Back to Basics: What Should be on Your Resume

I’m starting a new mini series called Back to Basics, to make sure anyone who might be totally new to the STEM professional world has their bases covered with introductory topics. Here is the first of these, what should be on your resume.

There’s a lot to be said about the minutia of how to style and optimize resumes, but let’s make sure we’re all on the same page about the basics. Here is a summary about what should be on your resume, broken into three parts.

Part I: These should be top, front, and center.

·        Your Name: The first name you go by, and your last name(s).

·        Your Contact Information: Include a cell number, an email address you regularly check, and the URL for your up to date LinkedIn profile. In a post COVID era, especially if you’re willing to move, I personally think you can skip the physical address.

Part II: The order of these can vary depending on time in the field and your priorities

·        Your Education: Going most recent to least recent, include your degrees, certifications, and professional programs. If you’re a student, include your GPA if it meets the opportunity’s posted minimum. If you’re already working fulltime, you can omit your GPA.

·        Your Work History: Going from most recent to least recent, list out your work history including the following:

o   Title, Employer, Dates of Employment: Include the title of your position, the employer for whom you were working, and the range of dates you worked in a (Month Year – Month Year) format. If you got promoted or switched roles within the same employer, split that employer’s section up into your distinct roles there.

o   Tasking/Work Description: As I wrote about here, be very specific when describing your role. Use precise action verbs, include details like metrics software and impact, and make sure to differentiate between what your team was working on and what you specifically did.

·        Skills: This section will vary depending on your specific industry, but list your technical skills such as software, coding languages, shop or electronic tools/instrumentation, etc.

Part III: The final section is your chance to list anything you haven’t already listed. Examples might include

·        Military Service: If for whatever reason you choose not to list your military service as part of your employment history, you can list it here

·        Foreign Language Skills: Languages you speak beyond the local/national language, and your level of proficiency

·        Security Clearance: Level, and date of investigation (I would NOT include this on a publicly posted resume, but would for relevant employers)

·        Skills/Interests: If you are looking to showcase a non-work related skill or interest to make a culture fit impression, list them here

Did I miss anything big? Is there another “back to basics” topic you’d like to see covered? Let me know at YourSTEMMentorBlog@gmail.com!