in one clear sentence.
For example, instead of writing “Helped plan a school event,” you might write: “Planned end-of-year carnival by coordinating with local vendors, raising $4,000 in donations.”
Always start with an action verb and quantify your impact whenever possible. Avoid personal pronouns (“I”, “my”) and tailor your verbs and language to reflect the language used in job descriptions for your target roles.
When writing these statements, ask: What did I do? How did I do it? What was the outcome? This approach transforms vague job tasks into clear demonstrations of your value.
Check out the Accomplishment Statement Worksheet and the Writing Accomplishment Statements resources to learn more.
- Key best practices to follow:
- A strong resume uses action verbs, job-specific keywords, and avoids generic or unrelated details.
- It must be free of typos and should be easy to scan both visually and electronically.
- Use present tense verbs for current roles and past tense for previous ones.
- No images should be included, as they are considered inappropriate in U.S. resumes and may lead to ATS rejection or bias.
- “W. P. Carey” should include the correct punctuation and spacing.
- What about AI?
If you are using AI tools like ChatGPT, use them to refine your resume—not to write it from scratch. Ask AI to help identify keywords, improve bullet points, or check tone—but always review for accuracy and professionalism. Never paste in confidential information, and follow ethical guidelines outlined on the ASU AI website.
Ask AI to help identify keywords, improve bullet points, or check tone—but always review for accuracy and professionalism.
Never paste in confidential information, and follow ethical guidelines outlined on the ASU AI website.
