Mastering Your Resume: Your Guide to Standing Out

Published on April 25, 2025

Your resume is one of the most important tools you have in your career journey — and crafting it well can make all the difference. Whether you’re applying for internships, part-time jobs, or full-time roles, your resume needs to clearly tell your story, highlight your strengths, and show employers you’re ready to succeed.

Here’s your guide to mastering the resume process:

The Purpose of a Resume

A resume is much more than a document — it’s your first impression. A strong resume:

  • Highlights your skills, experience, and strengths
  • Showcases your professionalism and attention to detail
  • Helps employers quickly assess your fit for a role
  • Reflects your career goals and next steps

Think of your resume as your marketing tool: it should position you clearly for the roles you’re targeting.

Resume Basics: What to Include

At a minimum, a professional resume should have:

  • Heading: Name, contact information, LinkedIn profile or portfolio link
  • Education: Include your university, major, expected graduation date
  • Experience: List roles in reverse chronological order with action-oriented bullet points
  • Additional Experience: Clubs, leadership roles, volunteering, sports, community work
  • Skills: Only technical and language skills that are relevant

Formatting tips:
Use 11–12 point font, 0.75–1 inch margins, and bullet points to organize experience. Keep your formatting consistent throughout.

Perfecting Your Bullets

Focus on what you accomplished, not just what you did.
Use this formula for strong resume bullets:
Action Verb + What You Did + Why It Mattered

Example improvements:

  • Instead of: Responsible for customer service duties
  • Say: Addressed daily customer requests and concerns to support efficient team operations.

Quantifying results with numbers, percentages, or outcomes makes your impact clear to employers.

Tailoring Your Resume to the Role

Employers spend about seven seconds on an initial resume review — tailoring matters.
To tailor your resume effectively:

  • Pull keywords and skills directly from the job description
  • Highlight experiences that connect directly to the role’s responsibilities
  • Use industry-specific language naturally throughout your bullets
  • Customize your professional summary (if you include one) to match the opportunity

Building a “master resume” is a great starting point, but each application deserves a customized version.

Understanding Resume Types

Depending on your background and goals, you may use different resume formats:

  • Chronological: Lists experiences in reverse order; ideal for students with consistent work or internships.
  • Functional: Groups experiences by skill; good for career changers or those with less traditional experience.
  • Technical: Emphasizes software, systems, and technical projects; best for STEM fields.
  • Creative: Uses design elements like charts and icons; appropriate for creative industries (but be cautious with ATS systems).

Choosing the right format depends on your field, experience, and the industry’s expectations.

Using AI and Technology Wisely

Many employers use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen resumes.
These systems scan for keywords that match the job description, which is why alignment is critical.

Helpful tools like Jobscan, Rezi, and even AI tools like ChatGPT can help you get started — but always review and personalize your final resume yourself.

Tip: AI is best used to brainstorm, not replace your authentic voice.

Major Resume Tips to Remember

  • Focus on accomplishments and results, not duties
  • Be specific, concise, and clear
  • Align your resume with the job description
  • Quantify achievements whenever possible
  • Proofread carefully for spelling, grammar, and formatting
  • Do not fabricate or exaggerate experiences
  • Include coursework and academic projects if they’re relevant
  • Highlight industry-specific skills naturally throughout

Research your industry’s norms through platforms like LinkedIn, O*NET, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Tools and Resources for LMU Students

At CPD, we offer tools to help you strengthen your resume:

  • VMock: Instant resume feedback and editing suggestions
  • Big Interview: Additional resume training modules and practice tools

Set up your Handshake account to access job and internship postings, and update your LinkedIn profile to build your network and visibility.

Ready to Get Started?

Your resume is one of the most powerful tools you have — and building it thoughtfully now sets the foundation for future success.

  • Update your Handshake profile and upload your polished resume: lmu.edu/handshake
  • Schedule a coaching appointment for personalized resume feedback: Schedule Here
  • Explore LinkedIn and The Pride to see how alumni have built their careers

Visit careers.lmu.edu for more tools, upcoming events, and career resources.

You don’t have to build your resume alone — we’re here to support you every step of the way.

By Naomi Shibley, M.S.
Naomi Shibley, M.S. Assistant Director, Business Professions
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