Anyone on the job market knows about the importance of the résumé. This is typically an employer’s first look at who you are and what you bring to the table. That’s why it’s crucial that you can make your résumé stand out from the rest.

1. Lead with the most relevant information. This refers to both categories and individual bullet points. You want to lead with the most important information on the top and left-hand side of the page, as well as within sections. 
   
   
2. Your personalized LinkedIn URL. At the top of your résumé with the rest of your contact information, you can add your LinkedIn URL. Need a personalized URL that’s not full of random numbers and letters? Go to your profile, and on the right side you’ll see an option to edit "Public profile & URL.” If you need assistance with this, schedule a LinkedIn appointment with a career advisor. 
   
   
3. Course projects. If your résumé is lacking in terms of work experiences, you can include projects from your classes. Just list the name of the project and/or course and include a few bullet points highlighting what you did. Remember: coursework experiences do count as work experiences! 
   
   
4. Relevant coursework. By listing relevant courses, you can demonstrate that you have foundational knowledge in key areas related to the job you’re applying for. You can also show that you’ve learned specialized skills in a specific area of study. 
   
   
5. Skills as categories. These can be comprised of hard skills (e.g., programming languages, statistical analyses, data analysis), soft skills (e.g., communication, leadership, problem-solving), and transferable skills (e.g., customer service, research skills, presentation skills).   
   
   
6. Extracurricular activities. Adding these to your résumé can demonstrate leadership potential. They also can help highlight transferable skills that you otherwise may not be able to show on your résumé.

Looking for some examples of résumés as you build your own? Download our Career Guide and review the guidelines listed on p. 26 of the PDF.