FIRSTNAME M. LASTNAME
email@address cell number https://www.linkedin.com/in/yourlink
Copyright [2021] The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. All rights reserved. For permissions
inquires email alumnicareerservice[email protected]irginia.edu
.
HEADLINE
Your headline (above) should describe the intersection of your experience and your target role. This could
be, but is not necessarily, your job title, e.g. Finance Professional, Digital Marketing Executive. This
paragraph summarizes your KEY value proposition as it pertains to your audience. Think about your
target reader. This is about the job you want, not the job you have. Avoid language that indicates you are
unemployed or actively seeking – this is not relevant to your value.
• Optional Skills Bullets
• Highlight key target skills
• Limit list to 4-6 max
• Emphasize ‘hard’ (not soft) skills
• e.g. P&L Management
• e.g. Corporate M&A, Negotiations
EXPERIENCE
Employer 1 (current or most recent) City, State or Country
Brief description of the employer if not a nationally (US) recognized organization. Aim to limit the
description to one line. Include ticker for publically traded company or industry for private company.
Title, yyyy – Present
• Bullets should describe your key accomplishments, and include quantified metrics if possible.
• Always have your target reader in mind. What are the skills s/he is scanning for? Keep your
bullets focused on those skills.
• Start each bullet with an action verb that conveys a key skill to the target audience. Review action
verbs to ensure that they best describe your key/target skills and are not overly redundant.
Employer 2 City, State or Country
If a former employer was acquired during your tenure be sure to note the new name or status in the brief
company description.
Title, yyyy – yyyy
• Aim for a max of 3-4 bullets per role. Avoid bullets that are more than 2/3 lines.
• Try to avoid technical jargon if it is not relevant to your reader.
• Use acronyms sparingly and spell out words where the reference is company specific or obscure
Title, yyyy – yyyy
• When you’ve had multiple titles at the same employer but different duties, simply repeat the
format for each role, as shown here.
• Use dollar values or quantities to help convey scale/importance of your accomplishments.
• Either use periods at the end of each bullet or not at all – be consistent throughout.
Employer 3 City, State or Country
If you’ve had multiple roles at the same employer but your duties/accomplishments were the same, this
format can be effective – shows career progression and takes up less space. To save even more space,
simply use the most recent title. You don’t have to list them all, especially for older employment history.
Title yyyy – yyyy
Title yyyy – yyyy
Title yyyy – yyyy
Lastname, Page 2
Copyright [2021] The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. All rights reserved. For permissions
inquires email alumnicareerservice[email protected]irginia.edu
.
Employer3, continued (use this format if you continue one Employer on a second page)
Achievement Category 1 (e.g. Business Development, Digital Marketing)
• If you are using this format and combining multiple roles, consider breaking up large numbers of
bullets with sub-headers as shown here.
• As always, sub-headers should be achievements that your reader is scanning for.
Achievement Category 2 (e.g. Leadership, Relationship Management)
• This structure is also good for career switchers, to highlight skills that may not be obvious, and
can be applied in any of the formats above.
• Focus on your impact rather than your exposure. Results, results, results. Did we mention results?
EDUCATION
University of Virginia, Darden School of Business Charlottesville, VA
Master of Business Administration, YYYY
• GPA, GMAT, Club leadership, - limit to truly exceptional details especially if you are >5 years
out of Darden
• Prestigious awards/scholarships
Undergraduate Institution City, State or Country
Degree, YYYY
• GPA, Club leadership, Athletics – limit to truly exceptional items
• Prestigious awards/scholarships
• Note that graduation years are optional. If you are 20+ years out of school and you prefer to leave
them off, you might limit the experience section to the last 20 (most relevant) years.
PERSONAL (Name this section whatever you feel is most descriptive, based on contents. For example,
you could call this “Community Engagement” if you have a lot to say about volunteering and local
boards. If you have multiple categories, you can format the section as follows, in no particular order:
• Military Service (if not included in Professional Experience Section)
• Patents (there are instances where the patent is very relevant to targeted jobs and would therefore
be better placed in the Executive Summary – top – of the resume)
• Certifications e.g. CPA, CFA, Series licenses
• Speaking Engagements at conferences (note that speaking engagements could alternatively be
included under experience, particularly if you were representing your employer)
• Interests – think of activities/hobbies that you are truly passionate about that might spark a
conversation with your interviewer e.g. Private Pilot, Competitive Triathlete
Other topics you could include: Board Seats, Community engagements, Volunteer commitments,
Publications, Awards
Final Note: Always limit the resume to two pages. If you have less than 10 years of experience, try to
limit it to one page. An exception would be adding a list of transactions or publications on a separate,
additional page. For those with longer and more diverse careers, this can mean a thorough edit and paring
down of the older jobs. A good rule of thumb is limit the number of accomplishment bullets to 3 or less,
or use only a short overall description of the work, for the jobs held over 10 years prior.
