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Resumes: What You Need to Know

The resume is an opportunity to market yourself to a prospective employer. It should be succinct, target an employer's needs, and distinguish you from your competitors. Before you get started, think about your strengths, weaknesses, personal preferences, and motivations. You should also consider the company's needs, who your competition might be, and your unique skill set. The best way to convince employers that you will add value is to show them that you've done it before.

Alumni Resume Book

Our Alumni Resume Book connects you with organizations looking for talent. Visit 12twenty (our recruiting platform) and upload your resume to get started. You should complete your Profile in 12twenty by updating your Background tab which contains information about your career experience, skills, preferences and more. Ensuring your Background tab is complete and accurate will greatly improve your chance of being contacted by an organization. Looking to connect with fellow HBS alumni? Upload your resume to the Alumni Networking Resume Book to kick start those connections.

Resume Makeover Using VMock and Aspire

Gain instant feedback on your resume and LinkedIn Profile

VMock is a smart career platform that provides instant personalized feedback on your resume and LinkedIn Profile to help improve aspects like presentation, language, and skills.

VMock Smart Editor tool will enable you to:

• Receive an objective score on your resume based on recruiter criteria
• Review line-for-line targeted feedback on your resume
• Re-upload your resume up to 10 times to track improvement

Sign up using your HBS email address. Account requests are granted within 24 business hours. During holidays and winter break (December 24th – January 1st) turnaround time will be delayed until the CPD office reopens. Please note, we recommend you review your resume before considering it final.

Resumes: Sections, Templates & Examples

• Contact details - Let others know who you are and how to get in touch with you. In addition to your name, you should list your mailing address, phone number, and email address. It is expected to be found at the top of the page. No need to include it on additional pages.
• Professional history - Start with your most recent role and list in descending chronology. For each role, provide a sentence or two that describes the scope of your responsibility. Then in bullet format, provide accomplishment statements. To write an accomplishment statement, state the problem you encountered, the action you took and the result or impact of your actions. For example, "Led team in implementing a new general ledger package by providing expertise and encouragement, which contributed to a successful, on-time project completion."
• Education - Spell out your degree so it will stand out better. It is not necessary to include your GPA or GMAT score. Do not list courses. Do list any leadership roles or study abroad experiences.
• Summary/Profile - A great opportunity to tell the reader exactly what you want them to know. It should be 3-4 sentences in paragraph form following your contact information. Be careful not to load up on overused resume jargon and avoid listing previous jobs/education as it is redundant. Instead, focus on your branding statement, unique themes in your career path, and skills.
• Key skills - Listing your skills is a great way for the reader to quickly evaluate your skill set. List skills that are relevant to your next position. For each skill, you will need a proof statement in the form of an accomplishment stated in the professional experience section. A good way to set up this section is in 2 or 3 columns with 3-4 skills in each column. The heading could be "Key Areas of Expertise" or "Core Competencies".
• Personal/Interests - Only include if it helps tell your story.
• Additional roles - If you participate in organizations outside of your professional employment, you may list these in a separate section. Headings are typically "Volunteer Leadership Roles" or "Community Service".
• Licenses and Professional Certifications - If you possess a license or certification, these should be called out in a separate section.
• Objective - No longer in style. Do not include in your resume.
• References available upon request - No longer in style. Do not include in your resume.
• Zip file of all resume templates (login required)

Chronological - This is the most commonly used layout. Recommended for a mostly consistent record of employment showing progression/growth from position to position. Not recommended for gaps in employment dates, those out of job market for some time, or changing careers.

• Template 1 (login required)
• Template 2 (login required)
• Template 3 (login required)
• Template 4 (login required)
• Sample 1: C-Level Resume (login required)
• Sample 2: Consulting to Operating Company Resume (login required)
• Sample 3: VP with Long Tenure Resume (login required)
• Sample 4: C-Level Biotech resume (login required)
• Sample 5: Exec. Ed. with Long Tenure Resume (login required)
• Sample 6: Financial Services Resume (login required)

Streamlined Chronological - This layout also shows progression from one job to the next, but does not include extra sections such as Summary/Profile or Areas of Expertise. Recommended for recent alumni.

• Template: Streamlined Chronological (login required)

Chronological/Functional Hybrid Resume - In this layout, you can highlight your employment history in a straight chronological manner, but also make it immediately clear you have filled a variety of roles that use different but related skill sets. This is useful to provide a few accomplishments in the beginning to show a theme. Each role would also have specific accomplishment statements.

• Template: Chronological/Functional Hybrid (login required)
• Sample: Accomplishment Focus Resume (login required)

Cover Letter Writing

It is essential to send a cover letter with your resume to provide a recruiter with insight into your qualifications, experience, and motivation for seeking a position. The letter also conveys your personal communication style, tone, and professionalism. An effective employment letter should:

• Be targeted and personalized
• State why you are interested in the company
• Explain how you can fill a need
• Convey your enthusiasm about the opportunity
• Suggest next steps for communication and action

Guidelines & Examples

Investigate your target company. What is the company's "breaking news?" What drives their business? What are their greatest challenges and opportunities? How can you contribute? eBaker can help with your research.

Outline your objectives using relevant information that attracts the attention of the reader.

• Salutation Address the letter to a specific person. Capture the reader's attention and briefly introduce yourself. Mention the referral/company contact, if applicable. State the purpose of your letter.
• Body Describe relevant information you discovered about the company. Discuss the position offered or the position you are looking for. Detail how your skills will benefit the company.
• Closing Convey your enthusiasm. Anticipate response.

Pay close attention to sentence structure, spelling, and punctuation. Always print your letter to check for typographical errors. Have a friend, colleague, or family member review your letter whenever possible.

Cover letters are the place to briefly and directly address the gap in your career. For example, "I am returning to the workforce after a period of raising children." Then address your strengths, qualifications and goals. Emphasize your excitement and preparedness to re-enter the workforce now.

Response to Identified Advertisement (pdf)

Branding You

Resume writing tips  , creating visual impact.

A concise, visually appealing resume will make a stronger impression than a dense, text-laden document. Respect page margins and properly space the text. Learn to appreciate the value of "white space." Limit a resume to one or two pages but not one and ¼. Ensure content is balanced on both pages. A CV is typically longer because it includes additional sections such as publications and research.

Use Parallel Construction

Select a consistent order of information, format, and spacing. If one experience starts with a brief overview followed by bullet points, subsequent experiences should follow a similar form. Parallel construction—including the use of action verbs (pdf) (login required) to start all phrases—greatly enhances a resume's readability.

Always Proofread

Pay close attention to margin alignment, spelling, punctuation, and dates. Read your resume backward to check for typographical errors. (You will focus on individual words, rather than the meaning of the text.) Better yet, have a friend, colleague, or family member review your resume.

Use Action Verbs

Action Verbs List (login required)

Improve Your Writing

Common questions, past program resources  .

How to Build a Resume that Stands Above the Competition

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How to Write a Cover Letter That Sounds Like You (and Gets Noticed)

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Do the research, start off strong, and emphasize your value.

• EM Elainy Mata is a Multimedia Producer at Harvard Business Review. ElainyMata

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How to Write a Cover Letter

By: Amy Gallo

Advice for tackling one of the toughest parts of the job-hunting process.

• Length: 2450 word count
• Publication Date: Feb 4, 2014
• Discipline: General Management
• Product #: H00NTV-PDF-ENG

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Perhaps the most challenging part of the job application process is writing an effective cover letter. And yes, you should send one. Even if only one in two cover letters gets read, that’s still a 50% chance that including one could help you. Before you start writing, find out more about the company and the specific job you want. Next, catch the attention of the hiring manager or recruiter with a strong opening line. If you have a personal connection with the company or someone who works there, mention it in the first sentence or two, and try to address your letter to someone directly. Hiring managers are looking for people who can help them solve problems, so show that you know what the company does and some of the challenges it faces. Then explain how your experience has equipped you to meet those needs. If the online application doesn’t allow you to submit a cover letter, use the format you’re given to demonstrate your ability to do the job and your enthusiasm for the role.

Feb 4, 2014

Discipline:

General Management

Harvard Business Review Digital Article

H00NTV-PDF-ENG

2450 word count

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Can i edit my job application once submitted, how do i apply for a staff job at harvard.

In order to be considered as a candidate at Harvard, you must apply on Harvard Careers .

To learn more about the site, we invite all candidates to watch an interactive video detailing the application process. 

How can I learn the status of my (employment) candidacy?

Recruiters and hiring managers are constantly reviewing resumes. If your background and experiences are a strong match for the position(s) to which you are applying, the hiring manager or human resources manager will contact you for a phone or in-person interview.

Please understand that the resume review process takes time due to the high volume of resumes that we receive. If your candidacy is declined because you do not meet the basic qualifications for the job, or your qualifications are not as strong as other candidates in the hiring pool, you will be informed via an...

How can I learn the status of my (employment) application?

You can check the status of your application(s) at any time, directly, by logging in and visiting the “Dashboard” section of your candidate gateway in Harvard Careers.

Please understand that the resume review process takes time due to the high volume of resumes that we receive. If your candidacy is declined because...

What do the different job statuses mean?

• Open (candidates are still being reviewed)
• Hold (search is temporarily suspended)
• Cancelled (requisition is no longer going to be filled)
• Closed (job has been filled)

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How can i find a staff job at harvard, i am having trouble uploading a document to my application in harvard careers. how can i do so.

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• Confirm that the ...

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Amanda Claybaugh, Dean of Undergraduate Education

Samuel zemurray jr. and doris zemurray stone radcliffe professor of english and harvard college professor.

How to Apply for Academic Jobs

            1) a cover letter : The cover letter is the single most important part of your application. It is the first document that the hiring committee reads, and it determines whether they will read the rest: it should therefore capture everything that makes you a compelling candidate. Cover letters most often consist of five paragraphs:

            an introduction that highlights the ways in which you're suited for this particular job             a paragraph summarizing the argument of your dissertation as a whole             a paragraph describing your other research interests, such as a second project or an article that is not part of your dissertation             a paragraph describing your teaching, both the courses you have taught and the courses you would like to teach             a boilerplate conclusion

Some cover letters may depart from the five-paragraph model, but none go over two pages: excessive length is seen as the mark of a madman, and overly small font also seems a bit crazed.

            2) a cv : The cv performs the same function as the cover letter, but in a more abbreviated form. Formats vary, and you may pick the one you prefer. Whichever format you choose, make sure you mention the following:

            your education, including the dates of all your degrees (either received or expected)             your dissertation, including title, advisors, and a 2- to 3-sentence summary             your publications, including those that are forthcoming or under review             your conference talks             your teaching experience             your prizes and fellowships

            3) a dissertation abstract : The dissertation abstract expands upon the cover letter, and it tends to do so in the following two ways. First, by elaborating the significance of your argument. In your cover letter, you summarize an argument; in your dissertation abstract, you explain why this argument matters (how does it change our understanding of your topic? how does it change our reading of the works you are focusing on?). And second, by explaining how the various parts of your dissertation connect to one another. In your cover letter, you name the authors or works you’re considering; in your dissertation abstract, you explain the distinctive role that each plays in your argument. The conventions of the dissertation abstract vary a bit, but most devote roughly a page to discussing the dissertation as a whole and roughly a page to summarizing the individual chapters. Some abstracts do depart from this structure, though, and you should think about what organization would make the most sense for your project.

            4) a writing sample : The writing sample demonstrates that you can actually make the argument that you’ve so far been simply asserting. It should therefore be made up of two parts: an extended case study, drawn from one of your dissertation chapters; and a substantial opening section, drawn from your introduction, in which you frame this case study in a discussion of your argument as a whole. The more closely your writing sample resembles a journal article, the more successful it will be: dissertations tend to get bogged down in close reading and distracted by unrelated points, but a writing sample must move confidently through an array of examples in the course of making a sustained argument. You might find it helpful to model your writing sample on articles published in a journal you admire (look, in particular, for articles taken from projects that would later be published as books: these will likely have the right mix of framing and case study). Once you finish writing this article-like writing sample, you should send it to the journal you admire, so that you’ll have a(nother) publication under review for your cv. Different committees will request writing samples of different lengths, and you should draft your sample with that in mind, constructing it out of discrete units that you can include or leave out as the length requirements demand.

            5) a job talk : The job talk does the same thing as the writing sample, but in oral form. It, too, should be made up of two parts: a substantial opening section that lays out your argument, followed by an extended case study (different from the one you offered in your writing sample). Different committees will ask for different things: some will want talks of thirty minutes (absolutely no more than 15 pages); others, talks of forty-five minutes (absolutely no more than 20 pages). Some may ask you to give a standard academic presentation; others, to present your research to undergrads.

But while these documents are fairly straightforward, they often prove to be very difficult to write. Writing them will require that you step back from the specific chapters and courses in which you’re now immersed and think about your scholarship and teaching more generally. You can do so by reflecting on the following topics:

            1) your field : Some of you will find that your dissertation falls straightforwardly into a single hiring field (twentieth-century US, eighteenth-century English, Renaissance); your task, in that case, will be to persuade hiring committees that you have mastery of the entire field—not just that part of it that is covered by your dissertation. You will, of course, claim that you do, but it is best if you back up this claim in your descriptions of courses you might teach and other research interests you might pursue. That is, if your dissertation focuses on the Victorian novel, you should describe a survey course that focuses on poetry, drama, and prose as well, and you should also propose an additional research project that touches on topics and works that you do not cover in your dissertation.

             Others will find that their dissertations fall into more than one field, crossing period or national boundaries. In this case, you will prepare two sets of materials, one for each field, and your task will be to persuade hiring committees that you are committed to whatever field they are hiring in. You should not try to conceal the fact that your dissertation crosses field boundaries; on the contrary, you should make a case for why it is necessary that it do so. But you should emphasize the field the department is hiring in when proposing courses and describing research interests. Still others of you will have written interdisciplinary dissertations, combining history and literature or literature and philosophy or touching on visual culture as well. In this case, your task is to persuade the hiring committee that your primary commitment is to literature. Once again, you should not try to conceal the interdisciplinary nature of your project, but rather make a case for it. But you should also take care to emphasize the literary in the courses and research projects you propose.

            2) your dissertation :

            a) What is the topic of your dissertation? It’s helpful to have a vivid word or phrase that you use consistently when describing your work; it’s also helpful to have a brief example of your topic that will be immediately familiar to others. And be prepared to explain where you set the limits of your topic: what doesn’t count as x , and why?

            b) What is the argument of your dissertation?

           c) How do the parts of your dissertation contribute to the argument of the whole? Some dissertations are organized chronologically (the pre-history of topic x , the height of topic x , the aftermath of topic x ); others are organized as a taxonomy.

            d) What is the significance of your argument? More specifically, how does it change our understanding of your topic? and how does your focus on this topic change our reading of the works you are considering?

            e) Why did you delimit your project in this way? How would it be different if you had   focused on another period, another nation, another genre, different authors? Is there any work you’ve left out that you should be able to account for in some way?

            f) What is the most significant change you’ll want to make as you turn this dissertation into a book?

            g) How did you come to write this dissertation? What is the narrative of its development?

            3) your teaching :

            a) You will need to prepare an array of courses you’d like to teach. You might find it useful to sketch out a syllabus for each, but listing the readings you’d assign is less important than providing a rationale for the course as a whole. You should be able to describe, in two or three sentences, what you’d want your students to learn. You’ll tailor your course offerings to specific schools, but for now you should prepare courses in the following categories:

            a multi-genre survey of your field (Renaissance Literature)             a single-genre survey of your field (Twentieth-Century Poetry)             an introductory survey course: usually either British literature to 1800, British literature after 1800, or US literature             several undergraduate seminars in your field, organized in different ways  (interdisciplinary, single-author, thematic)             several graduate seminars in your field             a first-year seminar or other intro to the major course             a writing-intensive class

            b) You should also gather anecdotes about your teaching: your greatest success; the skill you’ve struggled most to master; your most innovative assignment; your most unusual group of students.

            3) your scholarship :

            a) What other research interests are you pursuing or do you intend to pursue?

            b) What do you think is the most significant recent development in your field? How does your work relate to it?

            c) Who is the critic you most admire? Your most important intellectual influence?

              d) How does your work differ from the work of your advisors?           

Sample Emails to Employers

Bernard Koteen Office of Public Interest Advising

4039 Wasserstein Hall (WCC) 1585 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138

The sample emails below provide guidance on responding to situations that students often face when searching for public interest jobs for for applications, interview requests, and offers.

Learn more about application procedures.  Should you encounter a particularly tricky situation or need extra guidance, please feel free to take advantage of our drop-in office hours or schedule an  appointment with an adviser.

Responding to interview requests

When replying to an offer for an interview from an employer, be sure to be prompt and prepared. Respond to their call or email as quickly as you can within 24 hours, and have your schedule ready. Keep your communications professional, especially when responding via email.

Withdrawing your application after an interview

This sample can also be edited to use when withdrawing from a scheduled interview.

Dear Attorney Smith,

Thank you for considering my application and taking the time to interview me for your summer internship. While the position sounds like an exciting opportunity, I recently accepted an offer for a summer internship with Earthjustice, and therefore must withdraw my application.

I remain enthusiastic about the mission of your office and hope to have the opportunity to work with you in the future.

Sincerely, John Harvard

Withdrawing your application – no interview scheduled

Dear Ms. Smith,

Thank you very much for considering my application. I recently received, and have accepted, an offer from another organization. I remain very interested in the work that you do, and hope that you will consider an application from me in the future.

Sincerely, Jane Harvard

Turning down an offer

Be sure to respond as soon as you know that you will not be accepting the employer’s offer. An email is only appropriate if you were also offered the position over email; otherwise, you should make a phone call. You do not need to go into great detail, but most employers will appreciate some insight into your decision.

Thank you for your email; I am very grateful for your offer of an internship this summer. It was a pleasure meeting you and your colleagues and learning more about the work of your office. After careful consideration, I write to let you know that I must decline your offer. While I am inspired by the work that you do on the national level and hope to contribute to your mission in the future, I have decided to pursue an opportunity that affords me the chance to work one-on-one with clients.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Requesting more time to consider an offer

You may find yourself in a situation where you need more time to decide on an offer, either for personal reasons or because you are juggling other offers and interviews. You may politely ask for more time; the sample below provides guidance, but please know that not all employers will be able to accommodate these kinds of requests.

If no decision deadline was given:

Thank you very much for offering me a position as a summer intern with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. I greatly enjoyed my conversation with you and your colleagues, and I appreciate the opportunity to work with your organization. I am carefully considering my options for the summer and hope to let you know of my decision soon. I believe I can respond to you by February 15 ( it is ok to suggest a date up to two weeks) ; does that timeline work with your schedule?

Thank you again for offering me this opportunity.

If a decision deadline was given:

Thank you very much for offering me a position as a summer intern with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. I greatly enjoyed my conversation with you and your colleagues, and I appreciate the opportunity to work with your organization.

I understand that you would like to know my decision by this Friday. I am still carefully considering my options and schedule for the summer and would like to know if I may respond to you in another week. If that poses a problem, I will be sure to reply to your offer earlier.

Following up on outstanding applications (without an offer)

I’m sorry to be contacting you again, as I know how busy you must be, but I just wanted to confirm that you had received my application, and to let you know I remain very enthusiastic about your work and the possibility of a summer internship with your office. If there is any other information you need from me, please let me know.

Thank you very much for your consideration, and I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Following up on outstanding applications when you have an offer (first choice)

Send ONLY ONE email like this to a first-choice employer.

I have recently applied for a summer internship with your office. I am writing because I have been offered another position, and have been asked to accept or reject the offer by February 15th.

I am extremely interested in working as an intern with the U.S. Attorney’s Office this summer, and it remains my first choice. ( Do not state that an office is your first choice if it is not .) Would you be able to provide me with an update on the status of my application? I would greatly appreciate the chance to interview with you before mid-February, if possible.

I have attached my resume and cover letter here for your reference. Thank you very much for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Following up on outstanding applications when you have an offer (not first choice)

To be used for other, non-first choice employers.

I have recently applied for a summer internship with your office. I am writing because I have been offered another position, and I’ve been asked to accept or reject the offer by February 15th.

I remain very interested in the possibility of working as an intern with the U.S. Attorney’s Office this summer. Would you be able to provide me with an update on the status of my application? If you would like to interview me, I would greatly appreciate being able to do so before mid-February, if possible.

Related OPIA Resources

• Interview Follow-Up: Thank You Notes
• Application Procedures
• Evaluating Offers and Communicating with Employers

Related Private Sector Resources

• Interviews and Networking

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