Resumes

Need Help Writing a Scholarship Resume?* Check Out a Sample Resume and FAQs

*Scholarship portal closes on Sun., May 4th. Submit resume review requests by Tues., April 29th to receive feedback by Fri., May 2nd. 

Developing a polished and clearly focused resume is your first step towards gaining employment.

As you develop your resume, remember that we are here to help! ​ Ensure that your resume will earn you an interview by attending a resume workshop, scheduling an appointment with a career counselor, or requesting written feedback via email.​

Please note: The Career Services Center only provides these services for WWU students and alumni.​

Get Resume Feedback: 

Want to refine your resume? Our staff can help! 

How to Submit Your Resume for Review:

  1. Email us at careers@wwu.edu with the subject line: "Resume Review."
  2. Attach your resume to the email (do not share a link to your file).
  3. If applying for a specific job or graduation program, include the job posting or program requirements (attach or provide a link).

What to Expect: 

We'll review your materials and send feedback within three business days. (This does not include class assignment resume reviews. See below for more information.)

Class Assignment Resume Reviews:

Looking to incorporate resume reviews into your class assignments? We're here to help!

For Faculty: If you’d like to include resume reviews as part of your coursework, please submit a Class Assignment Resume Review Request. We ask that students submit resumes at least 2 weeks in advance of assignment due date.  

Visit the Staff/Faculty page on our website for more information on services we offer!

Resume FAQS

View our tips on getting started.

Want additional support? attend a resume workshop or schedule an appointment with a career counselor.

It depends. Generally, we recommend undergraduates have a one-page resume. For graduate students 1-2 pages is acceptable. Longer resumes also may be appropriate if you are applying to research positions, government positions, or roles in the performing arts.

Talk with a career counselor if you are not sure what’s best for your situation.

Experience comes in many forms! If you don’t have relevant work experience yet, consider highlighting class projects, internships, and club involvement. If you have work experience that is less related to your desired field, include it and emphasize the transferable elements, such as teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.

Learn how to improve your resume draft.

When you are ready for customized feedback, submit your resume for an email review or schedule an appointment.

Yes, it is essential to tailor your resume to match each position you are applying for. Learn how to tailor your resume.

While references are important, you should not include them on your resume or write “references available upon request.” Instead, create a separate document for your references to submit when the employer asks for them.

Yes! While the resume is a key part of any application, cover letters are also important. They help the employer learn why you are a strong candidate for the position—and why you are interested in the role/organization.

A CV, or Curriculum Vitae, emphasizes academic accomplishments and is used when applying for positions in academia, such as fellowships and grants. A CV has no limit on length and typically includes coursework, publications, posters, presentations, research, experience, etc. Learn more about CVs.

A resume is used when applying for a position in industry, non-profit, and private or public sector. A resume is selective and strategic in the information included. It is kept to 1-2 pages, emphasizing skills, knowledge, and experience relevant to the position.

For most internships and entry level positions, you will submit a resume.

Get Started

A resume piques the employer's interest and gets you to the interview stage.​

Your resume should be:​

  • Concise​
  • Clearly and consistently formatted​
  • Focused on your unique contributions, accomplishments, and skills​
  • Tailored to the position, addressing the qualifications posted on the job description​

In deciding what to include, ask yourself: How can I demonstrate that I have the relevant skills, knowledge, and experience for the position I want? You can include a variety of details, such as relevant coursework, technical skills, volunteering, and club involvement. This resource can help you identify the skills and accomplishments from these different experiences.  

​Check out the sample resumes to see what this looks like! Then learn how to create your own resume content.​

Are you starting from scratch—or looking to update the style of your resume?​

We offer a free resume builder tool called SkillsFirst. You can browse additional sample resumes by industry—and choose a template for your own resume. There is also a key words generator tool that helps tailor your resume for specific jobs!​

Learn how to activate your SkillsFirst account and get started.​

Resume Tip

Keep your formatting simple. Some features, like text boxes and graphics, can cause problems with resume scanning software. Using SkillsFirst or one of our sample resumes will help you avoid this issue.​

Strengthen & Revise

The bullet points that describe your experience (work, volunteering, class projects, etc.) are an essential part of the resume. They should provide impactful information about what makes you a strong and unique candidate.​

Make the most of your descriptions with these best practices:

  • Start with a strong action verb
    Past tense for previous experiences, present for current ones
  • Highlight achievements/accomplishments, not just tasks/duties. Incorporate results, improvements, and problems solved
    Use this formula: What did you do + why did it matter? Check out the How to Write Resume Content  handout for examples.
  • Quantify when possible.
    For example, if you were a tutor: How many people did you tutor? What age(s)? How many times per week?
  • End with a period.

Strengthen your existing bullet points using the good-better-best model.

Tailor to the Position

Your resume is about you, but it is also about your audience! The information in your resume should make it clear why you are a great candidate for the job that you want.​

To tailor your resume for a specific position, follow these steps:​

  1. Identify key duties and qualifications in the job/internship posting.​
  2. Ensure that you have clearly addressed how you meet these qualifications in your resume. Have you shown the employer that you have these skills/abilities? Remember, the employer does not know everything that you do about your previous experiences! It is up to you to share the relevant information with them.​
  3. Condense or remove less relevant information. This helps to keep the reader focused on the important, relevant content of your resume.​
  4. Incorporate key words from the job description into your resume. You can use the key word generator in SkillsFirst to identify possible words and phrases to include.​

Resume Tip:

Start a “master resume” to save yourself time—both now and in the future!​

Scholarship Resume FAQs

It is important to follow application guidelines when creating a resume for a scholarship. Generally, scholarship resumes should be 1 page. If you are applying to an academically focused scholarship such as a fellowship, your resume or CV may be longer.

The focus of a scholarship resume should primarily be academics. We recommend you think broadly about your experience! Some experiences that could be helpful to include: Your major (or intended major), minor (if you have one), certificates, research, study abroad experiences, field work, class projects, participation in academic clubs, volunteer activities, extra curriculars (EX: participation in sports, clubs, etc.), and work experiences (part or full time). Check out our sample resume for some ideas: WWU Scholarship Resume - Academically Focused

No. On a scholarship resume you will highlight your experiences more broadly than you would for an internship or job.

Yes. Feel free to include experiences, extracurriculars, and academic achievements from high school if you are early on in your time at Western. Please note that you do not need to include your High School under education.

We can certainly help you think through your academic goals and how those relate to future careers. For support on your scholarship essays, we recommend reaching out to the Hacherl Research and Writing Studio. You can request an appointment to connect with them in-person or online (though this is not required),  send a draft for an email response, or simply drop in, either in-person on the second level of Haggard Hall or online through chat on their website (hours listed here).

Ask A Viking

Ask A Viking

Get resume tips from alumni working in the industry using Ask A Viking!