Writing a Resume

A resume is a marketing tool used to highlight your academics, skills, and relevant experiences. Your task is to create a resume that emphasizes your unique skills and achievements. Ultimately, your goal is to create a document that will accurately reflect your distinctive background and match employer needs.

Your resume is a snapshot of you - pictures of your education, experience, and skills. The purpose of a good resume is to get an interview so the picture you paint should communicate your potential to perform the job!

While recruiters who screen resumes don’t expect them to be identical, they do look for consistency and logical organization. Pick up a Career Guide for resume help. It is recommended that you meet with a CAT during drop-in advising to discuss questions and how your experience can best be displayed on your resume. You can pick up a copy of the Duke Career Guide anytime Monday-Friday, 9-5pm.

You can also download sample resumes:
resume guide (pdf) or
list of action verbs (pdf).

Senior/Business
Senior/Engineering
Sophomore/Marketing
Senior/International
First-year
Junior/Computer Science
Junior/Health
Public Policy Major
Sophomore
Sophomore/ROTC
Student Athlete
Student Athlete 2

Returned Study Abroad Students

How do you communicate to employers all the valuable skills and experience you gained on your journey? Come to the Career Center and practice telling your study abroad stories, and learn how to use those stories to the maximum advantage in finding a job and building a meaningful career. [more information]