Resume Headings & Content Print E-mail
The headings you use depend on what is most important to the reader. Always use a header with your name (in large, bold font), address, e-mail, and phone number. Use an appropriate (professional) e-mail address.

Profile (Summary, Executive Summary)
Your profile needs to be a snapshot of your relevant job experiences and skills. Keep this section fairly concise, targeting statements based on skills listed in a job description or applicant profile. Write your profile to make the reader want to learn more.

Education
List all educational experiences with school or university name, city, state, and dates. Include your degrees, certifications, licenses, major, minor and classes or training you have received relevant to the job or grad school seat. Beyond freshman year, you will omit high school, since you should have more recent and relevant experiences.

Experience
Broaden your definition of experience to include a wide range of nontraditional examples such as paid or unpaid positions, full or part-time, temporary or permanent, volunteer, internships, cooperative education, clubs, etc. It all counts! Some of your best experience may have come from an unpaid internship or voluntary community service project. You may have gained some valuable experience working for your church /temple/mosque or civic group. Monetary compensation is not the criteria by which you should judge your work experience.

Relevant Coursework
If your experience does not indicate you have knowledge in the area, you may want to include a few targeted courses to illustrate your knowledge.

Extracurricular Activities
Be sure to list any activities in which you were involved. List memberships in clubs and campus organizations, as well as affiliations in academic or professional associations, including any leadership experiences you gained.

Honors & Awards
Don't forget to list honors, awards, academic achievements, scholarships, and any other leadership or academic recognitions.

Community Service
Voluntary, community, religious-affiliated, and civic organizations provide a valuable source of experience, especially for those careers or graduate/professional schools that require involvement..

Other
Below is a list of alternate resume headings that may be more appropriate for your situation.
  • Keyword Summary
  • Technical or Computer Skills
  • Professional Memberships and Affiliations
  • Military Service
  • Language Skills
  • Certifications (these may also follow your name)
  • Publications
  • Volunteer Activities
  • Teaching Experience
  • Clinical Experience
  • Healthcare Experience


Sample student experiences to include on your resume:

  • Led 5 community service projects for (club) involving (number) of members, (X)% increase in involvement.
  • Initiated and organized regular be-weekly meetings (or retreat) to keep members informed and engaged.
  • Served as Resident Assistant for (number) of students, managing relationships and resolving conflicts.
  • Shadowed three hospital administrators in different settings to learn organizational culture and styles.
  • Volunteered (hours) at health clinics getting exposure to patient needs and effective ways to provide quality patient care.

For additional information, contact Career & Professional Development Services at (205) 934-4324 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it