The purpose of a resume is to motivate an employer to contact you to schedule an interview.  To make that happen, your resume (and job search cover letter) must reflect how your education and experiences fit, and exceed, the requirements for the position. Another way to think of the resume is as a marketing tool that communicates on paper the value you will bring to the employer. Your resume has one job to accomplish and that's to make your phone ring with invitations to interview. Job and internships seekers should also have a references page, but this should be a separate document from your resume.

Need a pair of expert eyes on your career document(s)?

Students and alumni can upload their career documents (resume, CV,  cover letter, etc.)  to be reviewed by a CCPD staff member.

First, download our General Resume Guidelines Checklist and be sure your document checks many of the boxes. 

Second, look at your existing document to see what edits need to be made to comply with the guides. Make these edits.  

Third, upload your document for a CCPD staff member to review. 

 

Note:  School of Business students should schedule a resume review appointment via Handshake to obtain resume feedback. Select the "School of Business Career Development Appointments" option inside the Handshake scheduling tool. Once you have made an appointment, email your resume to your career consultation provider specified below.

Atlanta and Online Business Programs: Brittany Kennedy at kennedy_b@mercer.edu

Macon Business Programs: Ashley Herman at herman_ag@mercer.edu

 

We provide examples of well-crafted staff-reviewed resumes that highlight the critical components of an impactful resume including employer-preferred formatting features. Click on the link below to see the full listing of samples. 

Additional Resources and Samples

Resumes

The “3 C’s of Resumes”

Clear:  Make sure your resume addresses the qualifications required for the position you seek.  It is very important that you tailor your resume for each position you pursue. If you have had a career break to care for children, parent, spouse, etc., you should describe this break clearly and concisely. If you are a career changer or don't have significant experience in your field yet, make sure to highlight your transferrable skills from the experience you do have already (jobs, volunteer experience, field experiences, etc.).

Concise:  Standard length is typically one page for recent graduates and two pages for professionals with significant professional experience. If you have less than 5 years of professional experience, you should use an early professional resume format. If you have more than 5 years of professional experience, you should use a mid-career resume format.

Clean: Make sure your resume is neat and easy to read.  Basic formatting suggestions:

• Stick to traditional fonts such as Times New Roman, Arial, Tahoma, Verdana, Garamond, or Georgia. Some take up more space on the page than others so use them according to your spacing needs.
• Use a 10, 11 or 12pt font. Your name in your header should be between 14 and 16pt font.
• Highlight achievements and skill sets with bulleted statements beginning with strong action verbs. Use past tense verbs for past experiences and present tense verbs for current experiences.
• Set headings, position titles, locations, etc. apart by consistently using bolding/italics throughout your resume. Avoid abbreviations.
• Margins should be between 1/2 to 1 inch all around.
• You should have a header on page one with your name, city, state, phone, email, and LinkedIn URL (customized to be your name). You should have a footer on page 2 with your name and the page number.

 

Curriculum Vitae

The curriculum vitae is often referred to as a "CV," or "vita" interchangeably in conversation and in writing. The “curriculum vitae,” “CV,” or “vita,” is a detailed document that summarizes a person's academic and professional history. The focus of a CV is on academic preparation, research, publications, and clinical preparation (where applicable).  Unlike a resume, a vita is not limited in length. A master’s level vita may be three or four pages, while those with doctorates may have ten or more pages. A candidate's educational and professional background determines the length of the CV. The order of sections is determined by your industry and target job, but usually all CV's begin with the education section. It is best to consult with the faculty in your academic department and/or professionals in your field about what to include and the appropriate layout for your vitae. Here are some general guidelines to help you get started on your CV.

Content

CVs don't need to include every section or category listed below, but it is important to highlight the information most relevant to the position you are seeking.  Be strategic about the arrangement of the sections within your CV.  List more relevant sections towards the beginning of your CV and less critical sections towards the end. HigherEdJobs offers different samples to help you think about how to structure your CV.

• Contact Information - name, address (home and/or office), phone number and e-mail address
• Professional Development - additional trainings, certifications, and workshops you've attended or completed
• Research/Teaching Interests - relevant experiences to the position you are seeking
• Specialized Skills - technical skills related to your discipline
• Service - a listing of your involvement on university, department or community committees
• Presentations - poster presentations, workshops, seminars, panels and conferences
• Professional Accomplishments - honors, awards, fellowships and grants
• Publications - cite them in the format appropriate to your discipline
• Experience - can be organized into multiple sections, including (but not limited to): Teaching Experience, Research Experience, Relevant Experience, Volunteer Experience, Clinical Experience, Laboratory Experience, etc.
• Education - all college degrees received and currently pursuing, institutions, locations, dates completed or expected.  You can also include thesis and/or dissertation titles and advisor names for graduate degrees.
• Professional Memberships - relevant professional association memberships in your field

CV vs. Resume

There is not always one rule to follow in terms of knowing when to submit a resume or CV to job openings. However, it is customary for CV's to be preferred in the fields of education (K12 and higher education leadership roles) and healthcare (clinical and leadership positions). In addition, some international employers will request a CV. Because recruiters and employers all have varying preferences, often determined by the specific job/position, it is best for job seekers in the fields of education and healthcare to have both a resume and a CV. Job seekers should carefully note the employer's instructions in job postings and the advice of recruiters in the target field as to whether a resume or a CV is appropriate and/or preferred.